SAFE HANDLING
I grew up with spices and oleoresins. My father would often bring samples of oleoresins home for flavor evaluation and we were his taste panel. Properly handled, they can be very helpful. Since they are all of the flavor and aroma of the spice in a concentrated form, they should be handled with care. Many spices have an irritating effect on the skin and the eyes. This obviously carries over to the oleoresins. Vaporized, they could be irritating to the respiratory system. Standard precautionary procedures are suggested. Wear protective glasses, clothing, and gloves. In the case of oleoresin capsicum, a face shield and rubber apron may be desired. Always have adequate ventilation to remove aromas. The volatile constituents present in an oleoresin are flammable. Do not heat closed systems without adequate pressure reading and relief valves. Do not heat them over open flames or near exposed elements. Clean spills immediately by wiping or soaking up the excess and washing the residue. Dispose of the cleaning aids in accordance with state, local and federal regulations. Contaminated clothing should be removed and cleaned or replaced. Good hygiene should be practiced. Most of these procedures are described in the safety data sheets shipped with each product order.
STORAGE
Many of the oleoresins will hold their flavor when kept in tightly sealed containers for a long period of time. This is particularly true if the container cannot breathe. Unfortunately, even high-density polyethylene containers may allow some outgassing. It is therefore advisable to only inventory what you would normally use up in 2 to 3 months. The recommended storage is in a cool, dry place. A small amount of warming may be required for some oleoresins if kept below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Examples would be oleoresins of celery and coriander. It is advisable to stir any oleoresin prior to use to insure its uniformity. Liquid seasonings made with the oleoresins can be stored and packaged similarly to the pure oleoresin. Dry soluble seasonings can be packed in polyethylene bags when tightly sealed. Long term storage of some of the dry soluble mixes in polyethylene bags may result in some degradation if they have high quantities of the highly aromatic oleoresins.
FLAVOR COMPARISON
Some of the basic analytical methods for oleoresins are listed in the back of our brochure. General aroma analyses for comparison may be conducted by coating one or two percent of that oleoresin on dextrose and comparing it to a standard prepared the same way. Flavor comparisons for oleoresins other than black pepper and capsicum can be made by dissolving 0.1g of the dextrose mixinto 50m1 of ethanol, then diluting 1 ml to 100m1 of 5% sugar solution and tasting it. A similar tasting is conducted with the standard. An alternative method dissolves about lg of the dextrose mix in a liter of starch/cream sauce and conducting the comparison to a standard.
EXAMPLES
Dry soluble black pepper:
About 4.5 parts oleoresin black pepper mixed into 95.5 parts salt or dextrose gives a close substitute for ground black pepper thus if one kilogram of ground black pepper were used in a seasoning, it could be replaced with one kilogram of the dry soluble mix.
LIQUID SEASONINGS
Liquid seasonings are more difficult to calculate. A seasoning containing thyme, celery, oregano, fennel, and capsicum would use the replacement fraction of oleoresin for each spice. A diluent emulsified might have to be used to either co-solubilize them or disperse them in the material to be seasoned. Please note that the replacement values are approximates and may vary when compared to a particular variety or condition of spice or even to taste. They are suggested starting points. The oleoresin mixes (pizza, chili, etc.) are about 10 to 20 times as strong as a ground spice mix would be. Thus if 100 grams of spice were to be used the substitution of oleoresin mix would be 5 to 10 grams.
