R.W.Knudsen

We at R.W. Knudsen Family® are passionate about creating exciting juices from the highest quality ingredients available. We view juice blending as a combination of art and science.

The juice making process is filled with fascinating facts and details. If you have a question about how your favorite R.W. Knudsen Family® juice is made, ask us. Or, you can select from the list to explore the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

A. Concentrates:

1. What are fruit juice concentrates?
   Pure fruit juice concentrates are fruit juices with most of the water removed (most whole fruit juices are naturally 80 to 90 percent water)
2. How are the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's fruit juice concentrates made?
   During the harvest, fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness and is transformed into juice concentrates. First, the fruit juice is placed in a low-pressure chamber, which draws off water with a minimum application of heat. The fruit essence is captured and returned to the concentrate from the water vapor, preserving the aroma and flavor of the fruit. Knudsen adds only a minimal amount of water to juice concentrates to reconstitute them into whole fruit juice.
3. Why use fruit juice concentrates?
   Variety: Although R.W. Knudsen Family® presses many fresh fruits into juice, the use of fruit juice concentrates has enabled R.W. Knudsen Family® to greatly diversify and offer a huge variety of innovative juice blend flavors.
   
   Availability: The R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's concentrates are produced when and where desired fruits are at their highest quality. This allows R.W. Knudsen Family® to combine Oregon-grown strawberries that are at their peak of perfection in June with California-grown apples that are ripe in September.
   
   Exotic Sources: Many fruits are only available to R.W. Knudsen Family® in juice concentrate form. European red currant, Thailand pineapple and Dominican Republic coconut juice concentrates (to name a few) are shipped from overseas.

B. Fruit Juice Blends:

1. Why does R.W. Knudsen Family® formulate many of its juice blends with white grape, apple and pineapple juice concentrates?
   The juices of many fruits are too acidic to be enjoyed on their own. In these cases, R.W. Knudsen Family® uses a mild-flavored juice concentrate as a sweetener to balance the acidity and enhance the flavor of the fruit. R.W. Knudsen Family® uses only natural and organic ingredients to help enhance its juices.
2. What are the most commonly used juice concentrates and how do they enhance juice flavor?
   White grape juice concentrate is used to enhance and smooth the flavor of certain varieties of fruit, especially cranberry and raspberry blends.
   
   Apple juice concentrate mellows and rounds out the flavor of some fruits, such as cherries and apricots.
   
   Pineapple juice concentrate blends and mellows the citrus level of many flavors of tropical juices, like orange, lemon, lime and passion fruit.

C. Natural Flavors:

1. What are natural flavors?
   Natural flavors are botanical ingredients that add interest to juices by enhancing their distinctive characteristics. Like spices in a cook's cupboard, these flavorings add complexity and zest to many of the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's juices and blends.
2. What do natural flavorings contain?
   Our natural flavorings are exclusively derived from botanical sources. As important as what natural flavors contain is what they don't contain.  The R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's natural flavors contain no refined sugars, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, petroleum derivatives, and no monosodium glutamate (MSG).
   
   All of Knudsen's suppliers provide signed affidavits, certifying that their products do not contain any of the aforementioned "unnatural" ingredients. This certification is one way that we can be sure that suppliers meet the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's strict criteria.

D. Organic Commitment:

1. What are the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's certified organic requirements?
   Each of the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's organic juices is made with 95% or greater certified organic ingredients, which makes it possible to bear the USDA Certified Organic Seal.
   
   Suppliers for our organic products are certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
   
   Growers are required to complete a handling plan that explains in detail their farming practices. Organic agriculture requires active management to build soil fertility, manage plant nutrients, protect natural resources, and prevent soil erosion.
   
   Additionally, the R.W. Knudsen Family® brand's is USDA certified as an "organic handler." As an organic handler we are required to follow strict handling practices and procedures. All organic finished products must be tracked from receipt of incoming ingredients to sale of finished products. Organic ingredients must be verified as certified organic. Our processing facilities are inspected by an independent auditor to verify we are in compliance with the National Organic Program.

E. Seasonality:

1. Does R.W. Knudsen Family® produce all of its juices year-round
   No. In many ways, juice making is akin to the old-fashioned practice of "putting up" fruit at its peak of ripeness. Although R.W. Knudsen Family® can use concentrates to help produce many blends throughout the year, many other juices are made exclusively from fresh-pressed whole fruit, which is only available during a limited season.