Prune juice
Prune juice is a fruit juice derived from prunes that have been rehydrated. It is mass-produced, usually via hot extraction, though juice concentrate is typically produced using a low-temperature method. It may be used as a dietary supplement to act as a laxative.
It is an ingredient in many novelty cocktails, such as the Purple Dragon and Constipolitan. It is also sometimes used as a flavor enhancer in tobacco products.
Composition
Prune juice is 81% water, 17% carbohydrates, and 0.6% protein, and contains negligible fat.In the United States, bottled or canned prune juice contains "not less than 18.5% by the weight of water-soluble solids extracted from dried plums".
Nutrition
In a reference amount of, canned prune juice supplies 71 calories, and is a moderate source of vitamin B6, with no other micronutrients in significant content.Phytochemicals
Prune juice and plums contain phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds and sorbitol.Production
Prune juice is often produced using hot extraction methods, whereby the prunes are cooked in hot water, becoming a liquid extract, which is then processed into juice. The process of heating and extraction may occur several times with the same batch of prunes, with the collective extracts from each processing then mixed together to create the final product. Prune juice is a mass-produced product.Prune juice is also produced as a concentrate, whereby low temperature water is used to create a liquid extract. The concentrate has a high sugar content, and is used by food processors to enhance the flavor of and sweeten products, as a humectant to retain moisture in cookies and cakes, and as an ingredient in cereal bars to bind the ingredients.
History
United States
Duffy-Mott began producing prune juice in 1933, which was purveyed under the Sunsweet brand name.The commercial distribution of prune juice in the United States first occurred in 1934, which "began with an output of only 40,000 cases".
Other uses
Prune juice concentrate, prune extracts and plum extracts are sometimes used as an additive in tobacco products to enhance flavor.In popular culture
In the Star Trek : The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", the Klingon character Worf is introduced to prune juice by Guinan. He declares that it is a "warrior's drink" and begins to drink it regularly in subsequent episodes, even carrying the habit over to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.In the series Suits, the character Louis Litt drinks prunies, which are prune juice smoothies.