mrblond5311 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I'm not sure if I'm in the right place or not but I just wanted to know what edible chemical could I add to spinach to make it maintain it's color when it's cooked or steamed? I'm guessing it would have to be something that would bond the chlorophyll A & B to the fibers of the spinach. Let me know if you can help me with this, please. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akcapr Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 why do you care? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 add some bicarbonate of soda to the water, it`ll neutralise the acids responsible for the color fading Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrblond5311 Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 add some bicarbonate of soda to the water, it`ll neutralise the acids responsible for the color fading That's what a few people have told me. Thanks for your help. I was just having some issues with a spinach dip coming out too green to answer the guy up there. The chemistry involved intrigued me so that's why I asked & how I found out about the chlorophyll a & b. It's amazing what you can learn with something as common as a vegetable. Now I'm adding lemon juice to the dip; would this acid affect the effectiveness of the baking soda or could I just compensate with more baking soda? Just looking to learn some things if anyone has the time, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 a "Dip" well that`s basicly acidic anyway, and the lemon juice will only Add to your problem of color loss and "Browning/blackening". the trick there is to DRY the spinach quickly anf then add is dry to the dip, acidic or not, kept cold in a fridge it will rehydrate and not lose color. same is done with chives and parsley etc... cell damage and subsequent oxidation causes the discoloration, when it`s dried it only loses water, the cell walls remain intact, thus the color remains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrblond5311 Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Now what if I used frozen spinach, took out the lemon juice, added bicarbonate of soda, then mixed everything and heated it up. Would I still have the problem with the color loss? I'm not sure if the "ice" that's on the frozen spinach would still affect the color loss after it's heated up. I'm thinking that heating the dip with the ice in it at the same time may still enable the spinach to bleed. I need the heating process (I believe) to "soften" the spinach if not then the spinach is tough; but then again maybe the soda of bicarbonate would enable me to heat it less but still get the tender spinach I'm looking for. Lol, I'm starting to sound like an organic chemist for Martha Stewart. All the help so far is Much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 well for a kick off lemon juice (citric acid) and bicarb will counter each other, making it such that it`s a waste of both. freezing causes cell wall damage and so allows Oxygen to "Attack" the color as well as other properties such as vitamins etc... it Would help no end if you gave us either the recipe OR the the ideal creation you have in mind! else we`re just taking stabs in the dark here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrblond5311 Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 well for a kick off lemon juice (citric acid) and bicarb will counter each other' date=' making it such that it`s a waste of both.freezing causes cell wall damage and so allows Oxygen to "Attack" the color as well as other properties such as vitamins etc... it Would help no end if you gave us either the recipe OR the the ideal creation you have in mind! else we`re just taking stabs in the dark here [/quote'] Well I don't have my exact recipe right now (visiting my mother-in-law) but I can give you the ingredients. Margarine, cornstarch, pastry flour, dried onions, pepper, ketrol (xanthan gum as a thickener), & milk. I mix those together & heat them up to about 195 degrees F then I add steamed spinach & artichokes (both drained) and stir. Now that I think about it the acid in the artichokes (possible even the dried onions) could be affecting the color loss as well but I need them in the dip. I'm thinking about taking out the lemon juice but using a dry lemon flavor in it's place, adding baking soda, and using frozen chopped spinach instead of steaming it. I would probaly knock most of the ice off of the frozen spinach to lessen the affect of the water. Hopefully these things would lessen if not eliminate the color & vitamin loss but still give me tender spinach I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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