Soluble Essences in Beverages

Soluble Essences in Beverages
It is generally accepted that only wholly natural products shall be classed as “essences” and that all other forms shall be called either “flavors” or “flavorings,” even where these contain a considerable proportion of natural ingredients.

The formulation of these products follows that employed in the creation and development of a flavoring for any other type of product except that the flavoring as offered to the beverage manufacturer must have an acceptable solubility when used at the recommended rate in the bottling syrup. Any solvent used must, of course, comply with government regulations.

In view of their popularity, citrus oils form the basis of many soluble essences. Their preparation consists of removing the insoluble terpenes either by distillation or by dissolving the oxygenated flavoring components in diluted ethanol. In practice, the concentrated and terpeneless citrus oils are used as constituents which offer many advantages, but lack some of the top notes which characterize the straight citrus oil. An alternative process, which gives a better profile, consists of mixing the natural oil with ethanol and then diluting it with water to the desired strength. After thorough mixing and settling, the coarse emulsion breaks and separates; the terpenes form a supernatant layer and the flavoring constituents remain dissolved in the lower alcoholic layer. It is this phase which can be separated and used as the basis for the soluble essence.
Soluble Essences in Beverages

Flavoring Emulsions in Juice

Flavoring Emulsions in Juice
Juice based drinks and many nonjuice beverages are required to have a cloudy appearance. This may be produced either by particulate matter from the juice or by the scattering of light on the interfaces of minute oil globules suspended in the drink. If the globules are too small, light will pass straight through and a thin cloud will result.

The formulation and production of flavoring emulsions is theoretically simple; the aim is to break the oils down onto tiny globules with the aid of an emulsifying agent so that will remain in stable suspension and produce a uniform cloud. In practice, there several are problems to be overcome. If an emulsion of essential oil is added to water, is well shaken and allowed to stand, the product will eventually display either a sludge, if the original disperse phase is heavy than water, or “ringing” of it is lighter. The same considerations apply in the dilution of a bottling syrup containing a flavoring emulsion except that the gravity of the finished drink is slightly higher due to the dissolved sugars. Ideally, the emulsified oils should have the same specific gravity as that of the finished bottled beverage.

Good, stable, intense clouds in many products are associated with juice content and in general, the minimal juice content required by regulation is barely sufficient to impart either an adequate flavor or an attractive stable cloud. To overcome these deficiencies, it is usual to employ fruit based compounds containing an adequate level of natural juice to satisfy the standards together with emulsified natural citrus to satisfy the standard together with emulsified natural citrus oil using various stabilizing agents to give an adequate flavor impact.
Flavoring Emulsions in Juice

Seasonings

Seasonings
Generally, herbs and spices or products derived from them, are blended together to form seasonings: rarely does the flavoring effect of one herb or spice suffice to make a well rounded profile. Domestically, all too often only pepper and salt suffice to give an adequate savor, although the housewife is certainly becoming more venturesome in the use of herbs and spices. A seasoning should enhance the natural flavors present: may be modify them a little to suit individual palates: but never swamp them. A few national dishes tend to disprove this contention but, generally, seasonings should be used primarily to add zest and interest to a dish to make it appetizing to the consumer.

There are no set rules for using spices; indeed, there is little precise information in this elusive art but most domestic recipes advise nature and amount of spices to be used to suit average taste. There is now a very flourishing trade in packaged herbs and spices as well as preblended seasonings for specific product types. Skill in blending seasoning only built up by practical experience as these valuable flavoring adjuncts do not all have the flavoring power – some are excessively strong and over powering; others are extremely weak and as readily suppressed.
Seasonings