Aromatized Flavors by Ethanol
What is Ethanol?
Also called Ethyl Alcohol or Grain Alcohol, ethanol is a colorless liquid that is a slightly toxic and flammable organic compound with a chemical formula that contains “2 atoms of carbon, six hydrogens, and one oxygen” C₂H₅OH.
Ethanol is one of the essential carbon compounds in the chemical industry. It is used in many important reactions and it is the main ingredient of alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and rum. It is also a key component in formulating extracts and flavors to prepare flavorful and aromatized food.
This article aims to show how ethyl alcohol may contribute to the sweet-scents of some of the foods we consume daily.
Production
The main component in the following reaction is sugar. As simple as it sounds!
By the fermentation of glucose using yeast (a type of fungi), we can create ethanol, better known as food grade alcohol.
The reaction occurs when a glucose molecule (sugar) breaks down at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees fahrenheit in the absence of oxygen and by adding yeast.
This is what chemistry can do!
After understanding what ethanol is and how it is formulated, we will learn about one of its relevant uses in the food industry. Food Grade Ethanol is utilized as a common ingredient in the formulation of flavorful extracts commonly used in our everyday cooking.
Ethanol Concentration of Extracts
The following graphic contains a list of the most popular flavors found in the market and their percentage of ethanol.
Composition
Let’s explore the case of vanilla extract to understand better how and why ethanol can interact with some beans and nuts to extract their flavors. Vanilla extract is a liquid flavoring made by softening and breaking down vanilla beans which is then mixed with ethanol and water. This rich aroma and flavor contain 35% of ethanol in its formula, which is used as a solvent to carry the flavorings of the essential oils into a liquid environment. The alcohol in the extract carries the aroma and flavor of the beans we taste when baking a cake or when we crack open a bottle.
Similar to vanilla is the chocolate extract. It is a concentrate made of roasted cacao beans and ethanol. Creating this exquisite essence requires using the finest cocoa beans and 50% ethanol. As a result of this combination, we get a creamy liquid with dark chocolate flavor.
Generally speaking, ethanol or food-grade ethanol, is utilized in formulating natural flavors and essences because of its chemical properties, as it is a great flavor enhancer. Therefore, it has many uses in the food and beverage industry.
The primary process to manufacture all the extracts previously mentioned is by extracting the flavorful oils from the solid product with an ethanol and water solution.
Homemade Extracts Infused with Alcohol.
Extracts are the easiest way to create tasty and sweet flavors. The excellent news is that they are effortless to make at home, free of artificial color and preservatives. We can also control the strength, quality, and taste combinations we would like to achieve. We need nuts, beans, or herbs (raw material), and alcohol, followed by a jar to store it in.
Alcohol acts as a natural preservative and provides the extract with a longer shelf life. Diluted ethanol is the best alcohol to use without altering the natural taste of the extract thanks to its neutral flavor.
The primary and straightforward steps to creating liquid extracts are adding the fruits, herbs, or nuts into a glass jar and then pouring the alcohol over the raw ingredient of our choice. The longer we leave it, the stronger the flavor. When the extract has reached your desired flavor, simply filter out the solids and it is ready to use!
That is right; we can create chemistry at home!
