How to use and handle Oleoresins
Oleoresins of spices are the extracts of spices and herbs used for flavoring and coloring of food and food products. Those botanicals used for flavor will contain all the aroma and flavor and at least part of the color. Others that are used predominantly for color, will have all of the color and part of the flavor and aroma. Sometimes the extraction will be tailored to refine the oleoresin or minimize color or flavor as desired. They are complex materials that will differ from one spice to another as would be expected. Use of such materials at first might seem formidable but upon examination they are relatively easy to use.
For this text we will use the term "seasoning" to refer to utilization of an oleoresin both for flavor and color. The classical employment of an oleoresin as a seasoning is by generating a "dry soluble". This means that the oleoresin is dispersed on a carrier to form a dry mix that could be employed as the ground spice would be. The carrier employed can be either an inert filler or a functional ingredient. What carrier to use is governed by several factors. They are: components allowed in the product; cost of carrier; affect that carrier has on the product; ease of use. The most common carriers are salt, dextrose and flour.
Salt has many advantages. It is cheap and a component of many food products. Its abrasive nature often makes it an easy substrate to coat uniformly. The amount of an oleoresin that can be coated on the salt is a function of particle size. Purity of the salt may also have a bearing on both ease and content of the coating. The major drawback is the trend toward reduction or elimination of sodium chloride in many foods.
Dextrose is an excellent substrate that has been used as a carrier for many years. Its small particle size and mild flavor are its major advantages. It has a lower bulk density but does combine nicely in many food applications. It will hold as much oleoresin as the salt but may be slightly more difficult to coat. The cost is slightly higher than that of salt.
Flour is an inexpensive and very versatile carrier. Its small particle size allows sufficient loading of oleoresin. Its functionality or acceptance in a wide variety of foods increases its utility. Different types of flour will present different properties. There may be a tendency to form lumps but that can often be overcome.
As stated earlier, the term for these mixes are dry, soluble seasonings. The simplest form is a single oleoresin coated on the substrate at a level such that the mix would be equivalent to the spice itself. Obviously, combinations can also be put together to resemble complex spice mixes. It is often advisable to start with a relatively concentrated mix and dilute further if necessary after dispersion has been achieved. The maximum loading for most oleoresins is about 10%. Some may be only as high as 5%. At this point in time other additives such as humectants and antioxidants may be added.
Whatever the substrate or concentration, cursory investigations can be explored in a crude yet effective manner. The old mortar and pestal can be used or, if unavailable, a fork and small bowl will work almost as well. With either of these two systems seasoning samples of 50 to 100 grams can be investigated. For larger samples more related to production batches, a household blender (oscillating paddle type such as that manufactured by Kitchenaid) can be employed. Scale up can then be extrapolated to other types of mixers.
Obviously there are other ways to employ oleoresins as seasonings. In pickling mixes, they are dispersed in brine solutions with the aid of emulsifiers. That is, the oleoresin is diluted with an emulsifier and then used as a so-called water miscible oleoresin. Probably the best emulsifier for this application is Polysorbate 80. For non-aqueous liquid mixes, other diluents may or may not be necessary. Good diluents for oil soluble systems are some of the essential oils of spices or mono, di, or tri-glycerides of fatty acids from vegetable sources. Whether dry or liquid, pre-mixes or blends of spices can be made. These are concentrated seasonings. They can be stored and portion packed for future use in the manufacture of large seasonings blends or for direct incorporation into sauces and gravies.
At this point you may ask "how do I know how much of an oleoresin do I use in place of a particular spice?" there is an approximate replacement value for the oleoresins and those values are stated in our oleoresin brochure and on the accompanying replacement value sheet. The obvious exceptions are capsicum, paprika, and turmeric. The heat value of the capsicum is very nearly a mathematical calculation. The paprika and the turmeric very often do not follow the mathematical substitution that one would expect. That is because those colors are totally, immediately available. They are not partially hiding in the fibers of the spice. A flavor comparison method is listed in the last paragraph.
