Experiences with raw thin sugarcane juice preservation
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abstract
To have flexibility for producing crystallized sugar or ethanol from sugarcane juice, which must be extracted and immediately processed to avoid spoilage, the preservation of raw thin juice under alkaline conditions was studied. Lime, being a conventional additive for the clarification of cane juice, is the preservative of choice. The high pH (> 11) inhibits microbial growth and the inversion of sucrose. At ambient temperature (< 40C), sucrose in thin juice is successfully preserved for long periods depending upon the amount of lime added. The quality of the juice is not compromised. Further processing of the juice involves clarification by carbonatation, or, if the amount of juice is small, the juice may be used as the lime source for the conventional defecation process (calcium-saccharate liming process).
