Sugarcane’s naturally sweet taste and nutritional profile make it an excellent juicing ingredient. But if the juice oxidizes, its flavor, nutritional content, and appearance suffer. Protect the quality of your drinks with these four tips to prevent sugarcane juice from oxidizing.
1. Store in an Airtight Container
If you want to prepare large batches or offer grab-and-go sugarcane juice to boost sales, immediately package the drink after juicing to extend its shelf life. Store sugarcane juice in airtight containers to prevent oxygen molecules from interacting with the sucrose in the liquid.
The more you fill the bottles, the less air is trapped, which reduces oxidation. Tamper-evident juice bottles assure customers of your product’s safety. The seal also prevents oxygen from entering the bottle and juice from leaking.
2. Add Citric Acid
Another tip to prevent sugarcane juice from oxidizing is to add citric acid. Citric acid helps prevent oxygen from reacting with sucrose and altering the juice.
Juicernet’s NSF-certified Sugarcane Juicer SC-3 yields the most juice possible in one pass. The more efficiently you extract juice, the better you can naturally preserve its taste and nutritional benefits.
After passing the sugarcane stalks through your juicer, mix one teaspoon of citric acid per cup of sugarcane juice. Sugarcane juice is alkaline, and citric acid’s low pH dramatically slows oxidation.
3. Add Citrus Juice
You can preserve sugarcane juice with citrus juice rather than citric acid powder. Citric acid is a natural component of citrus fruits that imparts a tart taste to lemons and limes.
After adding lemon or lime to sugarcane juice to your taste, you can store the drink in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. The citrus will not only prevent oxidation, but it also pairs well with sugarcane’s flavor. Around the world, people enjoy drinking sweet and tart citrus-sugarcane juice.
4. Blanch Sugarcane Stalks
When sugarcane oxidizes, it changes from yellow-green to brownish-green, and the flavor becomes sour. One way you can prevent this problem is by blanching sugarcane stalks.
Cut the sugarcane into 3-foot sections. Then, blanch the stalks using steam. Heat the stalks to an internal temperature of 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) for 12 to 13 minutes.
Cool the sugarcane stalks in ice water immediately after blanching. Once cooled, use your one-pass sugarcane juicer to extract the juice. Finally, bottle the liquid in an airtight container.
Juicernet’s sugarcane juicers are commercial appliances that yield the greatest volume of pure product. Whether you want to bottle sugarcane juice or serve it immediately, professional equipment makes it possible for your business. Shop with us today for high-quality sugarcane juicing equipment.
