Diy device using microwave maceration for obtaining flavoured oils

Abstract

The invention relates to the preparation of a flavoured oil (9), comprising a first step of placing a biological material (1) in a first receptacle (2) suitable for an oil and permeable to microwaves; a second step of placing said first receptacle comprising said biological material (3) in a second receptacle (4) containing oil; a third step of subjecting the assembly to microwaves; a fourth step of microwave cooling and / or heating, and a final step of filtering and / or recovering a flavoured oil (9) contained in the second receptacle (4).

Description

[0001] DIY DEVICE BASED ON MICROWAVE MACERATION FOR OBTAINING

[0002] OF FLAVORED OILS

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The invention relates to a DIY (do-it-yourself) device and a method for preparing a flavored oil, in particular by microwave maceration of a biological material in oil. It also relates to the flavored oils that can be obtained according to the method.

[0005] PRIOR TECHNIQUE

[0006] The maceration of aromatic plants and spices in oils dates back to ancient civilizations. For example, the ancient Egyptians produced flavored vegetable oils by frying aromatic plants and / or spices in vegetable oils around 2500 BC.

[0007] Today, flavored oils are increasingly found on the market for culinary or cosmetic uses.

[0008] "Flavored oils" are obtained by different methods such as the conventional maceration method during which herbs and spices are infused in vegetable oils at low or high temperature for a long extraction period, or "petroleum" solvent extraction of the aromas of herbs and spices, evaporation of the solvent and addition of the flavor extract to the vegetable oil, or steam distillation or hydrodistillation of the herbs and spices before adding the resulting essential oil to the vegetable oil.

[0009] These methods may result in losses of certain volatile compounds, degradation of unsaturated compounds or esters by thermal or hydrolytic effects and toxic solvent residues.

[0010] Moreover, such processes do not allow for efficient transfer of aromas into the maceration liquid and are time-consuming. Furthermore, existing processes use expensive equipment.

[0011] These drawbacks have led to the consideration of green extraction techniques, thus using renewable plant resources, no solvents, less energy, fewer by-products, optimized processes and biodegradable end products, such as microwave technology.

[0012] The advantages of macerating herbs and spices in vegetable oils by microwave heating could include: faster energy transfer, reduced thermal gradients, selective heating, faster response to process heating control, faster start-up, increased production, and elimination of process steps.

[0013] It is possible to produce flavored oils by adding perfumes or plants with various aromas such as basil, thyme or parsley. To increase the efficiency of maceration, it has already been proposed to heat the preparation. This has, within certain limits, the effect of increasing the efficiency of aroma extraction and its transfer to the oil, but strongly degrades the oil from a temperature above 60°C and results in an increase in acidity and peroxide value.

[0014] Patent FR2999447 describes in particular a process allowing the extraction and transfer of aromas from an aromatic medium such as a plant, a mushroom or a fruit to an anhydrous substrate produced in a microwave oven.

[0015] The scientific publication Benmoussa, Hasnia, et al. "Impact of Microwave Assisted Infusion on the Quality and Volatile Composition of Olive Oil Aromatized with Rosemary Leaves." Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society, vol. 93, no. 7, June 2016, pp. 921-28. Portico, Crossref, also describes a method for preparing a flavored oil by placing a biological material in a container containing oil.

[0016] The publications "Using Infused Oils in Soap - New England Handmade Artisan Soaps" (https: / / www.newenglandsoaps.com / recipe / using-infused-oils-in-soap / ) and "How to Infuse Oil with Tea - Soap Queen" (https: / / www.soapqueen.com / bath-and-body-tutorials / tips-and-tricks / infuse-oil-tea-2 / ) disclose a method for preparing flavored oil.

[0017] Document FR2694300 describes a process for extracting and fixing aromas on a non-aqueous substrate.

[0018] Such methods do not allow you to make flavored oils yourself, since they do not allow you to properly guide a person who wants to produce their own flavored oil at home.

[0019] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0020] In general, there is still a need to develop a device and a method for obtaining inexpensive, quick and homemade flavored oil. It is difficult to produce a well-flavored oil yourself at home without guidance, since you have to find a way not to overheat the oil, not to degrade the biological material and at the same time adapt an optimal temperature allowing the extraction of flavors.

[0021] In view of the above, one problem that the present invention aims to solve is to be able to efficiently and safely produce flavored oil at home by setting up a DIY (do-it-yourself) device.

