CA2258705A1

CA2258705A1 - Saffron essence

Info

Publication number: CA2258705A1
Application number: CA002258705A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jurgen Rohmeder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-01-14
Filing date: 1999-01-14
Publication date: 1999-07-14
Also published as: ATE201811T1; JPH11266826A; EP0930018A3; GR3036490T3; EP0930018B1; EP0930018A2; DE19801151C2; ES2159910T3; DE59800821D1; DE19801151A1

Abstract

The invention relates to compositions which contain saffron and/or saffron ingredients, one or more monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms and at least one reducing disaccharide. The compositions can be processed into chocolates, chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop products, confectionery, vinegars, jellies, marmalades, jama, aspics and other foods. The invention also relates to processes for the preparation of the compositions and the products obtained using them.

Description

Saffron essence The present invention relates to a composition containing saffron and/or saffron ingredient;) chocolates, chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop products, confectionery, jellies, marmalade;, jams, aspics, vinegars and other foods containing this composition as well as processes for their preparation.
Cakes containing saffron are just as well-known (see E.
Ziegler, Die natiirlichen and kiinstlichen Aromen, page 91, Dr Alfred Hiithig Verlag Heidelberg, 1982) as pastries containing saffron (see Rompp Chem.ie Lexikon, 9th Edition, Volume 5, 1992, page 3965, Keyword: Saffron). In this case the saffron is however used mainly to create a yellow colour and not because of its characteristic taste (see Rompp Chemie Lexikon, 9th Edition, page 3965).
Saffron baking flavourings are also known (see A. M.
Burger, Die natiirlichen and kiinstlichen Aromen, page 207, Dr. Alfred Hiithig Verlag Heidelberg, 1968). In the ranges of flavourings preparers, saffron flavourings which are prepared for example by extraction, freeze-drying and mixing with glucose are also offered. These ready-made flavourings are however less suitable for the preparation of essences and confectionery. These flavourings merely give the products mixed with them an additional taste element that does not carry the principal taste, as very large quantities of flavouring and therefore very large quantities of saffron would be necessary to give a characteristic predominant taste in which saffron was the principal component. This is however not acceptable on the grounds of cost, as saffron ha.s a high market price (see Rommp Chemie Lexikon, 9th Edition, page 3965). In addition to this the known saffron flavourings cannot give solid food preparations, such as say, chocolate products or sweets, a strong, clear yellow colour.

A "Vinaigre de vin blanc au Safran" [Saffron flavoured white wine vinegar] (Producer: Paul Corcellet, TVM 5, Rue de Valmy, F-51100 Reims) is commercially available, contains strands of saffron (approx. 1.2 g per litre), but has almost no saffron taste and is only a pale yellow.
DE-A-196 33 393 which is not a prior publication describes inter alia a spirituous liquor, which comprises a composition of saffron ingredients, one or more monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms, e.g.
glucose or fructose and ethanol ass well as water and (the non-reducing disaccharide) sucrose.
The object of the present inventic>n is to provide saffron-containing compositions and products in which the saffron taste is more intense comb>ared with normal saffron-containing compositions arid products.
This object is achieved by compositions which together with saffron and/or saffron ingredients as well as one or more monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms contain at least one reducing disaccharide, as well as by chocolates, chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop products, confectionery, jellies, marmalades, jams, aspics, vinegars and other foods which contain the composition according to the invention.
Surprisingly, it was ascertained that the chocolates, chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop products, confectionery, jellies, marmalades, jams, aspics, vinegars or other foods ccntaining the composition according to the invention have an intense saffron taste. In contrast to this, when using saffron flavourings which contain other saccharides instead of the reducing disaccharide of the composition according to the invention, 2.5 - 5 times as much saffron has to be used to achieve the same taste intensity i.e. 60 - 80$

