Reduction of oil and off-flavors in citrus juice by direct steam heating and flash cooling

A method for pasteurization of orange juice comprising:

• preheating orange juice to a preheat temperature between approximately 50° F. to approximately 200° F. (approximately 10° C. to approximately 93° C.);
• directly supplying steam to said preheated orange juice to heat said orange juice to a pasteurization temperature between approximately 190° F. to approximately 230° F. (approximately 88° C. to approximately 110° C.) and holding said juice at said pasteurization temperature for less than 1 second to provide a pasteurized juice;
• and
• subjecting the pasteurized juice to a pressure drop to rapidly evaporate the steam and cool the pasteurized orange juice to approximately said preheat temperature.

A method for pasteurization of citrus juice comprising:

• separating citrus juice into a high solids stream and a low solids stream;
• rapidly heating the high solids stream and the low solids stream to a pasteurization temperature by directly combining steam with said high solids stream and directly combining steam with said low solids stream;
• holding both streams at said pasteurization temperature for less than 1 second to pasteurize each stream of juice;
• and
• rapidly cooling said pasteurized streams by flash vaporization.

A method for pasteurization of citrus juice comprising:

• separating citrus juice into a high solids stream and a low solid stream;
• rapidly heating one of said streams to a pasteurization temperature by directly combining steam with said one stream to provide a rapidly heated stream;
• holding said rapidly heated stream at said pasteurization temperature for less than 1 second to pasteurize said stream of juice;
• and
• rapidly cooling said pasteurized stream by flash vaporization.

A method for de-oiling citrus juice comprising:

• preheating citrus juice to a preheat temperature;
• rapidly heating the preheated citrus juice to a de-oiling temperature between approximately 100° F. to 210° F. (approximately 37° C. to approximately 99° C.) by directly combining steam with said preheated citrus juice;
• holding said juice at said de-oiling temperature for less than 1 second;
• and
• flash vaporizing said juice to thereby rapidly reduce the temperature of the juice to a flash temperature.