2 replies to this topic

[silverz]

I know what gives cranberries the red color are anthocyanins and was wondering if there is a way to turn cranberry juice to a much paler version (white-yellow) that is still edible? 

 

I've found out that anthocyanins change color based on pH, so if you add a base(such as baking soda), the solution becomes darker(green-purple). However, I haven't found an edible compound that when added to the red juice turns it white-yellow. Ocean Spray has a white cranberry juice, but it's mixed with white grape juice). Any helpful hints are welcome.

[Rhewitt33]

From what I remember, white cranberries are just under ripened cranberries. As they ripen, they change color. Or adding lemon juice can lighten the color, not sure how much lighter and not effect the taste.

Edited by Rhewitt33, 02 May 2023 - 03:30 PM.

[pHruit]

The colour of the anthocyanin component of the cranberries will vary with pH, so you could create some sort of buffer using other foods and/or authorised additives. Exactly what would be possible will depend on your application and what is authorised in the country/ies in which you're selling the finished product. For example, Sodium Hydroxide (E524) is authorised in the EU and would significantly increase pH in the right quantities, but is only authorised in limited categories for specific purposes, so wouldn't be useable in e.g. a soft drink.

Presumably you also need the end product to still be palatable to humans, so that will further constrain what you can do in terms of modifying the product chemistry.

 

As Rhewitt33 mentioned, there are "white" cranberries and these generally produce a paler juice, which might closer to what you're looking for. These are an early-season crop picked while the fruit is still white to light pink in colour, and availability as a processed product tends to be far more limited than the traditional red cranberry juice/puree/concentrate. Nonetheless it might be worth talking with your suppliers to see if there is any availability, even if it's something you'd need to book a specific volume for in advance of the next crop.

 

You could possibly also look into processing via activated carbon adsorption. I don't readily recall seeing it used for cranberry, but it is used to "lighten" the colour of other juice products. You'll definitely need to discuss feasibility with suppliers of carbon, and also bear in mind that it may have an effect on other organoleptic attributes. It might also change the legal name of the resulting product, but that will probably depend on exactly what you end up doing to the juice, and the specifics of the regulations where you sell the product.