Cranberry juice cocktail is produced from the thawed cranberries. Thawed cranberries are put through a tapered screw extractor. A yield of 66 – 70% of juice is obtained from each 100 kg of fruit. The juice is diluted with an equal volume of water and sugar is added to bring the specific gravity up to 15° Brix.
The juice is then clarified and filtered. Mostly membrane clarification and filtration are used for cranberry juice. The juice is then heated to 185° F (85° C) to inactivate enzymes and thus prevent further action during storage.
The hot juice is then filled into bottles or cans (must be lined with fruit lacquer), and the containers are sealed and turned on their sides to cool. Fruit lacquers are used since cranberry juice is very corrosive to tin plate.
Production of cranberry juice
