Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
Concentrating orange juice is a process in which the water is removed from juice using evaporation in a vacuum. It was developed by a US Department of Agriculture scientist named Cedric Atkins, working at the University of Florida alongside L.G. MacDowell and E.L. Moore. They had been tasked with finding a means of providing a better tasting form of orange juice which was non-perishable for extended periods of time, and which could be easily shipped.
Prior to the development of orange juice concentrate, juice was either freshly squeezed or pasteurized to be sold in cans. The former was inconvenient and the latter not pleasing to the taste. Pasteurization killed most of the flavor and left a bland, watery beverage. Concentrating the juice allowed for volatile oils and other essences which produced flavor to be added back in, enhancing the beverages appearance and taste.
Frozen concentrated orange juice made the beverage a drink for any time of the day, and the process was soon applied to other fruits and vegetables. Originally frozen concentrated orange juice was marketed under the brand name Snow Crop, eventually the brand became Minute Maid. Oranges became crucial to the economy of Florida, which still offers orange juice to visitors to its Welcome Centers when entering the state.
The heyday of orange juice consumption may be in the past however. Sales of orange juice in general and frozen concentrated orange juice in particular have been steadily dropping over the past several years. One reason is that Americans seldom sit down for large breakfasts nowadays, another is the availability of smoothies and other beverages which do not rely on orange juice for either their base or their flavor.
Since the mid-1990s orange sales have dropped more than 40%. Part of the problem stems from its own former popularity, higher demand created higher prices which encouraged consumers to explore other alternatives. Orange juice is no longer America’s primary source of Vitamin C either, with numerous options including fresh leafy greens available in supermarkets year around. Still, the process of creating frozen concentrated orange juice changed the way Americans had breakfast for decades.