misc Anti caking? Powders and spices

Wildfire Chilli Australia

Wildfire Chilli Australia

I have been making some spice mixes and was wondering what you guys use to stop it from "caking". They are fine for awhile but then after a few months they do get clumpy. I want to keep it as natural as possible. I have seen that some agents that are natural,what do you use ?
 
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thehotpepper.com said:
They are extracting silica from rice hulls. They can say it's a rice product because the silica is from the hull.

Here's some info from wiki:
"Rice hulls are the coating for the seeds, or grains, of the rice plant. To protect the seed during the growing season, the hull is made of hard materials, including opaline silica and lignin. The hull is mostly indigestible to humans. During the milling process, the hulls are removed from the grain to create brown rice, the brown rice is then milled further to remove the bran layer to become white rice. The very high content in amorphous silica of the hulls confer to them and to their ash (SiO2 ~ 20 wt.%) after combustion very valuable properties."

Yes it is natural but I am looking at other options. This is nothing new! Silica and silicon dioxide have been used for years. It works so you should have no problem with this product. I don't really like it in rubs so I'm looking at other options that are actual food products.
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Please keep us updated on the potato avenue, as I'm highly curious about that also.
 
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I feel like I keep repeating myself lol. This thing goes round and round with the rice, silica thing. Just don't be fooled by their tricky marketing. It's natural (not synthesized) silica, they should just say it! Silica or silicon dioxide looks like a funny ingredient on labels and most is synthetic. I guess they're marketing is working but it's deceptive.

You guys post your results.
 
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Uhm...not to contradict, but most food grade silica is natural occurring and found in lots of food such as rice and apples, cereals, raw cabbage, peanuts, carrots, onions, cucumber, pumpkin, honey, fish, unrefined grains, oats, almonds and oranges. Its quantity is more in hard water and comparatively less in soft water.

I really am unclear why silica is bad. Everything I'm reading is saying Silica is an essential mineral to our health. Here is a good article: http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/minerals/health-benefits-of-silicon.html

Again, I'm not trying to contradict, but am just trying to understand and learn a few things as this is all new to me.
 
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You're not contradicting me I mentioned silica in my first post! I don't like sand in my rubs.

Looking at it for health benefits is fine, but these are rubs, and the additive needs to be 100% soluble. I don't want to coat my ribs and be left with little bits of sand/glass (silica). You should be looking at natural solutions that work as a rub. Silica is one of the hardest minerals known. I've had rubs with silica and prefer not to use them.

I guess I'll do potato starch sooner than later so I can post results :)

IDEA! PF since you have the stuff now do a water solubility test please! See if it dissolves or if you're left with tiny granules. Thanks!
 
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thehotpepper.com said:
IDEA! PF since you have the stuff now do a water solubility test please! See if it dissolves or if you're left with tiny granules. Thanks!
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Okay, I'm back. I took about 1/8 tsp and put it in a glass of warm water and stirred it up. BTW, this stuff is the finest powder I have ever seen, in fact I bet the dust on your bookshelves may be larger. :lol:

While I was stirring the mixture I got to thinking, pepper powder isn't soluble either, right? So I then took an 1/8 tsp of Hab Powder and placed it in a glass of warm water and stirred.

Conclusion: The Nu-flow is way smaller powder particles than that of the Hab powder and although it didn't completely dissolve, neither did the Hab Powder.

I think this is neither good nor bad because I'm thinking that the minuscule amount needed per bag of powder would make it negligible in the final product. JMO....
 
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The hab absorbs water though. Did the silica? Bite on some granules. Is it like tiny bits of sand or a veggie?

:)
 
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:lol: they are not granules like that. This stuff is such a fine powder that there is no way to bite just a few granules. In fact a grain of salt would be huge compared.

I do see where your coming from and you have a good point. This isn't plant based, it's a mineral.
 
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I know that I meant like a pinch of it or something. Dude eat some come on! LOL. At least you should know the flavor if it's going in rubs. Eat!!!!!

Take one for the team!
 
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Well, THP I 'took one for the team' as you put it. I had a small amount of powder on my finger tip and tasted it and I am pleased to report that it didn't have any taste at all. Also there was no discernible texture either, just nothingness. :lol:
 
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Pepperfreak said:
Well, THP I 'took one for the team' as you put it. I had a small amount of powder on my finger tip and tasted it and I am pleased to report that it didn't have any taste at all. Also there was no discernible texture either, just nothingness. :lol:
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Excellent, thanks for letting us know. Im still open for other ideas so if anyone else finds something good let us know.
 
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Pepperfreak said:
Thats it? "very nice"....

Why do I feel like little johnny in kindergarten who just got bullied into eating paste? :lol:
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What do you want, a cookie? :lol:

Go eat one.
 
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So it doesn't absorb moisture rather provide a layer or buffer between the different ingredients as to prevent them being stuck together. That sounds nasty.
 
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Novacastrian said:
So it doesn't absorb moisture rather provide a layer or buffer between the different ingredients as to prevent them being stuck together. That sounds nasty.
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Hello peoples my first post :)

I was doing the same research as Wildfire - and found out about Silica - the problem is that it needs to be used in products at a maximum of 2% of product weight. After reading the posts I thought i'd let people know about the "other" side of Silica -

i have copied this from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/silicon-dioxide-in-food.html
Silicon Dioxide in Food Safety
Silicon dioxide food safety is of prime concern especially when it is used as an additive. SiO2, added as an anti-caking agent to a food product is not safe when the SiO2 quantity is more than 2 percent of the food's weight. More specifically, for SiO2 to be safe, it should be made by a process known as vapor phase hydrolysis. If it is manufactured by any other process, then the recommended particle size of SiO2 should not exceed the safety norms.

and from another site - http://www.ehow.com/about_4600805_what-silicon-dioxide.html

how it can harm the lungs if inhaled - hope this helps
 
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Thanks for your first post being an informative one, and welcome!

Yes it can be dangerous to have a lot of sand/glass in your diet even if it's found in nature ;)

And it can be dangerous to inhale fine mineral dust.

That's basically what the two warnings are. Many minerals can be dangerous in excess or if they enter the lungs as a powder. So that is basically your general warning.

I'm pretty sure you would use less than 2% by weight in spices.

However this is why we are also seeking alternatives in this thread. PF can keep his sand :P
 
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