[0022] Thus, the Applicant discovered, unexpectedly, that the use of a first container allowing the biological material to be kept at the bottom of a second container containing oil, would allow the biological material not to rise to the surface of the oil or to be degraded by the microwaves.

[0023] In fact, until now this system of using two different containers did not exist, which resulted in the rise of biological matter to the surface of the oil and its degradation.

[0024] BENEFITS PROVIDED

[0025] The process of the invention allows for the maceration of herbs, fruits and spices in oils by microwave heating, which allows for faster energy transfer, reduced thermal gradients, selective heating, faster response to process heating control, faster start-up, increased production and the elimination of process steps.

[0026] It also allows to obtain flavored oils in a more ecological way (low energy and CO2 emissions), faster, less expensive and easy to use since the process is based on a simple glassware system designed in particular as a container inside a domestic microwave oven.

[0027] TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0028] The solution to this problem posed has as its first object a method for preparing a flavored oil comprising the following steps of: a. placing a quantity of between 1g and 2000g of a biological material in a container containing a quantity of between 10ml and 5000ml of an oil, b. subjecting the assembly, comprising said biological material, in said container containing an oil, to microwaves at a power of between 90 and 900W for a duration of between 12 seconds and 20 minutes, c. cooling and possibly additional heating, and d. pressing, filtering and / or recovering a flavored oil contained in the container.

[0029] It also relates to a flavored oil capable of being obtained by the process according to the invention.

[0030] Finally, it relates to a kit comprising: a. an oil; b. a biological material; c. a first container intended to receive said biological material, and d. a second container with a capacity of between 10 ml and 5000 ml intended to receive said oil and the first container; for the preparation of a flavored oil according to the invention.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention and the advantages resulting therefrom will be better understood upon reading the description and the non-limiting embodiments which follow, with regard to the appended figures in which:

[0033] Figure 1 represents the microwave maceration procedure as well as the procedure for obtaining flavored oils according to the invention using a microwave-permeable container.

[0034] Figure 2 represents the microwave maceration procedure as well as the procedure for obtaining flavored oils according to the invention and according to a preferred embodiment using a press.

[0035] Figure 3 represents a temperature map obtained by an IR camera for the maceration of a garlic clove in olive oil before and after heating by subjection to microwaves. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In this description, unless otherwise specified, it is understood that, when an interval is given, it includes the upper and lower bounds of said interval.

[0037] As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the invention relates to a method for preparing a flavored oil 9.

[0038] Fragrance oils, or aroma oils, are blended synthetic aromatic substances or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier such as propylene glycol, vegetable oil, animal fat, or mineral oil. Flavored oils are used in perfumery, cosmetics, as food flavorings, and aromatherapy.

[0039] The method according to the invention comprises a first step of placing a quantity of between 1g and 2000g of a biological material 1 in a container 4 containing a quantity of between 10ml and 5000ml of an oil.

[0040] The method according to the invention is characterized in that the biological material 1 is a plant material or a fungus.

[0041] Plant matter can be in a hydrated form, particularly fresh, and therefore contain a certain humidity or, on the contrary, be in a dry form.

[0042] For dry biological materials 1, it may be considered to first put the biological material 1 in contact with water or water vapor. Indeed, a dipolar compound heats up quickly under the effect of microwaves, whereas non-polar compounds (such as oil) are not sensitive to heat under microwaves.

[0043] The plant material used in the method according to the invention may in particular be a flower, a leaf, a fruit, a seed, a root, a bark, or a part or mixture of these.

[0044] It can be chosen in particular from star anise, green anise, garlic, dill, basil, cinnamon, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, cumin, turmeric, shallot, tarragon, fennel, juniper, ginger, cloves, bay leaf, lavender, lovage, maniguette, marjoram, spearmint or peppermint, nutmeg, onion, oregano, parsley, chili pepper, pepper, horseradish, liquorice, rosemary, savory, sage, wild thyme, tea, thyme, vanilla, wasabi and zedoary, preferably garlic.

[0045] The fruits according to the invention are preferably chosen from apricot, sweet almond, pineapple, peanut, avocado, banana, coffee, lemon, clementine, quince, cucumber, fig, strawberry, raspberry, kiwi, mango, melon, hazelnut, walnut, cashew nut, coconut, macadamia nut, papaya, orange, grapefruit, watermelon, peach, pistachio, apple, potato, mandarin, grape and tomato.

