A. Title: Mayonnaise Experiment #1 with Egg Yolk
B. Reagents:
1 large egg, separated (reserve whites for pudding)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4-1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste
C. Procedure Outline:
1. In a large bowl, begin whisking one egg yolk and dijon mustard together.
2. Slowly begin to add the oil almost one drop at a time while constantly whisking.
3. When the desired consistency is reached, add the lemon juice and salt to taste.
4. Store in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
D. Actual Procedure:
Upon mixing the yolk and mustard together a great paste was formed in a gorgeous mustard-yellow color. We were very cautious to add the oil slowly as the recipe instructs. We truly added the oil almost one drop at a time and at first did not see much of a change to the egg and mustard mix other than it got a little more runny. It was a great arm workout as we had to continue to whisk to prevent the oil from overwhelming the mixture. Our neighbors added their oil too quickly and soon found themselves with a bowl of oil, mustard and yolk! As we continued to beat ours a thick off white mixture developed and mayonnaise appeared before our eyes! I don't love mayo but couldn't help but have some pride for this homemade goodness we had just created. Lemon juice and salt (about a tsp) were added for flavor. Like I said...I am not a fan of mayo but it tasted better than any mayo I have ever had.
E. Discussion and Conclusion:
The key to making mayonnaise is emulsion! Emulsion is simply a mixture of two liquids that normally can't be combined. The art of emulsifying is done by slowly adding one ingredient to another while simultaneously mixing rapidly. This disperses and suspends tiny droplets of one liquid through another. However, the two liquids would quickly separate again if an emulsifier were not added. Emulsifiers are liaisons between the two liquids and serve to stabilize the mixture. The vegetable oil is stabilized by the egg yolk via the molecule lecithin, which is a fat emulsifier. Egg whites are omitted from the recipe mainly because they do not contain lecithin and would not provide the emulsion for the mayo. It basically would be a useless ingredient (although to a dieter the egg white is a dream!). One would assume that mayonnaise would be extremely oily as its main component is oil but it isn't all that greasy. The key to making mayonnaise is to avoid having the components of the emulsion separate back into the components. No matter how much you mix the oil, it will always separate into a goopey mess unless you include the egg yolk as a stabilizer. The lecithin in the egg yolk emulsifies everything holding it all together. This is what makes mayonnaise so dang fluffy. The lemon is a bonus for flavor but also adds a bit to the reaction by slightly coating the oil molecules assisting in the emulsion.
A. Title: Mayonnaise Experiment #2 (without egg yolk...a funny joke?)
B. Reagents:
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
3/4-1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste
C. Procedure Outline:
1. In a large bowl add the Dijon mustard.
2. SLOWLY begin to add the oil almost one drop at a time while constantly whisking.
3. When the desired consistency is reached, add the lemon juice and salt to taste.
4. Store in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
D. Actual Procedure:
We began this culinary obstacle with the same technique from before minus the yolk. We began to vigorously beat the mustard while slowly adding the oil. At first the mixture took on an identical appearance as before but as the oil continued to be added our concoction began to become the identical twin to our neighbors first experiment disaster. Everything began to separate and we quickly realized we were not going to be making mayonnaise but rather a very simple mustard vinegarette! We were jinxed. Without adding the lemon juice or salt we quickly realized the experiment was over.
E. Discussion and Conclusion:
I don't want to sound like a little miss know it all but I knew before this experiment even began that it was "bunk". How could this possibly work if we were missing the most important ingredient, the egg yolk? We were missing our lecithin and therefore our emulsion could not possibly occur making the production of Mayonnaise from the faulty ingredients an impossibly feat.
A. Title: Butter (Thanks to Julia Childs one can never have too much butter!)
B. Reagents:
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt to Taste
C. Procedure Outline:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the cream until it turns to butter.
2. Pour off the butter milk and reserve.
3. Add salt to taste.
D. Actual Procedure:
This was even more of a bicep workout than the mayo was. I think I even broke a sweat (no worries...no additional salty sweat was added in the making). This recipe was as easy as it sounds. To make butter you beat cream. A lot. I think my partner and I were beating the cream for a good 15 minutes (which felt a lot longer at the time and who knows....may have only been 2 minutes). Our cream started to get quite thick and we believed we were finished. Upon inspection we were saddened to find that we were no where near the finish line and the beating continued. I am so glad that I invested in a kitchen-aid mixer at home just in case I ever have to do this again! Our cream that was once a pure winter's white in color soon became a creamy buttercup yellow. We were promised that we would see production of buttermilk and boy was that promise kept! Almost within the blink of an eye buttermilk was produced and the butter we were hoping for magically appeared. It was amazing. I have never seen anything so quickly and so gorgeous in my life. Ok I may be over-stating it but it was pretty dang amazing. Add a little salt and the most organic butter you ever saw was made. Yum. However, one moment on the lips and forever on the hips stopped me at one small sampler.
