Antioxidant enriched distilled alcohol product and process therefor

Abstract

A process for producing a distilled ethanol product comprising an antioxidant component and an ethanol component is described. In the process, plant matter containing antioxidants is washed, frozen and exposed to an input volume of ethanol. Antioxidants are ethanolically extracted from the frozen plant matter. The plant matter and the liquid ethanol fractions are then separated and the plant matter having antioxidants extracted therefrom is used to produce ethanol which is subsequently used to extract antioxidants from a second batch of plant matter. The ethanol fraction having antioxidants therein is stored or diluted for later use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing an antioxidant containing distilled ethanol product comprising:
 freezing antioxidant containing plant matter, suitable for use in the production of ethanol, to render a frozen plant material;   subjecting the frozen plant material to a volume of a distilled input ethanol product so as to ethanolically extract antioxidants from the frozen plant material and render an antioxidant-rich ethanol fluid mixture having therein remnant solid plant matter;   separating the remnant solid plant matter from the antioxidant-rich ethanol fluid mixture so as to obtain said antioxidant containing distilled ethanol product; and   producing a subsequent distilled ethanol product from said remnant solid plant matter; the subsequent distilled ethanol product being used as the distilled input ethanol product in subsequent cycles for producing at least a further volume of said antioxidant containing distilled ethanol product.   
     
     
         2 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the frozen plant material is subjected to the volume of distilled input ethanol product until the remnant solid plant matter is substantially devoid of antioxidants. 
     
     
         3 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the distilled input ethanol product has an ethanol concentration of from about 70% to about 99%. 
     
     
         4 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the frozen plant material is sliced or ground to reduce the size thereof and increase the surface area exposed to the distilled input ethanol product during antioxidant extraction. 
     
     
         5 . The process as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the antioxidant containing distilled ethanol product is further diluted to reduce the ethanol concentration thereof to a concentration of from about 20% to about 69%. 
     
     
         6 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plant matter suitable for use in the production of ethanol is from the  Vaccinium  genus,  Rubus  genus, blueberry, cranberry, bilberry, black raspberry, red raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, banana, asparagus, pea, fennel, pear, potato, Adirondack Blue potatoes or Adirondack Red potatoes. 
     
     
         7 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the frozen plant material and the distilled input ethanol product are provided for the ethanolic antioxidant extraction in a ratio between of from about 0.4 kg frozen plant material to about 1 liter ethanol and about 0.6 kg frozen plant material to about 1 liter ethanol. 
     
     
         8 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the distilled input ethanol product is adjusted so as to be in the range of from about 3.0 to about 6.0. 
     
     
         9 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein during the ethanolic antioxidant extraction the frozen plant material and the distilled input ethanol product are maintained at a temperature of from about 10° C. to about 20° C. 
     
     
         10 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the ethanolic antioxidant extraction proceeds for a time period of from about 1 minute to about 100 minutes. 
     
     
         11 . The process as defined in  claim 1 , wherein following the ethanolic antioxidant extraction, the antioxidant-rich ethanol fluid is separated from the remnant solid plant matter and said antioxidant containing distilled ethanol product is obtained and maintained in an environment substantially devoid of oxygen. 
     
     
         12 . The process as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said environment substantially devoid of oxygen is provided by a closed system. 
     
     
         13 . The process as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said environment is provided by a blanket of inert gas, nitrogen or argon.