saffron can be saved with the compositions according to the invention. By using the reducing disaccharides instead of the non-reducing disacc:harides, a considerable amount of the expensive saffron is thus saved, so that henceforth vinegars, confectionery, cake-shop products, gateaux, cakes, jellies, jams, marmalades, aspics, sweets, chocolate products, chocolate and other foods in which saffron is the principal ta~;te element can also be made available to the consumer at acceptable prices.
Furthermore, by using the compositions according to the invention solid food preparations containing saffron such as e.g. chocolates, sweets etc., can henceforth also be made available with a clear, strong, yellow colour, which in addition also have an extremely long-lasting aftertaste.
In the case of the products prepared with the compositions according to the invention, which with the exception of sweets do not normally contain sucrose in their saffron-containing parts, the advantage of taste intensification is not generally associated with the disadvantage of a loss of sweetness due to a lack of sucrose compared with normal saffron flavourings. As an example, compared with sucrose (100$)) the monosaccharide fructose has a sweetness of 173 and the reducing disaccharide lactose has a sweetness of 16g (Nutrition and Diet Therapy Reference Dictionary, 4th Edition, Chapman & Hill, 1995, page 332, Keyword: "Sweetener"), so that with the compositions according to the invention, which for example contain fructose as monosaccharide and lactose as reducing disaccharide, the same sweetnesses can be achieved as with the quantity of sucrose of the same weight. On the other hand, the sweetness of the compositions according to the invention can be slightly varied in relation to the composition containing sucrose by appropriate adjustment of the amounts of monosaccharide and disaccharide, :i.e. the compositions according to the invention made sweeter or less sweet.
The compositions according to the invention contain saffron and/or saffron ingredient,, e.g., stigmas, in particular the dried, aromatic smelling, normally red parts of the stigmas of the saffron plant, saffron fibres or saffron ingredients obtained using conventional processes, for example extraction.. The saffron fibres used are the female stigmas, in particular the dried, usually red parts of the stigmas of the saffron plant, (Crocus sativus, Iridaceae), which are commercially available. The extraction of, for example (particularly freshly) ground saffron fibres can take place using ethanol or aqueous ethanol (if at a11 possible at temperatures up to max. 50~C, preferably max. 40~C, and approx. 0.5 - 2 hours), followed, if desired, by filtering, to obtain cellulose-free saffron ingredients.
A11 monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms, which as a rule can be reproduced by the general formula CnH2nOn with n >_ 4 can be used as monosaccharides. n is preferably 5 or 6, particularly 6. Preferred monosaccharides are arabinose, sorbose, fructose and glucose. Fructose is particularly preferred (e.g. D-fructose). Naturally, the different stereoisomers of the monosaccharides can equally be used.
All disaccharides in which two mon.osaccharides are glycosidically connected to each other in such a way that the glycoside bond is formed by a hemiacetal or hemiketal hydroxyl group of one monosaccharide and by an alcoholic (not hemiacetal or hemiketal) hydroxyl group of the other monosaccharide (see e.g. H. Beyer, W. Walter, Lehrbuch der organischen Chemie, 18th Edition, pp. 383, 384, S.
Hirzel Verlag Stuttgart, 1976) can be used as reducing disaccharides. These disaccharides normally have the general formula CX+yH2cX3yt-2 OcX+p-1, x and y being independently of each other, greater than or equal to 4.
x and y are preferably 5 or 6, in particular 6. Examples of suitable reducing disaccharide: are: lactose and maltose. Lactose is preferred. Naturally, the different 5 stereoisomers of the reducing disaccharides can equally be used. Just like the monosaccharides, the disaccharides are usually commercially available and/or can be prepared and purified by standard processes;.
For preference, the composition according to the invention also contains water (preferably demineralized water). For example, the monosacch.aride can be used as a saturated aqueous solution and/or the reducing disaccharide as a highly concentrated aqueous solution for preparing the compositions according to the invention.
