A foodies group on the ACS Network. Discuss the chemistry behind your favorite flavors. What makes up the complex aroma of your favorite delicacy? What chemical changes occur that transform milk into cheese and grapes to wine? And of course, let's not forget coffee and chocolate. There's a lot to talk about.
I'm a holdout. Most speed scratch cooking methods leave too much to be desired. There is no way to mimic the outcome for roast that has been cooked slowly, for hours at lower temperatures. The flavors are marvelous. But, I have a burning question: When a chef, or your Mom, tells you that searing the roast "seals the juices in", is that based mainly on historical belief, or is the cook always right? It's one of those repeated pieces of information that sounds like it has myth potential. For example, today I started cooking a rump roast. This is a thick piece of meat, from any dimension measured. Searing the surfaces would do two things that would account for improved flavor: 1) It would produce some Maillard browning, and the flavors that result from this. 2) It could also deter the active growth of bacteria, which will probably be in higher numbers on the surfaces. When you put a thick piece of roast into a container and cook it slowly, the slow change in temperature gradient could allow several generations of bacterial growth to progress. It may also have some effect on enzymatic change. But how can the process of searing effectively "seal in the juices"? And if it does that to some extent, does that really matter in the overall flavor development? D. Zink
... View more
Hello! I spent many hours making a rosehip and orange marmalade. Collecting the rosehips, cutting the rosehips, taking the seeds out. I put the rosehip/orange mixture through an old metal sieve/strainer that I bought from a thrift store. It is made of some type of steel or metal. It is gray, and very slightly rusted. When the mixture made contact with the sieve, some of it turned a blackish purple colour. Is this okay to eat??? What is going on here. I am really upset because I spent a lot of time on this. I also made other things with the sieve, like nannyberry butter, but did not notice the discolouration, though the nannyberry was already blackish, but it wasn't acidic. So about 3/4 has been completely discoloured, I seperated the rest of it, and that is only very slightly discoloured. Are either of these ok to eat? Note the person I bought the sieve from, said that it was for the kitchen, and said that it was old, like 1960s even.
... View more
Hello there, this is a shot in a dark, but I'm wondering if anyone here could help me with this issue that I've been having. I am currently trying to add Oleoresin of Paprika into a sausage that I am fermenting, smoking and dry aging. I use the oil soluble version. The issue becomes that once emulsified and stuffed the sausage it all looks great. But once i get to the fermentation stage and the sausage reaches around 30C, the oleoresin splits from the emulsification and drags out all the water and other fats from my sausages turning it into a mush. I am adding 2% of oleoresin to the whole mass. Does anyone here have any experience with this and could help me please?
... View more
Hello there, this is a shot in a dark, but I'm wondering if anyone here could help me with this issue that I've been having. I am currently trying to add Oleoresin of Paprika into a sausage that I am fermenting, smoking and dry aging. I use the oil soluble version. The issue becomes that once emulsified and stuffed the sausage it all looks great. But once i get to the fermentation stage and the sausage reaches around 30C, the oleoresin splits from the emulsification and drags out all the water and other fats from my sausages turning it into a mush. I am adding 2% of oleoresin to the whole mass. Does anyone here have any experience with this and could help me please?
... View more
Tasty Culinary Chemistry - ACS Webinars™ Date: Thursday, September 20, 2012 Time: 2:00-3:00 pm ET Fee: Free Learn how your knowledge of chemistry can enhance your cooking. Join Guy Crosby, back by popular demand, as he enthralls us with chemical reactions that occur during the preparation of food which determine how flavors develop. Guy will explore the chemical reactions behind three sources of flavors: those created by enzymes, the caramelization of sugars, and the Maillard reaction in browning proteins. He will also explore how storage affects food flavor. Come and equip yourself with the knowledge that will make you a titan in the kitchen. Ready to cook?
... View more