Concentrate facts for kids

A concentrate is a special form of something where most of one main part has been taken out. Think of it like making a very strong version of a drink or a sauce. The most common thing removed is water. For example, fruit juice concentrate has most of its water taken away.

Concentrate of Sbiten, a traditional Russian drink

What is a Concentrate?

When you make a concentrate, you remove a lot of the liquid from a solution. A solution is when one substance is mixed evenly into another, like sugar dissolving in water. By taking out most of the liquid, the remaining part becomes much stronger and smaller.

Making Concentrates

Imagine you have a big glass of orange juice. To make it a concentrate, factories remove most of the water. They might do this by heating the juice gently so the water evaporates. Another way is to freeze the water out, leaving behind the concentrated juice. This process makes the juice much thicker and more powerful.

Why Are Concentrates Useful?

Concentrates are super handy for a few reasons.

• Less Space: Because most of the water is gone, the concentrate takes up much less room. This means more can fit into a truck or on a shelf.
• Less Weight: Water is heavy! Removing it makes the concentrate much lighter. This saves money on transportation because it costs less to move lighter things.
• Easy to Store: Concentrates often last longer than their original liquid form.
• Ready When Needed: When you want to use a concentrate, you simply add the liquid back in. For juice, you add water. For other concentrates, you might add a different liquid. This brings it back to its original strength and taste.

Common Examples of Concentrates

You probably use concentrates all the time without even realizing it!

• Fruit Juice Concentrate: This is one of the most common types. You buy it frozen or in a bottle, add water, and you have juice.
• Soup Concentrates: Many canned soups are concentrates. You add water or milk and heat them up.
• Flavor Concentrates: Things like vanilla extract or other flavorings are very concentrated. You only need a tiny bit to add a lot of taste to your food.
• Cleaning Products: Some cleaning supplies are sold as concentrates. You dilute them with water before using them.

Concentrates are a clever way to make products easier to store, transport, and use!

Images for kids

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  A container of vanilla concentrate