Evaporation, in juice and concentrate processing, is the removal of water from juice under reduced pressure in multi-effect or falling-film evaporators, raising the soluble-solids content to the target Brix while limiting heat damage to flavour and colour.
In trade practice
Operating under vacuum lowers the boiling point of the juice, allowing water to be removed at temperatures that better preserve volatile aroma compounds and heat-sensitive pigments. Processors recover stripped aromas separately and may add them back to the concentrate to maintain flavour profile. The final Brix is measured continuously and recorded as a process parameter; deviations trigger adjustment of evaporator throughput or steam supply. Buyers specifying concentrate should confirm whether the declared Brix is measured at the evaporator outlet or after any subsequent blending or standardisation step.
In a specification
A concentrate specification should state the minimum Brix at delivery, the measurement method and the reference temperature, and whether aroma addition is permitted or must be declared.