Monday, January 21, 2013

How does lemon juice reduce the burn of hot spices?

Q. I've heard that lemon juice helps the burn of hot spices such as peppers, and I've seen lemon juice in condiment packages at restaurants that serve spicy food. Is it a chemical reaction?
@ Naomi: What you're saying makes sense. Reaching into my memory, I seem to recall something from Chemistry that goes along the lines of "like dissolves like". Water, being polar, will dissolve other polar substances like ionic compounds (e.g., NaCl) but not non-polar substances such as oil.

So, if the substance that causes the burning is an oil, it would make sense that other similar substances would dissolve it better than water. I rarely drink alcohol, so milk would be a better alternative.

Thank you :-)

A. A lot of people seem to think that water helps but it makes the sensation worse simply because oil and water don't mix. The fiery spices in the foods are oil-based, and thus mix readily with the cooking oil and/or natural juices the food simmers in. When you eat the stuff, the oil coats your tongue and throat, and for complicated molecular reasons repels all efforts to wash it down with water. Water doesn't actually make the burning sensation worse, but by eliminating other distracting tastes I suppose we might say it purifies the agony.

So what does work? Logic would suggest two approaches: dilutants (more oil) and solvents (such as alcohol). So indeed it is the reaction in the mixtures between the oil/juices coated on your tongue and the liquid consumed after ward that reduces or increases the burn of hot spices. The same thing happens with lemon juice also as most solvents and dilutants high in citric acid work well at reducing the burn of hot spices. However there are many others better than lemon juice that are more efficient than reducing the burn. Best dilutant I know of is milk, which generally works like a charm. Alcoholic beverages seam to work quite well too.

I hope this answered your question.


What is the difference between orange juice made from concentrate and orange juice thats not?
Q. On the orange juice carton it says its made from concentrate or it says its not made from concentrate. Whats the difference? and which ones healthier?

A. OJ from concentrate means they took the water out and concentrated the orange flavor of the juice, then they added water later.

Normal OJ is just squeexed from an orange and then given to you.

Normal tates better and is probably better for you.


How much juice is in a pomegranate?
Q. I found a cool recipe for a pomegranate glaze but the directions just tell me to juice 4 pomegranates. I can get the juice at the local store and after my adventure juicing strawberries by hand, I don't really want to juice any pomegranates if I can avoid it. Does anyone know how much juice is in one?

A. I (insanely) actually juiced ONE pomegranate once. It was about 1/4 cup of juice and took about half an hour. Smooshing all of those tiny little seeds, and letting it drain..

Just buy the POM stuff at the supermarket. I would call 4 pomegranates to be about 1 cup.


How do you squeeze juice from a fruit?
Q. How do you squeeze juice from a certain fruit, specifically tangerine orange or mandarin orange? What materials are needed? What is the estimate amount of extract from each fruit? Any practical or scientific process is accepted.. Thanks a lot!:)

A. if you dont have a juice extractor just cut into halves (vertical)the citrus then use a tablespoon to scoop the juice thru a little help of your muscles then strain the seeds.





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