Comments on: Banana marshmallows with parsley (v 1.5) http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/ - dedicated to molecular gastronomy Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:24:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: nika http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-24050 nika Wed, 04 Jul 2007 22:12:57 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-24050 So sorry that its taken me so long to reply! Remember that Vitamin C is heat labile so if you are adding it to a hot solution, it will degrade in it's function. (easily oxidized at 100 C). If the ambient pH is low, Vt C oxidation is somewhat minimized. http://www.paho.org/English/CFNI/cfni-caj37No304-art-3.pdf Citric acid buffers pH so that your mix may not experience massive pH shifts as cell walls breakdown. So sorry that its taken me so long to reply!

Remember that Vitamin C is heat labile so if you are adding it to a hot solution, it will degrade in it’s function. (easily oxidized at 100 C). If the ambient pH is low, Vt C oxidation is somewhat minimized. http://www.paho.org/English/CFNI/cfni-caj37No304-art-3.pdf

Citric acid buffers pH so that your mix may not experience massive pH shifts as cell walls breakdown.

]]> By: Gras, Heu oder Petersilie ? « lamiacucina http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23469 Gras, Heu oder Petersilie ? « lamiacucina Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:02:53 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23469 [...] Lersch beschreibt in seinem Blog khymos einen lesenswerten Versuch, den Oxidationsprozess nach dem Schneiden/Hacken mit verschiedenen [...] […] Lersch beschreibt in seinem Blog khymos einen lesenswerten Versuch, den Oxidationsprozess nach dem Schneiden/Hacken mit verschiedenen […]

]]> By: Nick Powell http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23300 Nick Powell Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:44:26 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23300 Enjoy reading your site. One interesting note on this conversation: at the Worlds of Flavor conference a couple of years ago at St. Helena, CA at the Food and Beverage Institute I sat in on a lecture on spices and herbs in which the venerable Harold McGee made a point of trying to steer people away from mincing herbs. Cutting into large pieces, as you discovered, is fine, but I guess there are actually reactions that take place between chemicals that are exposed to each other when the cells are cut open that create volatiles that are primarily "grassy/leafy" odors. Therefore, the more you cut, the more grassy flavor. At least that was my chef's understanding of it! Enjoy reading your site. One interesting note on this conversation: at the Worlds of Flavor conference a couple of years ago at St. Helena, CA at the Food and Beverage Institute I sat in on a lecture on spices and herbs in which the venerable Harold McGee made a point of trying to steer people away from mincing herbs. Cutting into large pieces, as you discovered, is fine, but I guess there are actually reactions that take place between chemicals that are exposed to each other when the cells are cut open that create volatiles that are primarily “grassy/leafy” odors. Therefore, the more you cut, the more grassy flavor. At least that was my chef’s understanding of it!

]]> By: t http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23000 t Tue, 26 Jun 2007 06:12:09 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-23000 Good question. I don't know. Maybe it's then a compromise between flavour release and flavour degradation - which again then becomes an interesting function of the time frame you're interested in. My guess (duh) is that it varies from herb to herb. Also, we could investigate further if you really need to cut the herbs at all? That is, are many of them perfectly capable of releasing the flavour upon chewing? Good question. I don’t know. Maybe it’s then a compromise between flavour release and flavour degradation - which again then becomes an interesting function of the time frame you’re interested in. My guess (duh) is that it varies from herb to herb. Also, we could investigate further if you really need to cut the herbs at all? That is, are many of them perfectly capable of releasing the flavour upon chewing?

]]> By: Martin Lersch http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22695 Martin Lersch Sun, 24 Jun 2007 19:07:04 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22695 Nika, I remember now that you suggested citric acid (and I've included it in the blogpost - thanks!). Since both vitamin C and citric acid can act as antioxidants, shouldn't it be OK to combine them? Which buffering capacity were you refering to? t, That's a way of putting it, yes! I agree that it's perhaps not so surprising, at least not after the experiment has been done (isn't it often like that?). And it causes me to wonder which herbs should be finely chopped and which ones should better be left whole. For instance, I have noticed that when mincing a herb (I think it was thyme), the initial thyme smell faded and it all smelled very "green". So how then should we treat herbs to maximize their flavour release, but minimize degradation of their flavour? Nika,
I remember now that you suggested citric acid (and I’ve included it in the blogpost - thanks!). Since both vitamin C and citric acid can act as antioxidants, shouldn’t it be OK to combine them? Which buffering capacity were you refering to?

t,
That’s a way of putting it, yes! I agree that it’s perhaps not so surprising, at least not after the experiment has been done (isn’t it often like that?). And it causes me to wonder which herbs should be finely chopped and which ones should better be left whole. For instance, I have noticed that when mincing a herb (I think it was thyme), the initial thyme smell faded and it all smelled very “green”.

So how then should we treat herbs to maximize their flavour release, but minimize degradation of their flavour?

]]> By: t http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22683 t Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:14:14 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22683 I guess the conclusion isn't THAT surprising - the larger surface area of the more finely cut parsley results in much easier access to the air which oxidizes it. On the other hand, maybe the parsley flavor comes through just fine by being released "on the spot" (or "in situ" as others would say). As such you've discovered that fresh parsley leaves serve excellently as a natural pro-flavor for parsley... I guess the conclusion isn’t THAT surprising - the larger surface area of the more finely cut parsley results in much easier access to the air which oxidizes it. On the other hand, maybe the parsley flavor comes through just fine by being released “on the spot” (or “in situ” as others would say). As such you’ve discovered that fresh parsley leaves serve excellently as a natural pro-flavor for parsley…

]]> By: nika http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22522 nika Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:48:18 +0000 http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/23/banana-marshmallows-with-parsley-v-15/#comment-22522 chopping = damage to cell walls = degradation. Perhaps your larger pieces gave you a better aromatic oil retention without the loss or change due to cell wall damage. I suggested before to use citric acid.. (btw citric acid is not vitamin C) Citric acid = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid Vitamin C = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_c I wonder if it would have helped, especially re: pH buffering capacity. chopping = damage to cell walls = degradation. Perhaps your larger pieces gave you a better aromatic oil retention without the loss or change due to cell wall damage.

I suggested before to use citric acid.. (btw citric acid is not vitamin C)

Citric acid = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid

Vitamin C = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_c

I wonder if it would have helped, especially re: pH buffering capacity.

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