Almond Milk

Appears in

Published 2004

About

This water extract of soaked ground almonds contains a significant amount of protein that causes the liquid to thicken when heated or acidified.

Protein-Thickened Sauces and Health

Sauces thickened with proteins are very nutritious, and microbes can multiply rapidly in them. They’re best held either above 140°F/60°C or below 40°F/5°C to prevent the growth of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When cooling large quantities of meat stock, the cook should divide the stock into small portions so that their temperature will fall rapidly through the potentially dangerous temperature range.

Like well-browned meats themselves, meat stocks and sauces whose flavor comes from browned pan juices or from long reduction carry small quantities of chemicals called heterocyclic amines. HCAs are known to damage DNA and therefore may contribute to the development of cancer. We don’t yet know whether the levels found in meats and sauces pose a significant risk. Vegetables in the cabbage family contain chemicals that prevent HCAs from damaging DNA, so it may be that other foods in a well-balanced diet protect us from the toxic effects of HCAs.