PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BEVERAGE (SAFFRON LIQUEUR)

PROCEDE DE FABRICATION DE BOISSON (LIQUEUR DE SAFRAN)

English Abstract

A process for preparing a flavoured beverage product including a
flavour enhancing agent containing natural saffron and which is
capable of strengthening the flavour of the beverage, comprising
the steps of: preparing a flavour enhancing agent by cleaning
natural saffron, converting the saffron into a saffron-containing
syrup by distillation in the presence of water and about nine to
about fifty four per cent by volume of alcohol at about eighty
degrees Celsius in a distilling apparatus, condensing the aqueous
alcohol saffron extract; cooling the alcohol saffron extract and
adding demineralized water to provide a flavoured beverage
product containing from 90 milligrams to two hundred and seventy
milligrams of the saffron extract per litre of the product.

French Abstract

Procédé de préparation d'une boisson aromatisée contenant un exhausteur de goût au safran naturel. Le procédé comprend la préparation d'un exhausteur de goût par le nettoyage de safran naturel; la production d'un sirop de safran par distillation avec de l'eau et de l'alcool dans une proportion volumique de 9 à 54 %, à environ 80 °C, dans un appareil de distillation, condensant ainsi l'extrait aqueux de safran et d'alcool; le refroidissement de l'extrait de safran alcoolisé et l'ajout d'eau déminéralisée pour créer une boisson aromatisée contenant de 90 à 270 mg d'extrait de safran par litre de produit.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A process for preparing saffron flavoured liqueur
comprising preparing a flavouring agent containing naturally
available saffron, the process comprising:
cleaning the saffron;
grinding and converting the saffron into a saffron
extract by distillation at 80°C;
condensing the saffron extract with alcohol to produce a
decoction comprising between 9% and 54% alcohol by
volume;
cooling and adding the decoction to demineralised water
to produce the final saffron flavoured liqueur such that
the decoction is in a range of between 90 mg and 450 mg
per bulk litre of the final saffron flavoured liqueur.
2. A process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the decoction is
in a range of between 90 mg and 270 mg per bulk litre of the
final saffron flavoured liqueur.
3. A process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the decoction is
in a range of between 180 mg and 270 mg per bulk litre of the
final saffron flavoured liqueur.
4. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, further
comprising the step of admixing sarkara with the saffron
extract.
-5-

5. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein
the demineralised water is obtained from ordinary water
treated with resin and is combined with the decoction in a
ratio of 1: 2.5.
6. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, further
comprising the step of admixing between 1% and 5% of sucrose
with the saffron extract.
7. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein
the distillation step further includes heating the decoction
to 80° Celsius, and the cooling step comprises cooling to and
maintaining at room temperature for 24 hours.
-6-

Description

CA 02219829 2007-12-19
1406-1
PROCESS FOR THE bMNUFACTURE OF BEVERAGE (SAFFRON LIQUEUR)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a
flavoured beverage. In particular, the invention provides a
process for strengthening the flavour of beverages using an
admixture comprising alcohol and saffron.
The processes for making many known beverages result in the
loss of aromatic compounds which are responsible for flavour
of the beverage. For example, instant tea is generally
prepared from an extract of black tea leaves.. The extract may
be rendered more concentrated, if desired, by a drying
operation. However, the extract contains a number of volatile
compounds responsible for flavour, which may be lost in large
quantities during such a drying operation. In some cases.,
these compounds can be recovered by condensation and then
reincorporated into the extract. However, in most cases the
drying operation has caused chemical or physical changes in
the volatile compounds, which snake them unsuitable for
reincorporation into the extract.
It has been discovered that the addition or incorporation of a
flavour enhancing agent comprising saffron can offset the loss
c Volatile, :EiUVUUrfu3 ~U1JSLd1LLdy WI11L;1L UaIL uuLut t.l'i.11111(J
heating and drying operations which are used during the
preparation of many beverages or liqueurs. A flavouring agent
-z-

CA 02219829 2007-12-19
consisting of a substantially non-volatile substance such as
saffron would not be affected by the heat involved in drying
and makes it possible to recover and strengthen any flavour
lost from the extract.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary object of this invention to
strengthen the flavour of a beverage or liqueur by addition of
a flavour enhancing agent comprising saffron.
In this specification, the term beverage refers both to liquid
reconstituted beverage, to the solid extract used to make
reconstituted beverage, (both before and after drying thereof)
and to the concentrated liqueur syz'up which can be further
diluted to make a drinkable beverage. The flavour enhancing
agent of the present invention. can therefore be added or
incorporated before, during or after the step of
reconstituting or diluting the beverage into its final form
using e.g. demineralised water.---
Accordingly, the invention provides a process for preparing a
flavoured beverage product including a flavour enhancing
agent containing natural saffron and which is capable of
strengthening the flavour of the beverage, comprising the
steps of: preparing a flavour enhancing agent by cleaning
natural saffron, converting the saffron into a saffron-
containing syrup by distillation in the presence of water and
about nine to about fifty four per cent by volume of alcohol
at about eighty degrees Celsius in a distilling apparatus,
-2-

CA 02219829 2008-10-07
condensing the aqueous alcohol saffron extract; cooling the
alcohol saffron extract and adding demineralized water to the
saffron extract to provide a flavoured beverage product
containing from 90 milligrams to 450 milligrams of the saffron
extract per litre of the product.
The invention therefore seeks to provide a process for
preparing saffron flavoured liqueur comprising preparing a
flavouring agent containing naturally available saffron, the
process comprising:
cleaning the saffron;
grinding and converting the saffron into a saffron
extract by distillation at 80 C;
condensing the saffron extract with alcohol to produce a
decoction comprising between 9% and 54% alcohol by volume;
cooling and adding the decoction to demineralised water
to produce the final saffron flavoured liqueur such that the
decoction is in a range of between 90 mg and 450 mg per bulk
litre of the final saffron flavoured liqueur.
In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of flavour
enhancing agent will be from 180 to 270 mg. per litre of
beverage product.
In addition to the saffron-enhancing agent, the beverage
further comprises an aromatising agent, and/or one or more
natural or artificial flavouring agents.
The invention further provides a flavour enhancing agent for
beverages comprising a mixture of saffron extract, alcohol and
-3-

CA 02219829 2008-10-07
demineralized water. Within the flavour enhancing agent, the
demineralised water may be present with the aromatising
agent/flavouring agent/flavour enhancing agent in the
proportion 1: 2.5. The composition of a preferred embodiment
is as follows: 1 part flavouring agent comprising saffron and
alcohol demineralized water .25%, sucrose 1% to 5%.
Preferably, a desired amount of sarkara may also be mixed with
the saffron extract.
Preferably, the demineralised water is obtained from ordinary
water which is treated with resin.
In a preferred embodiment, a liquid infusion, (either hot or
cold) can be admixed with one or more a natural or artificial
flavouring agents, and with the flavour enhancing agent of the
present invention. If desired, the flavour enhancing agent can
be diluted with a food grade diluent such as water or some
other polar solvent. The infusion can be further diluted with
a suitable solvent such as demineralized water to yield a
drinkable beverage.
-4-