Furthermore, the composition according to the invention can contain ethanol, the presence of water then not being absolutely necessary. 100% ethanol, preferably however 96% ethanol, can be used as ethanol. Ethanol can also be used in the form of a high percentage spirituous liquor, containing a small amount of essential oils such as e.g.
cognac (e.g. 2nd distillation, heart, approx. 70 vol.-ethanol), whisky (e. g. 2nd distillation, heart, approx.
70 vol.-% ethanol) or rum ( e.g. Jamaica) approx. 75 vol . -%) .
The weight ratio of saffron and/or saffron ingredients to the sum of mono- and reducing disaccharides is 1 to 100 to 800, preferably 200 to 500, in ;particular 300 to 400 and approx. 320 (relative to the d.ry weight of the saffron and saccharides).
It is preferred that there are 100 to 500 g (preferably 200 - 400 g, particularly 250-300 g) of monosaccharides and 20 to 150 g (preferably 50 - 100, particularly 60 -80 g) of reducing disaccharides pe:r gram of saffron or saffron ingredients (again relative to the dry weight of the saffron and saccharides). The concentration of saffron and/or saffron ingredient: in the compositions according to the invention is mostly less than 1 wt.-~, preferably 0.05 to 0.15 wt.-~, related to the composition of saffron and/or saffron ingredients, one or more monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms and at least one reducing disaccharide a~; well as optionally ethanol and/or water. The concentration of saffron and/or saffron ingredients will be greater (e.g. approx. 0.8 wt.-~) in compositions in which only saffron/saffron ingredients, monosaccharide and rE~ducing disaccharide are present, whereas it is lower if water and/or ethanol is present (e. g. 0.05 - 0.15 wt.-~). The level of ethanol and water in the compositions according to the invention varies depending on the amount of ethanol or water (preferably demineralized water) used as well as, particularly in the case of ethanol due to its volatility, depending on the special processing conditions used for the preparation of the compositions.
Thus, for example, during the preparation of the composition according to the invention, ethanol and/or water can partly or completely evaporate through heating.
The compositions according to the invention can be prepared by the following general process, a11 materials being commercially available (when being used for foods, the purity of the materials or additives used must naturally comply with the respective food directives, for example, the EU food directives.): commercial saffron fibres with a dry weight of 1 g are ground and sifted with a sieve, preferably with a plastic sieve with a screen fineness of 12 to 30 n/cm (warp/weft count per extension), reground and sifted once more until the quantity is exhausted. The thus-obtained saffron powder is then soaked with 4 to 8 ml of water (here and in the following demineralized water). The aqueous suspension is macerated with 20 to 150 ml, preferably approx. 100 ml of ethanol (here and in the following preferably 96 vol.-~), reacted anE'w with approx. 100 ml ethanol after approx. 30 to 120 minutes and finally heated briefly in a water bath at circa 70~C, accompanied by shaking, during which the temperature in the vessel is not to exceed 50~C. After cooling to room temperature, 100 to S00 g, preferably 2S0 g, of the monosaccharide or monosaccharides, preferably fructose, are then added to the mixture, and the whole is sha~:en. The mixture is then kept being occasionally shaken, until the solution is saturated, as a rule for approx. 2, hours.
A supersaturated solution of 20 to 150 g, preferably approx. 70 g, of the reducing disaccharide or disaccharides, preferably lactose, in a 30-60 vol.-~, preferably approx. 50 vol.-$ of ethanol-water mixture is then added to the mixture in the weight ratio of approx.
1:2 to approx. 1:4, preferably approx. 1:3. The resulting preparation is then kept at room temperature for at least approx. 12 hours and during this period is shaken at least three times. Before each further use in a chocolate, a chocolate product, a sweet, a cake, a gateau, a cake-shop product, a confection (preferably with no cocoa powder), a jelly, a marmalade, a jam, aspic, vinegar or other food, the composition according to the invention is shaken up. Optionally, before the further processing of the composition according to the invention, a part or the whole amount of the ethanol and/or water used can be removed from the composition according to the invention by careful and known processes, such as for example gentle heating under normal or reduced pressure.
