Online brix book- refractometer use; signs of quality, etc.

Extract from Brix book

http://www.crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm



esp. note "blue intensity" info. I learned something here...


ADVANCED USE (blurry line)

• A less-than-sharp demarcation line (blurry/fuzzy/diffused) on the screen is an indication of varied atom distribution i.e., an excellent mixture of minerals. For instance, many veteran refractometer users grow forages for animals and also have access to standard lab tests (so as to make possible direct comparisons of brix vis-à-vis other lab tests). They are adamant in insisting a sharp demarcation is an indication of increased simple sugar and therefore lesser high-quality protein (and other life-enhancing substances) at any given brix level.


Conversely, they suggest a blurry/fuzzy line predicts more, and better quality, proteins (*). Interestingly, the fuzzy line concept appears to be supported by the ability of astronomers to use refracted light to determine the elemental makeup of distant stars. Starlight, properly refracted, is spread out so that the lines left by various elements can be identified. It is suggested that you think of your readings as, say, 12S (sharp) or perhaps 14D (diffuse). In almost all cases, blurry tastes better.

• You will quickly, and easily, learn to judge the mid-point of any blurring. Your correct reading lies there.

• Blue intensity matters on those models that have a blue background field. When different items reveal the same brix but one has a less intense blue, it will taste sweeter and be higher in calcium, which neutralizes acids. However, the blue background can be overcast by the deep green chlorophyll color of some leafy plants.

Do not be discouraged if your field of view appears to "greenout." Simply rotate your body away from the light source and watch for the demarcation as the light intensity diminishes.

• Although your mouth readily tells the difference, the refractometer cannot easily distinguish starch from sugar. There is an additional chart in the book to convert starchy food readings to sugar equivalents.
Some produce resists efforts to get a drop of juice for testing:

• Consider that it may be very high brix and that the juice is really thick.

• Try cutting a very thin slice (1/16" to lay on the prism---it really works!), or

• Crush a leaf and lay that on the prism, or
• Grind the food in a processor and squeeze the chopped result.

• Be wary of dehydrated produce.


(*) Protein quality is a subject of much interest to farmers. Should you ever visit a farm show devoted to biological growing, as opposed to chemical growing, you are almost sure to find a booth where they have common ear corn sealed in air-tight jars. As could be expected, corn grown with their products will be as good as the day it was picked. On the other hand, ears of corn identified as grown with ordinary N-P-K technology will be seriously decomposed.

This "oddity," which is far more common than you may suspect, is generally attributed to "funny" protein. When pressed, the speaker will describe malformed proteins and how they appear when too much nitrogen in the form of N-P-K is applied to the growing crop. Much money is spent on "research" to discover ways of using yet more chemical additives to keep poor quality food from decomposing right on supermarket shelves. One must wonder if any of those funds found their way to explore this phenomenon whether we might learn much about good agriculture and good food.



OTHER REFRACTOMETER USES

As mentioned before, specially calibrated hand refractometers are available to test other than 0-32 brix. For instance…
• Freezing point of anti-freeze mixtures...
• Saline concentration...
• Urinalysis
• Detecting illegal wrestler dehydration...
• Blood protein testing...
• Drug tampering...
• Jelly & jam production...
• Honey quality...
• Aquarium setup...
• Jet fuel quality and contamination...
• Aquaculture...

With practice, a standard brix refractometer can be used to accurately test or help duplicate many aqueous solutions.
Example: some farmers buy barrels of 35% hydrogen peroxide to spray on their crops to raise brix levels. 35% H202, itself tests about 17 brix when fresh. However H202 gradually breaks down to water in storage. A farmer can check with a refractometer and determine if he is getting what he is paying for.

Example: drug store 3% hydrogen peroxide tests 1.5 brix when fresh. It is an easy matter to dilute 35% concentrate down to 3% by adding distilled water to reach an identical reading.

Example: Sorbet (frozen fruit mixtures) can be adjusted to obtain more consistent results.


FAMILIES OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES

BRIX=QUALITY charts are not 100% complete nor finished. New researchers will establish values for unlisted produce. New farmers will re-discover long lost methods to grow higher quality produce. New agronomists will debate among themselves over the merit of a single degree brix.
In the interim, the home tester using a brix chart must sometimes substitute the value of a closely related item of produce.

For instance:
• KALE, COLLARDS, and BRUSSELS SPROUTS are not normally listed. However, all three belong to the family BRASSICA, along with CABBAGE, and KOHLRABI.

• BLACKBERRIES are not listed, but RASPBERRIES are. The two are similar. Most people testing a blackberry use the raspberry values

• TOMATOES, EGGPLANT, POTATOES, and PEPPERS are from the NIGHTSHADE family.

• EGGPLANT, another nightshade, seldom has a listed value, but its relatives such as peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes do.
You can generally interpolate a needed value.

