Re: Re: Mechanical Processing Losses?

August 27, 2007

Hey, don't hesitate about Martha Steward on my account - I think she

has done a lot of wonderful things, along with some not so hot. I

think it's the sulfur in the onions that reacts to the stainless

steel - I have seen some kind of hand cleaner gizmo made of metal,

presumably stainless steel, that removes garlic and onion flavors. So

it makes sense that those blades might change things. I know that

onions behave differently depending on how you cut them, even with a

mortar and pestle. Making indian and Thai curry pastes that use a big

stone mortar and pestle to crush onions and garlic together creates a

paste that cooks, tastes, smells very different from chopped onions.

It may be that cutting them finer or mashing them brings out the

allicin and other compounds and exposes them to the air, changing

things.

It would be interesting to see a food chemist discuss what mechanical

(even natural) processing does to alter food ingredients.

Thea

On Aug 27, 2007, at 4:33 PM, haecklers wrote:

> I hate to bring Martha into this, but on one of her shows,

> she said stainless steel will remove the garlicky smell from your

> hands. I'm guessing that the food processor had stainless steel

> blades and that whatever gives garlic it's smell has a related

> compound in onions that may also react with the stainless steel and

> remove some of the aroma. Also maybe the onion came into more

> contact with the stainless steel blade than it would when you slice

> it manually. My best guess.

>

> >

> > I've heard mention of mechanical processing damaging food on and

> off but

> > I've never had the experience - until last week that is! I'm

> trying to

> > search the archives for past discussions but I am not getting

> anything

> > useful while searching " mechanical " - is there a better term?

> >

> > Anyway, about last week: I choose to use my food processor to grate

>

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