The compositions according to the invention obtained in this way can then be processed into different food or , confectionery by being added to the food or confectionery at a suitable point during the customary preparation of the food or confectionery or else mixed with the finished product. The concentration of the composition according to the invention in the finished product is preferably 0,2 to 25 wt.-$, depending on the product and the desired taste intensity.
For example, the compositions according to the invention obtained in this way can be processed to the chocolate according to the invention, to the chocolate product according to the invention or to t:he confection according to the invention by stirring the composition according to the invention into a mixture of chocolate ingredients or chocolate-type ingredients (preferably cocoa powder free) or ingredients forming confectionery. The ingredients of the chocolate are the ingredients conventionally contained in (whitish) "white" chocolates, i.e. cocoa butter and emulsifiers as well as optionally further components such as milk products, sultanas and/or raisins or similar (see Rompp Lexikon Lebensmittel-Chemie, 1995, p. 757 et seq., keywords: Schokola.de and Schokoladenerzeugnisse). Possible ingredients of the chocolate product are, among other's, cocoa butter, butter, glucose, skim-milk powder and other ingredients normally contained in chocolate products such as are listed, for example, in Rompp Lexikon Lebensmittelchemie, 1995, pages 758 to 760, under the keyword "Schokoladen-Erzeugnisse". (Cocoa butter is a whitish fat mixture, at room temperature a pourable granulate that is practically neutral in taste. Cocoa powder is left over if the cocoa butter is separated from the cocoa mass hot and under pressure. It is dark and tastes very intense and bitter, harsh, so that it is preferably not to be contained in the products prepared with the compositions according to the invention). Apart from chocolates and chocolate products, long-life pastries, snacks, jellies, marmalades, jams, ice-cream, raw materials and/or (initially) kneaded raw materials as well as icing materials can be used as confectionery. Depending on the ethanol content of the compositions according to the invention prepared using the general process described above, the chocolates, chocolate products, jellies, marmalades, jams and confectionery can contain ethanol.
The concentration of the composition according to the invention in the end-product (for example, chocolate) is preferably 5 to 15 wt.-~, in particular 8 to 10 wt.-~.
The compositions obtained using the general process can furthermore be processed into the sweets according to the invention by adding the composition according to the invention to a cooling melted sweet material (prepared by boiling e.g. 50~ invert sugar syr,ap) before and above the solidification point and quickly cooling the resulting mixture after intensive stirring and pouring it into sweet moulds. The concentration o:E the composition according to the invention in the end-product (sweet) is preferably 10 - 20 wt.-~, in particular approx. 14 - 16 wt.-~.
Furthermore, the compositions prepared with the general process can be processed further into a gateau according to the invention by introducing at: least one layer (preferably 2 or 3 layers) of an aqueous dilution of the composition according to the invention between layers of ready-baked gateau and, optionally pouring the melted chocolate according to the invention or the chocolate product according to the invention over the gateau. The cake and cake-shop products according to the invention can, for example, in a similar way, be prepared by applying or adding the composition according to the invention or aqueous dilutions of the composition according to the invention. Depending on the ethanol content of the composition according to the invention, the gateau according to the invention, the cakes according to the invention and the: cake-shop product according to the invention can contain ethanol.

