How safe is it to combine flavor extracts?
I experiment a lot with food combinations, and I know enough about their chemistry to avoid the particularly terrible ones. However, I know too little about flavor extracts to apply the same logic.
Just as an example, I've noticed that orange and almond extracts used together give a strong unpleasant taste to the food.
In general, is this just unpleasant tasting or actually harmful? Are there particular combinations of extracts, with food or with other extracts, that I should avoid?
Best Answer
I probably would not recommend eating a box of baking soda and chasing that with shots of vinegar. But aside from that silliness, I can't think of a single thing that is actual "food" that is unsafe mixed with another actual "food", assuming reasonable quantities. Certainly anything with alcohol can be dangerous in huge quantities, as can a lot of other ingredients. Allergies or food sensitivities can make certain ingredients dangerous to certain people. But mixing ingredients to which the individual has no special sensitivity and in normal quantities? No, I don't think you are risking anything by doing so other than unpleasant food.
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Can you mix flavor extracts?
Try mixing and matching flavors to make your water exciting and delicious by testing two or three different fruit flavor extracts to create your own custom flavor. Combine orange extract, raspberry extract, and coconut extract to make a delicious and tropical-tasting fruit punch!Can you combine extracts?
Be careful when combining lots of extracts that use alcohol as a solvent with lots of caffeine, since there are health concerns around that particular combination. Most applications won't get anywhere near the kinds of levels that article is talking about, but it's theoretically possible to reach that level.How do you mix extracts together?
Ingredient Ratios for Common Extract Flavors:Almond Extract: 1/2 cup raw unsalted slivered almonds + 8 ounces vodka. Lemon Extract: 2 lemon rinds, peeled into strips + 8 ounces vodka. Orange Extract: 1 large orange rind, peeled into strips + 8 ounces vodka.Can I mix almond and vanilla extract?
You can substitute almond extract one-for-one with vanilla in most recipes, or use them both. A half-teaspoon of extract is enough to add an almond flavor to most recipes. Try adding it to short bread cookies, breakfast scones, pound cake, and biscotti.Best uses for Flavor Extracts
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Answer 2
Be careful when combining lots of extracts that use alcohol as a solvent with lots of caffeine, since there are health concerns around that particular combination. Most applications won't get anywhere near the kinds of levels that article is talking about, but it's theoretically possible to reach that level.
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