The effect of processing method on the characteristics of carrot juice

The production of carrot juice using different technologies is the main subject of this investigation. Although the production and preservation of the carrot juice technology have not been improved and are not prevalent, an intensive study has been carried out on this subject recently. In this study, the effects on the yield and quality of carrot juice produced with and without total enzymatic liquefaction (Pectinex Ultra SP-L, Novo Nordisk Ferment, Dittingen, Switzerland) as well as lactofermentation or citric acid addition have been investigated. Generally, enzymatic liquefaction of mash increased the juice yield (89.32 ± 1.17 and 90.43 ± 0.47% for lactofermented and citric-acid-added samples, respectively), while the control sample juice yield was found to be 59.90 ± 0.81%. Lactofermented and acid-added samples demonstrated lower pH value. In enzyme-treated samples, the total acidity increments were also determined. Accordingly, galacturonic acid formed after enzymatic breakdown of pectin in the raw material increased the total acidity of the samples. Magnesium contents of lactofermented juices were found to be low because lactic acid bacteria require magnesium for their growth. β-Carotene contents have been found to be higher in both lactofermented and in nonenzyme-treated samples. This article describes the effects of different processing methods on the characteristics of carrot juice. It is difficult to preserve vegetable juices such as carrot juice because of their low acidity. The acidity of carrot juice (pH ~6.2) can be adjusted by the addition of citric acid or the lactofermentation method to pH 4.5. With these processes carrot juice can be preserved by pasteurization as occurs for low pH fruit juices, increasing shelf life. According to the results of this study, increasing the acidity of mash with lactofermentation or citric acid addition also increases the juice yield.