The concentration of the composition according to the invention in the aqueous dilution is usually between 1 and 10 wt.-~, preferably approx. 5 wt.-$.
5 To prepare a jelly, jam or marmalade according to the invention, pectin is brought to t:~e boil in demineralized water and mixed with fructose. Th.=_ composition according to the invention is stirred in at approx. 50~C and the mixture is poured into suitable (preferably previously 10 sterilized) containers, work preferably being carried out at a low germ level. The concentration of the composition according to the invention in the end-product (jelly, for example) is preferably between 2 and 10 wt.-$, in particular 5 - 7 wt.-$. As well as a variation in the concentration of the composition according to the invention, the pectin concentration can also be varied, firm jellies being obtained with higher pectin concentrations.
Aspic can be prepared by stirring in the composition according to the invention in degreased highly-concentrated stock.
To prepare vinegars, the composition according to the invention is stirred into a purchasable vinegar (e. g.
wine vinegar) so that the concentration of the composition according to the invention in the finished vinegar is preferably 0.2 - 2.0 wt.-~, particularly 0.5 -1.5 wt.-~.
With the different processes described here, it is preferred not to exceed or to exceed only briefly a process temperature of 50~C, as far as saffron and/or saffron ingredients are concerned, since at higher temperatures the smell- and taste-forming components of saffron evaporate or are broken down to a greater extent, for example by glycoside decomposition. For this reason, it is also recommended to protect saffron-containing products from light while storing them.
The invention can be further illustrated by the following examples:
Example 1:
Preparation of a composition accordinc,~ to the invention ~ontainin~ fructose and lactose:
1 g (dry weight) of purchasable saffron fibres is ground and sifted with a plastic sieve with a screen fineness of 12 to 30 n/cm (warp/weft count per extension), reground and sifted anew until the quantity is exhausted. The saffron powder obtained in this way is soaked with 6 ml of demineralized water, then macerated with 100 ml of 96 vol.-$ ethanol, reacted anew with 100 ml of 96 vol.-~
ethanol after 75 minutes, and then heated briefly at 70~C
in a heated water bath accompanied by shaking. After cooling to room temperature, 250 g of fructose are added, the solution is shaken and stored for 2 hours with occasional shaking until saturation. A supersaturated solution is then prepared from 70 g of lactose in a 50 vol.-~ mixture of 96 vol.-$ ethanol and demineralized water in the weight ratio of 1:3 and this supersaturated lactose solution added to the fructose-saffron mixture.
The resulting preparation is stored for 12 hours at room temperature, being shaken three times. It resembles a suspension and is shaken up each time before it is processed to confectionery.
example 2:
preparation of a fellow saffron chocolate product:
A mixture of 10 g of freshly-melted butter, 30 g glucose and 2 g skim-milk powder is stirred into 40 g of melted, cooling cocoa butter in the solidification range. After it is heated to just the melting r~~nge, it is stirred cold, and at just above the solidi:Eication range, 8 g of the freshly shaken-up preparation <~ccording to the invention according to example 1 :is stirred in. The mixture is poured into chocolate moulds.
Exam~l a 3 Preparation of yellow saffronswee:ts:
85 g of 50 wt.-% invert sugar syrup are boiled to a sweet material, stirred quickly before t:he solidification range with 15 g of the freshly shaken-up preparation according to the invention according to Example 1, poured into sweet moulds and then subjected to rapid cooling.
Example 4:
Preparation of a saffron gateau w~.th low alcohol content:
Part A: 250 g butter are stirred with 200 g of glucose until foamy; then four eggs are beaten in.
Part B: 300 g flour are mixed with 100 g edible starch and sifted with a household sieve.
Part C: Parts A and B are mixed. The resulting dough is poured into a gateau mould, greased with a little butter and baked in a pre-heated oven at a low heat of approx.
190~C for 75 minutes. After cooling, the baked gateau is cut into four horizontal layers. The second and fourth layer are moistened with a 5 wt.-% aqueous dilution of the freshly-shaken-up preparation according to the invention according to example 1 until the colour is constant, but not with more than is necessary for this.
The layers are joined together again, The chocolate product according to example 2 is melted carefully and poured as desired on to the surface of the baked gateau. After the poured chocolate has cooled, the process can be repeated in the same way with the sides of , the baked gateau after the latter has been tipped over on a rack.

