Upstream: controlling the variables
Raw material selection comes first. Sugar-to-acid ratio differs by variety and by ripeness, so industrial lines grade incoming fruit by Brix, acidity and maturity before fixing a blend.
After cleaning, the fruit is crushed and juiced. Particle size affects yield and the surface area available to the culture: too coarse and yield drops, too fine and separation becomes difficult.
Fermentation: parameters decide the outcome
Inoculum size and strain combination set the direction. Temperature, pH and aeration decide the metabolic route — the same raw material can become a crisp sour drink or a rounded, aromatic base.
Endpoint is judged on acidity, residual sugar and flavour markers together, not on elapsed time alone.
Downstream and application
After fermentation, separation removes biomass and pulp, giving either a clear base or a pulpy one. Whether the product is pasteurised decides whether it can be shipped ambient or must stay cold.
Finished applications include ready-to-drink fermented juice, fermented jam, puree, and fermented bases supplied to other food manufacturers.
Frequently asked
- Why do two batches of the same recipe taste slightly different?
- Raw material varies naturally in sugar, acid and ripeness, and culture activity plus fermentation curves drift slightly. Grading, parameter logging and traceability keep that variation inside an agreed range.
- Does the product need pasteurisation after fermentation?
- It depends on positioning. Keeping live cultures rules out high-temperature pasteurisation and requires a cold chain; ambient shelf-stable products are pasteurised with some flavour trade-off.