• Where is DURIAN? PERSIMMON? ASIAN PEAR? ETHNIC PRODUCE? SPINACH? and many little known fruits.

Those, and many other produce items, must await further research. For instance, the U.S. based author has read market reports from the Southern Hemisphere in which he could recognize but a fraction of the names of the listed items. Hopefully, researchers in areas such as Australia will forward Brix=Quality values for their unique fruits & vegetables that can be included in future editions. If you have a special fruit that is unlisted, please reach out to the author or to BrixTalk@yahoogroups.com and you may quickly find the answer you need.


FRESH VERSUS PASTEURIZED FRUIT JUICES
TV commercials and other advertising try to create a fresh=high quality mystique. Sorry, but poor quality juice is poor quality juice. Fresh HIGH QUALITY juice is HIGH QUALITY JUICE. A glib actor can spout for hours and not change that.

While processing can damage vitamins, it ordinarily neither removes nor adds minerals. Of course, many processed juices have sugar added in an attempt to enhance taste. The added sugar prevents accurate brix quality testing even as it degrades the taste. Read the labels.

People often report that pasteurized HIGH QUALITY juice is only slightly less tasty than fresh juice. They insist it tastes far superior to fresh poor, or average, quality juice.


MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS OF HIGH QUALITY

• CITRUS: A thinner rind indicates HIGHER QUALITY
• CITRUS: Top quality citrus has five points at the calyx (stem end).
• PEARS: A boxy shape is better.
• STONE FRUITS: A split pit indicates poor quality and mineral insufficiency.
• GRAINS: Dry grain QUALITY is relative to unit weight, i.e., if you weighed bushels of 2 equally dry wheats, the heavier bushel is HIGHER QUALITY. For instance, top quality wheat from mineral-rich soil can be 70+ pounds per bushel. On the other hand, mineral poor wheat can be as little as 60 or less pounds per bushel. The grain elevators pay meaningful premiums when they can find higher quality wheat or other grains.

• JUICES: Have your restaurant juice served over ice. HIGH BRIX juice will not taste watery.

• VEGETABLES: A natural waxy coating is good.
Packers, processors, and stores try to duplicate this effect by mechanically waxing poor quality vegetables.

• VEGETABLES: Any hollowness indicates a mineral deficiency (probably boron).

• POTATOES: Sunken eyes signify lower quality (probably short on manganese).

• MATURING GRAIN FIELDS: Dr. Skow says that a golden color is much to be desired.

• ANY ITEM: Bright pure color, whether in cut flowers or cut watermelons suggests higher quality.

• ANY ITEM: Slime or mold can be washed off the surface, but it has grown throughout the item. Reject such food. Remember that high brix produce will not rot in storage, therefore rotting in storage is a sign of poor quality.

Are you serious about this "won't rot in storage" talk?
Indeed I am! We've endured commercial "food" that quickly rots in storage for so long that we now think produce is supposed to rapidly decompose. Years ago, when I first heard of this "won't rot in storage" concept, I decided to conduct some kitchen tests. I really didn't need to test low brix food because I had already spent a lifetime learning that typical produce rotted quickly. Anyway, I started sitting items of high brix food on the windowsill to see what would happen.

Wow! What a revelation. As the days went by potatoes, peppers, oranges, even lettuces simply shriveled up as they dried. I had been warned that tomatoes were an exception and I found the warning valid.

Perhaps some curious scientist will delve into this anomaly and report back. Currently, I think the "water activity" notes published by CSIRO in Australia may best describe the rationale behind the seemingly bizarre "high brix food won't rot" concept.


EXPERIENCE

You will start using a refractometer timidly. You will think that identifying HIGH QUALITY food could not be so simple. Then, as you become experienced, you will learn that it really is so simple. For instance…

• You will put back the watery, tasteless, low brix tomato.

• You will smile at the vendor’s "pretty" string beans and ask when he expects to get good tasting beans.

• You will insist on a small sample of melon or pineapple...or forgo buying, because you are tired of taking low quality melons and pineapples home.

• You may sometimes buy marked-down items, or some of the 'canning' peaches because your test proved them HIGHER QUALITY than the 'picture pretty' produce. You will begin to expect HIGH QUALITY produce and you will start getting HIGH QUALITY produce.

• You will get HIGH QUALITY produce because you will be able to identify HIGH QUALITY.

With practice you will casually get the test-drop and only quickly glance in the viewfinder.

You will rarely be fooled. Some buyers actually have the vendor give them a drop of juice to test. You will teach your children---and their children---how to select proper food.

You will share, and help your children re-discover, the yummy taste of the HIGH QUALITY fruits & vegetables humans deserve.

No one will have to convince you that you are providing you and your children superior nutrition.

That is because you will convince yourself



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I find ity exciting to think that there is still lots of rooms for people to add to the filed of data out there on what constitutes good brix, in a whole range of fruits and even vegetables.


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