xam~le 5:
Preparation of yellow saffron vinegar:
99.1 g of wine vinegar with an alcohol content of less than 0.1 vol.-~ are mixed with 0.9 g of the freshly shaken-up preparation according to the invention according to example 1 and filtered after 24 hours.
The vinegar obtained is deep yelloca and tastes strongly of saffron.
Example 6:
reparation of an alcohol-containing saffron jelly with fructose Depending on the desired consistency, 1.5 to 7 g of pectin with 65 g of demineralized water are brought to the boil accompanied by stirring, rnixed with 30 g of fructose and kept at boiling point for a further 5 minutes. Further processing is carried out a low germ level and with the greatest degree of sealing. After it is cooled to 50~C, 6 g of the shaken-up preparation according the invention prepared w~_th cognac (2nd distillation, heart, approx. 70 vo~_.-~ of ethanol) are stirred in slowly. The mixture is immediately poured into sterilised containers. The containers are left to rest for 24 hours at room temperature. At pectin concentrations of ca. 4-7 g, firm jellies can be obtained.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:
(a) saffron;
(b) one or more monosaccharides with at least four (4) carbon atoms; and (c) at least one (1) reducing disaccharide.

2. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising saffron ingredients.

3. A composition comprising:
(a) saffron ingredients;
(b) one or more monosaccharides with at least four (4) carbon atoms; and (c) at least one (1) reducing disaccharide.

4. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising water.

5. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising ethanol.

6. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further comprising fructose as a monosaccharide.

7. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further comprising lactose as a reducing disaccharide.

8. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the weight ratio of saffron, or saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients, to the sum of mono- and reducing disaccharides is 1 to 100 to 800.

9. A composition according to claim 8 wherein said weight ratio is 200 to 500.

10. A composition according to claim 8 or 9 wherein 100 to 500 g of monosaccharides and 20 to 150 g of reducing disaccharide are present per gram of saffron, saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients.

11. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the concentration of saffron, or saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients, is less than 1 wt.-%, related to said composition.

12. A composition according to claim 11 wherein said concentration is 0.05 to 0.15 wt.-%.

13. Chocolate, chocolate product, sweet, cakes, gateau, cake-shop product, confection, jelly, marmalade, jam, aspic, vinegar or other foods, characterized in that it contains a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Process for the preparation of a composition according to one of claims 1 to 12 comprising:
(a) grinding said saffron, or saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients, macerating with ethanol and optionally water, and heating;
(b) introducing one or more monosaccharides with at least four (4) carbon atoms, wherein 100 to 500 g of said monosaccharide(s) are introduced per 1g of dry substance of saffron, or saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients; and (c) adding at least one (1) reducing disaccharide, wherein 20 to 150 g of the reducing disaccharide(s) are added per 1g of dry substance of saffron, or saffron ingredients, or saffron and saffron ingredients.

15. Process according to claim. 14 further comprising shaking said composition after introducing said one or more monosaccharides.

16. Process for the preparation of a chocolate or a chocolate product according to claim 13, characterized in that a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is stirred into a mixture of chocolate ingredients or chocolate-type ingredients.

17. Process for the preparation of a sweet according to claim 13, characterized in that a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is added to a cooling, melted sweet composition before the solidification point, and the resulting mixture is cooled quickly after stirring.

18. Process for the preparation of a gateau according to claim 13, characterized in that at least one layer of an aqueous dilution of a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is introduced between layers of ready-baked gateau and a melted chocolate according to claim 14 is optionally poured over the gateau.

19. Process for the preparation of a jelly according to claim 13, characterized in that pectin is brought to the boil in water and mixed with fructose, a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is added to the mixture and the resulting product is optionally poured into containers before cooling.

20. Process for the preparation of a vinegar according to claim 13, characterized in that a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is mixed with vinegar.

21. Process for the preparation of aspic according to claim 13, characterized in that a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is stirred into degreased highly concentrated stock.

22. Use of a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 for the preparation of a chocolate, chocolate product, sweet, cake, gateau, cake-shop product, jelly, marmalade, jam, aspic, confection, vinegar or another food.