On Tue, 17 Jun 1997, Art Chakalis wrote:
> Specifically, look up the following books which
> I believe will bear out similar concepts (the 1st book calls out oxidases
> and peroxidases which I understand to be enzymes by current nomenclature).
> Also, the heat treatment I give is less than you'll find in either
> reference, food scientist's recommendation to keep the heat degradation
> minimized for my photographic applications.
>
> "The Water-Soluble Gums" by C.L. Mantell, Ph.D.
> Reinhold Publishing, 1947 (this one pre-dates ISBN numbers)
And I'll find it at one of the stands selling books on 6th Avenue? OK,
just my little joke. I suppose there's a library in town may have it....
> I use .25%, your 100 grams will last you quite a while. By the way, this
> stuff isn't real friendly so wear a respirator while handling the powder.
Well I noticed that the salicylic acid was quite acrid, tho I used a small
amount briefly & am prepared to believe I did not suffer any permanent
damage. The thymol looks much coarser-grained, and so probably somewhat
less likely to get into the air.
Anyway, you mean you would add one quarter percent of the thymol to a
given quantity of gum, rather than mix up a percent solution and take x
number of drops?
My inclination, unless there's some reason not to, would be to mix say a
10% solution and use x number of cc's or drops from that. I'd have to
handle the powder only once, solution might be more stable (some powders
liquify through hygroscopamania over time), and the drops so much easier
to measure out than the powder for each use.
I'd appreciate any contraindications on this from the chemically informed
...
The gum I'm doing these tests with is Light Impressions powder, so fairly
clean. I'm still trying to assess the role of the "pasteurizing."
Considering what you and R. Sullivan have said I hypothesize:
If I'm trying to match a commercially prepared gum and it was heated,
heating in this manner might match its properties in this respect.
Otherwise, I can't figure what the advantage would be. Many of us
(including the ancients) have always or sometimes made gums starting with
dry gum arabic without heating with no (known) bad effects. What would
the enzymes do or not do?
> PS - Dry gum arabic has little water activity, therefor bacteria has a
> tough time living off of it. In solution that is a different situation
> which is why the thymol is added, it prevents bacterial growth.>
Well they told me that the enzymes are in the bacteria, but if thymol is
added (or formaldehyde, or salicylic acid added) that would kill the
bacteria anyway. Wouldn't that cooking be more for food uses where you
don't like to add poison?
Intrigued and bookless in Greenwich Village,
Judy