Soluble or dissolved tea product
AssigneeMars G.B. Limited
InventorsKaren C. Smallwood, William J. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A soluble or dissolved tea product which, when in water, provides a tea beverage with acceptable flavor quality. A tea liquor is prepared by extraction of leaf tea with hot water, a water-soluble caseinate (e.g. sodium caseinate) is added after tea cream formation upon cooling, or is added after tea cream formation to solubilize the latter. The liquor can be cold concentrated, and if necessary dried to form a solid product, e.g. by reverse osmosis followed by freeze drying.
Claims28
A liquid concentrate or solid tea product which consists essentially of the solids contents of a tea liquor which is formed by extraction of leaf tea with water and contains the components forming tea cream in an amount sufficient for the formation thereof, and water-soluble caseinate to inhibit tea cream formation sufficiently to provide a solution which is substantially clear at room temperature, the pH of said liquor/caseinate mixture being from 5 to 6.5 and the amount of caseinate constituting from 10 to 40 percent by weight of the liquor/caseinate mixture on a dry weight basis.
A method of producing a soluble or a dissolved tea product, which consists essentially of forming a tea liquor by extraction of leaf tea with water, adding a water-soluble caseinate to provide a solution which is substantially clear at room temperature, said caseinate being added in an amount constituting from 10 to 40 percent by weight of the liquor/caseinate mixture on a dry weight basis, the liquor/caseinate mixture having a pH of from 5 to 6.5 and being allowed to adjust to a temperature at which in the absence of the caseinate tea cream would otherwise have formed, and concentrating the liquor/caseinate mixture to a liquor of higher solids content.
A method of producing a soluble tea product which consists essentially of forming a tea liquor by contact of leaf tea with hot water, mixing the liquid with the water-soluble caseinate and forming a liquor/caseinate mixture having a pH of from 5 to 6.5, cooling the mixture to below 25.degree. C., concentrating the cooled liquid to a liquid of higher solids content and transforming the liquid of higher solids content to a solid, the amount of caseinate being sufficient to prevent the formation of tea cream upon said cooling and ranging from 10 to 40 percent by weight of the liquor/caseinate mixture on a dry weight basis, and said steps of concentrating and transforming being conducted without raising the temperature of the mixture.
A dry tea product, which consists essentially of
- the solids content of a tea liquor which is formed by extraction of leaf tea with water and contains the components forming tea cream in an amount sufficient for the formation thereof, and a water-soluble caseinate in an amount sufficient to effect inhibition of tea cream formation to the extent that a solution which is substantially clear at room temperature is provided,
- the pH of said liquor/caseinate mixture being from 5 to 6.5, and
- the amount of caseinate constituting from 10 to 40% by weight, on a dry weight basis, of the liquor/caseinate mixture.
A method of producing a liquid concentrate or a dry tea product, which consists essentially of
- forming a tea liquor by extraction of leaf tea with water,
- adding a water-soluble caseinate to the liquor before tea cream formation to provide a solution which is substantially clear at room temperature,
- said caseinate being added in an amount constituting from 10 to 40% by weight of the liquor/caseinate mixture on a dry weight basis,
- the liquor/caseinate mixture having a pH of from 5, to 6.5 and being allowed to adjust to a temperature at which, in the absence of the caseinate, tea cream would otherwise have formed, and
- concentrating the liquor/caseinate mixture to a liquor of higher solids content.
A method of producing a liquid concentration or dry tea product, which comprises
- forming a tea liquor by extraction of leaf tea with water,
- allowing said liquor to adjust to a temperature sufficiently low to result in the formation of tea cream,
- adding a water-soluble caseinate to the liquor after tea cream formation, the caseinate being added in an amount constituting from 5 to 50% by weight of the liquor/caseinate mixture on a dry weight basis and in an amount sufficient to provide a solution which is substantially clear at room temperature,
- the liquor/caseinate mixture having a pH of from 4.5 to 7.5, and
- concentrating the liquor/caseinate mixture to a liquor of higher solids content.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.