What effect does freezing cranberries have on the sugar content of the berries?

Question

I would like to know if preserving cranberries by freezing will have any affect on the sugar content of cranberries.

Answer 1

it has no effect on the sugar content of the berry but freezing causes a loss of flavour

Answer 2

I dont think that will affect it in any way

Answer 3

Freezing has no effect on the sugar content of any food including cranberries.  Freezing however will affect their cell wall structure like freezing of many foods does.  When water freezes, it expands and that expansion ruptures the cellular walls.  One of the reasons greens wilt when frozen.

Answer 4

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PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR INFUSING CRANBERRY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a processed berry product, in particular processed cranberry, more particularly a Russian cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), which is so prepared that the fruit is infused with sugar but the original cranberry shape is maintained, and to processes and apparatuses for preparing such a processed berry product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The North American cranberry (Vaccinium macroparpon) and Russian cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus) are both recognized as cranberries by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Both cranberries have high acid and vitamin C content and, if eaten raw, have a very tart taste, normally too tart for the consuming public. As a result, sugar is normally added to the cranberry to make it more palatable. In juices, compotes, sauces, and jams, the process of adding sugar is very simple in that the berries are crushed.

In making dried cranberries, if the berries are to have sugar added (sugar infusion), the sugar must penetrate the thick impermeable skin. If either the North American cranberry or the Russian cranberry is placed into a sugar solution, no sugar will enter the cranberry due to its thick impermeable skin. The North American manufacturers of dried cranberries using V. macroparpon, which is larger than the Russian cranberry, infuse sugar by slicing the cranberry. The sliced cranberry is then placed into a sugar solution before drying.

Other solutions to making sugar infused cranberry are also available. U. S. Patent No.

6, 387, 438 to Reijiro Kato discloses a cranberry product which maintains the spherical form of the cranberry, and a process suitable for producing such a novel processed food. The processed cranberry product is produced in a process in which a plurality of holes are provided through the skin of frozen cranberries by puncturing treatment, then the cranberries are immersed in a sugar solution having a sugar content of 45 to 65 Brix degrees and heated until the sarcocarp is softened.

Processing of the Russian cranberry is more difficult in that it is much smaller than its American counterpart. When the Russian cranberry is sliced and processed as per the American cranberry, the whole cranberry falls apart and disintegrates during the process, leaving behind dry cranberry skins, which are unmerchantable. All of the meat of the Russian cranberry comes out with the juice during the drying process.

Applicant has found that nicking the cranberry with a thin meat tenderizing knife roller maintains most of the shape of the Russian cranberry and allows sugar infusion to occur. However, this process is not perfect in that some berries are nicked while others are sliced, resulting in an inconsistent process. Therefore, there remains a need for infusing cranberry that results in a consistent process while maintaining the cranberry in its original shape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Applicant has discovered that punching the Russian cranberry with a tapered punch allows sugar infusion while maintaining the shape of the cranberry. The tapered punch is a tubular rod having a diameter of about 2 to about 4 mm on the untapered end. One end of the rod is tapered to a sharp point. The length of the tapered end is about 1 to about 2 inches.

The use of the tapered punch allows the Russian cranberry to maintain its form, allows for sugar infusion to take place, and after drying, results in a superior, higher moisture dried cranberry when compared to the dried North American cranberry.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cranberry, preferably Russian cranberry, such as Vaccinium oxycoccus, is processed according to the process of Figure 1, which contains the following steps: 1) Collecting the cranberries ; 2) Freezing the cranberries ; 3) Selecting properly sized cranberries ; 4) Hand or machine punching; 5) Refreezing; 6) Infusing sugar; 7) Draining and washing; 8) Drying; and 9) Packaging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 outlines the drying process of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a machine used to punch the cranberries.

Figure 3 shows the tapered punch of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferably, the cranberry processed in the method of the present invention is preferably a Russian cranberry of the species Vaccinium oxycoccus. This cranberry is smaller than the North American native cranberry Vaccinium macroparpon, hence its common name of"Small Cranberry."Other common names of V. oxycoccus include for Bog Cranberry, Wild Cranberry, and Swamp Cranberry. Although referred to herein as Russian cranberry, V oxycoccus can also be found in North America, from Alaska to Labrador, Greenland, and Newfoundland, south through New England, the northern portions of the Great Lakes States, and western Washington and Oregon; Europe ; and Asia. The cranberry are preferably picked in areas designated BCS Oko-Garantie, in compliance with European Union (EU) and National Organic Program (NOP) regulations.