E. Discussion and Conclusion:
The ideal temperature for making of butter is 55-65 degrees F. Although temperature is important, the whipping of the cream is most crucial. Butter is a water-in-oil emulsion resulting from an inversion of the cream, an oil-in-water emulsion; the milk proteins are the emulsifiers. Whipping the cream pushes the fat globules into each other so much that they break through the protective membrane, and liquid fat glues the droplets together. The cream is full of proteins and fat. When you whip the cream and agitate the fat globules, they stick together to form butter. The leftover liquid is called buttermilk and it is full of protein. This could not be done without the chemistry of emulsion.
A. Title: Vanilla Pudding Experiment #1 (Cornstarch)
B. Reagents:
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Eggs (Slightly Beaten)
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Milk
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla
C. Procedure Outline:
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch; whisk together. Add the eggs and salt, stirring to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Add the milk to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture (to temper the eggs) while stirring constantly.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan and return to the stove.
5. Continue heating until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
6. Remove from heat and strain into a clean bowl.
7. Add the freshly made butter and vanilla. Stir to incorporate.
D. Actual Procedure:
This was a fairly simple recipe to follow. When the eggs were added to the sugar and cornstarch it developed into a thick, brilliant yellow porridge-looking mixture. When the milk was added to the stove it was a bit nerve-racking as the ease of scortching was very apparent, yet our milk came out un-scathed. The milk was slowly added (I emphasize: very slowly added to avoid scrabbling of any sort) with a constant whisking of the mixture and then was entirely added to the saucepan for more heating. The liquid rapidly formed into a thick pudding. Thankfully to a quick beating hand our pudding was very smooth and did not require the use of a strainer which saved one dish from needing to be washed. A ball of approximately 3 Tbsp of previously spoken of butter was added along with a very generous portion of vanilla. Wow. A-mazing. Oh so good and on such a cold day this pudding was a near second to a cup of cocoa.
E. Discussion and Conclusion:
Although the taste of mayonnaise and pudding are quite different the science is so close to home. They both are made at the generous hand of the emulsifier...the egg and a new addition to the pudding-cornstarch. I personally love the feel of cornstarch. So smooth and fine, I have always loved to play around with it. Strange, I know. Starch molecules are formed by many glucose molecules bonded together in two forms of chains. One is made of straight chains of amylose and the other of branched chains of amylopectin. Starch becomes most useful when it is heated in hot water which releases enough energy to alter the weaker regions of the granule and enable hydrogen bonding between starch and water molecules. The amazing part of this recipe is that you can see this occur. The mixture starts off very runny and liquid-like, a tiny bit thicker than milk. Once heated, suddenly you see the thickness increase which is the demonstration of the granules absorbing water and swelling which places a large stress on the crystalline regions of the molecules creating a smooth and some-what gelatinous cream. This occurs because the mixture become networks of starch and water intermingled. The transformation can easily be recognized as the mixture shows the initial cloudy suspension of granules and then they suddenly become more translucent. The individual starch molecules are not packed so tightly that the mixture appears to be clear.
A. Title: Vanilla Pudding Experiment #2 (flour)
B. Reagents:
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Flour
2 Eggs (Slightly Beaten)
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Milk
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla
C. Procedure Outline:
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and flour; whisk together. Add the eggs and salt and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Add the milk to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture (to temper the eggs) while stirring constantly.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan and return to the stove.
5. Continue heating until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
6. Remove from heat and strain into a clean blow.
7. Add the freshly made butter and vanilla. Stir to incorporate.
D. Actual Procedure:
This recipe was followed identical to that of the above recipe but somehow turned out a bit lumpy. I don't recall getting lazy but perhaps after all of the mixing of the evening I lost my vigor for the whisk. We could have used the strainer but the lumps were barely noticeable especially to the taste.
E. Discussion and Conclusion:
Obviously the only change between the two recipes were that of flour vs. cornstarch. I personally preferred the starch to the flour as I thought it brought more of a creamy and smooth texture but there were those in class who would disagree. I took both of the puddings home and have to say that both were better fresh off the stove as once they set up in the fridge their consistency was very thick and almost gelatinous. Unlike it's cousin the cornstarch, flour is not as clear once the crystalline structures fail, and an opague and dull appearance is formed. In tasting the two puddings it was noticed that the latter had more of a "flour" flavor which actually required more cooking to rid of the "raw" taste. Flour also required a longer cooking time to unleash its thickening agent powers.
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