Vegetable juice

Vegetable juice is according to the German Food Code undiluted, intended for direct consumption, fermentable and unfermented or fermented with lactic acid, liquid product from vegetables. Vegetable juice can then be made from concentrate of vegetable juice or marrow. He is a drink for human consumption, a food.

The terms of juice and nectar

The term vegetable juice describes the product with a 100 percent share of vegetables, vegetable nectar has at least a 40 percent share of vegetables ( the rest is water ) in rhubarb only of at least 25%.

Specific varieties

• Carrot juice
• Beetroot juice
• Tomato juice
• Sauerkraut juice

More vegetables

• Root vegetables such as tuber vegetables ( kohlrabi, celeriac, carrots, beetroot ) and bulb vegetables ( garlic, leeks )
• Leafy vegetables such as cabbage ( cabbage ), stem vegetables (asparagus ) or salad (spinach, chard )
• Fruit vegetables such as cucumber and pumpkin
• But also fresh legumes such as peas and beans as well as vegetables such as artichoke flowers and cauliflower

Production

Production in the private household

In contrast to the fruit juice is vegetable juice can be produced only with a juicer due to the solid structure and the lower water content. Wash before cutting the vegetables and cut into large pieces, then shred the juicer and collect the liquid. Since the ingredients are heat, light and oxygen- sensitive to air, the juice should be either drunk immediately or frozen. Certain vegetables ( broccoli, peas) are not edible raw and need to be blanched before juicing at least.

Industrial production

Vegetable juice is made from fresh or preserved by cold vegetables or parts thereof. The vegetables must be healthy, clean cleaned or washed and optionally blanched. It can not be more water in the vegetables remain as is technically unavoidable.

The vegetables are crushed, pressed, centrifuged and filtered. It is then preserved by pasteurization and sterilization or a combination of methods. Technically required additives such as bentonite ( as fining agent ), amylases and pectinases ( for the digestion of the cell walls during the pressing process ), edible gelatin ( for adjusting the viscosity ), calcium carbonate, citric acid (up to one per thousand by weight ) and vitamin C ( for stabilization and preservation ) can be used and are not to be declared.

Similar to the fruit juice, a vegetable juice or vegetable pulp concentrate be made by thickening, saving storage and transport costs. For the preparation of the juice extracted from the quantity of water is then added, the water must be at least drinking water quality. Optionally, the flavor of the vegetable juice with the help of the volatile flavoring substances is recovered which have been captured in the thickening of the concerned vegetables juice. The intermediate thickening in the juice must be recognizable description, for example, by the statement: " ... from concentrate".

Composition

The ingredients and additives used must be specified As with all foods on the market, the vegetables are listed here in descending order according to their weight. Approved, deklarierungspflichtige additives are salt, various sugars, vinegar, herbs and spices, lactic, tartaric, citric and malic acid, and glutamic acid. The prescribed information on the package to be " sweetened ", " salted " or the list in the ingredients list.

When vegetables are nectar - in addition to the additives of vegetable juice - still liquid sugar and various syrups admitted.

Additional content information relating to the nutritional value, fat and protein content and the content of secondary plant substances. Contains many of the vegetable juice in particular vegetables also known amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. However, it contains less fiber and other solid substances. More and more common are vegetable juices that have the solid components at least partially added as a puree, so-called " smoothies ".

The extensive removal of fiber has the consequence that relatively quickly transfer large quantities can be added in vitamins, such as carrot juice, the beta -carotene - the consumption of unprocessed amount of vegetables would take much longer. Regular consumption of carrot juice in large quantities, can result in an accumulation of vitamin A in the liver.

In lactic acid fermented juices, the sugar components are partially broken down into lactic acid. By the method, the taste of the drink changed, the vitamin B12 content is increased and the pH is lowered, the latter also has a favorable effect on the durability. Lactic acid fermented vegetable juice containing at least 2.5 g / l of total lactic acid.

Both, both fermented and unfermented vegetable juices, according to food regulations, up to 3.0 grams of alcohol per liter of finished juice included.

Consumption

Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, compiled according to the wishes of the customer, are available in juice bars, markets, shopping centers and railway stations.

Slightly salted tomato juice is the most common vegetable drink in catering of passenger aircraft.

According to the Association of the German Fruit Juice Industry Association (VdF ) in Germany are the most popular vegetable juices of tomatoes, carrots and made ​​from beetroot.

According to the trade association alcoholic beverages eV was the consumption of vegetable juices / nectars in Germany (together) in the years 2002-2004 nearly constant at about 1.0 liters / head. For 2005 and 2006, it stood at about 1.35 liters / head. For comparison, the consumption of mineral and medicinal water was about 120 liters / capita, the consumption of fruit juice in the same period at about 40 liters / head.