The picked cranberries are washed and frozen (individual quick freeze (IQF) ) to preserve the flavor and freshness of the fruit. Preferably the freezing takes place in a blast freezer tunnel at about-32°C for about 18 to about 24 hours. Other IQF freezers known in the art are also appropriate for the present invention, such as spiral freezers, belt freezers, tray freezers, dolly freezers, and retention time freezers.

The frozen cranberries are then selected so that larger cranberries having diameters greater than about 10.5 mm are selected for the infusion and drying process, while the smaller cranberries having diameters less than about 10.5 mm are discarded, generally to be used in making juice or juice concentrate. The selection process preferably takes place at a temperature below freezing so the cranberries do not melt, become soft, and lose shape.

The selection process can be manual or automated, with the automated process being preferred for efficiency. With an automated process, the cranberries are passed through a vibrating screen that is properly sized to reject cranberries having diameters less than about 10.5 mm while retaining those having diameters greater than about 10.5 mm. Typically the pore size of the holes in the screen is such that cranberries smaller than about 10.5 mm pass through the hole and are discarded from the process, while cranberries larger than about 10.5 mm are retained on the screen and collected for sugar infusion and drying. Other processes known in the art for size selection are also appropriate for the present invention.

Once the proper size is selected, the cranberries are punched. This process uses a punch that is tapered at one end to a sharp point (see Figure 3). The punch 30 is a tubular rod having a diameter (D) of about 2 to about 4 mm on the untapered end (32). The length (L) of the tapered end (34) is about 1 to about 2 inches. The pointy, tapered end (34) punctures the skin and penetrates the cranberries to allow sugar infusion into the flesh of the fruit. The punch may or may not pierce the berry completely through. Typically, however, the punched berry has a hole of about 2 to about 4 mm at the entrance point of the tapered punch and a smaller hole, preferably a small point, at the exit point. The tapered end (34) of the punch (30) allows puncture of the skin and penetration into the flesh of the cranberry without crushing the fruit. Further, expanding the size to about 2 to about 4 mm allows for a large enough hole to optimize the speed of sugar infusion but not so big as to drive out the flesh of the berry. The use of the tapered punch (30) allowed the Russian cranberry to maintain its form, allowed for sugar infusion to take place, and after drying, ended up with a superior, higher moisture dried cranberry when compared to the dried North American cranberry.

During the punching process, the cranberries are kept in a temperature range so as to be sufficiently frozen so that they do not collapse and lose their shape. The punching process is thus preferably carried out in the range of from about-2 °C to about-5°C. At higher temperatures, the cranberries will collapse upon being punched and will not roll properly in the punching machine. On the other hand, at lower temperatures, the frozen cranberry is too hard and will split upon being punched.

The punching process can be performed manually or mechanically. Preferably, a machine is used to punch the cranberries. In a preferred embodiment, the machine is a modified cherry pitter machine adopted to be used with the tapered punch. The machine is depicted in Figure 2. The machine comprises a drum (20) having holes or indentations (22) to hold the cranberries in place for punching with the tapered punch. When the berries in the holes or indentations (22) reach the top (24) of the machine, an array of tapered punches matching the holes or indentations (22) is lowered to punch the berries. The berries then fall off the drum as it rotates to the back of the machine. A typical cherry pitter machine uses a blunt (non-tapered) punch of 8 to 10 mm in diameter. Therefore, the present invention modifies the cherry pitter with a smaller, tapered punch to be used with the smaller cranberries, which punctures the cranberries sufficiently to allow sugar infusion without destroying the shape of the cranberries.

In another embodiment, the berries are placed on a vibrating belt having a plurality of holes or indentations therein to hold the berries in place. The belt then enters a machine having an array of tapered punches matching the hole or indentation pattern on the belt, which is then lowered on to the berries to punch holes in the berries. The berries are then collected as they roll off the belt. After punching, the cranberries are preferably refrozen to about-18°C to maintain their shape and for ease of handling.

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Answer 5

Freezing does not efect the sugar but it does effect the moisture inside. Water expands when it freezes and so will your cranberries.