Process for the production of a soluble tea product
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorsAllen V. Clark, Francis J. Zientara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for preparing soluble tea products capable of being reconstituted in hot or warm water to produce tea beverages substantially free of cloudiness and turbidity, wherein a dilute tea extract obtained from Soviet (Georgian) tea leaf is concentrated, diluted, clarified and reconcentrated. The processing steps according to this invention are generally applicable to the preparation of both hot and cold-water soluble tea beverages from any tea leaf.
Claims7
A process for preparing a water-soluble tea product from Georgian S.S.R. leaf tea which is capable of being reconstituted in water to produce a clear, non-turbid tea beverage, which comprises:
- (a) contacting Georgian S.S.R. leaf tea with an aqueous medium at a temperature of from about 90.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at about atmospheric pressure to form an aqueous tea extract containing from about 1.5 to 8.0 percent by weight soluble solids;
- (b) concentrating the aqueous tea extract by evaporating a portion of the water to generate water-insoluble components therein and form a cloudy tea concentrate containing at least about 18 percent by weight soluble solids;
- (c) diluting the cloudy tea concentrate with water to form a reconstituted, cloudy second extract containing the water-insoluble components and no more than about 10 percent by weight soluble solids;
- (d) removing the water-insoluble components from the second extract to form a clarified tea solution;
- and
- (e) concentrating the clarified tea solution by evaporating a portion of the water therefrom to form a clarified second tea concentrate which can be used as the water soluble tea product.
A process for preparing without chemical treatment a substantially moisture free, shelf stable tea powder from Georgian S.S.R. leaf tea which is capable of dissolving in water to produce a substantially clear aromatic tea beverage, which comprises:
- (a) extracting in a counter current and series manner Georgian S.S.R. leaf tea with water at a temperature of from about 90.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. at about atmospheric pressure to form an aqueous tea extract containing from about 1.5 to 8.0 percent by weight soluble solids;
- (b) filtering the aqueous tea extract to remove extraneous solid material and form a clarified filtrate;
- (c) fractionally distilling the filtrate to remove and condense a volatile, aromatic fraction and to produce a remaining residue fraction;
- (d) evaporating at least a portion of the water from the residue fraction to generate water-insoluble components therein and form a cloudy tea slurry containing from about 20 to about 50 percent soluble solids by weight;
- (e) diluting the cloudy tea slurry with water to form a reconstituted cloudy tea mixture containing the water-insoluble components and from about 3 to about 10 percent by weight soluble solids, said soluble solids being dissolved in the water;
- (f) removing the water-insoluble components from the tea mixture by centrifuging or filtering to form a clarified tea solution;
- (g) concentrating the clarified tea solution by evaporating a portion of the water therefrom which is sufficient to produce a concentrated tea syrup having a soluble solids content of about 30 to 60 percent by weight;
- (h) combining the tea syrup and the volatile aromatic fraction of step (c) to produce an aromatic second syrup;
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- (i) spray-drying the second syrup to form the tea powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.