[0046] Mushrooms are multicellular or unicellular eukaryotes. Among the many species of mushrooms, some are edible. These edible mushrooms include chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, morels, oyster mushrooms, black trumpets, truffles, and matsutake.

[0047] The container 4 containing the oil must advantageously be able to withstand a high temperature, be transparent to microwaves and must be easy to handle.

[0048] The dimensions and capacities of said container 4 containing the oil are advantageously adapted for use in a microwave oven 6 of a consumer model having a capacity for example of 20 to 50 liters, preferably approximately 28 liters.

[0049] The method according to the invention comprises a second step of subjecting the assembly, comprising said biological material 1 in said container 4 containing an oil, to microwaves at a power of between 90 and 900 W for a duration of between 12 seconds and 20 minutes so as to allow the maceration of said biological material 1.

[0050] Microwaves are electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength between infrared and broadcast waves, i.e. a wavelength between λ= 1 mm and λ= 1 m.

[0051] In practice, the microwave radiation of the third step of the process is preferably carried out directly using a microwave oven 6.

[0052] Preferably, the power of the microwave radiation is between 90 and 600 W. Even more preferably, the power of the microwave radiation is between 95 and 200 W.

[0053] The microwave ovens 6 used are preferably European consumer microwave ovens with a frequency between 800 and 3000 MHz, preferably around 2450 MHz.

[0054] Of course, the above parameters can be easily adjusted by a person skilled in the art in order to use the method which is the subject of the invention with microwave ovens 6 of different standards whose frequency is higher or lower than the European standard frequency of 2450 Mhz, such as, for example, a frequency of 950 Mhz in the United States of America.

[0055] Experiments carried out by the Applicant have demonstrated that for good maceration, low power should be preferred, i.e. preferably between 95 and 200W, for a European microwave oven at the standard frequency of 2450 MHz for a duration of between 10 and 20 min, preferably between 13 and 18 min. Indeed, this allows the oil to remain at a temperature below approximately 70°C, preferably below 50°C and thus prevents the oil from degrading.

[0056] The method according to the invention further comprises a third step of cooling and possibly additional heating, preferably by microwave, to allow a pumping effect, such that the oil can penetrate into the plant and then be exuded by microwave, thus extracting the aromas of the aromatic plants, fruits, mushrooms or spices.

[0057] Cooling prevents the entire container from rising in temperature due to thermal transmission. For cooling, it is sufficient to place the container 4 containing the biological material 1 in a container containing cold water 11.

[0058] The pumping effect allows the optimization of the extraction of aromas from said biological material 1.

[0059] The method according to the invention finally comprises a fourth step of pressing, filtration and / or recovery of a flavored oil 9 in the container 4.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises a final step of pressing and recovering a flavored oil 9 contained in the container 4.

[0061] According to another embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises a final step of filtration and recovery of a flavored oil 9 in the container 4.

[0062] According to another embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises a final step of pressing, filtering and recovering a flavored oil 9 contained in the container 4.

[0063] In practice, for filtration, an oil-permeable filter paper is used to prevent any remaining biological matter in the flavored oil 9 obtained. Recovery is advantageously carried out in a third closed container 10, which will prevent oxidation of the oil.

[0064] For the press, the cooled mixture is pressed using a press. The process is repeated several times to extract everything into the oil.

[0065] The method according to the invention comprises a preliminary step of placing the biological material 1 in a first container 2 adapted to an oil and permeable to microwaves, and in that the last step is a step of filtration and / or recovery of an aromatized oil 9 contained in the container 4.

[0066] The container 2 comprising the biological material 1 is an oil-permeable container. Said container comprising the biological material 1 must be of smaller dimensions than those of the container containing the oil. The material of said container 2 comprising the biological material 1 is advantageously chosen from aluminum, paper or muslin. Preferably it is a “tea bag” type container of flat or pyramidal shape.

[0067] The container 2 comprising the biological material 1 must advantageously be able to withstand a high temperature, be permeable to microwaves and must be easy to implement.

[0068] Container 2 will allow the vegetable matter 1 to remain at the bottom of the second container 4 containing the oil and therefore prevent the vegetable matter from rising to the surface of the oil and being degraded by the microwaves.

[0069] Preferably, said second container 4 containing the oil is made of glass or food-grade polypropylene, preferably glass.

[0070] Glass is one of the materials that is perfectly suited to microwaves.

[0071] Propylene is an affordable plastic, easy to work with and resistant to temperatures that can approach or exceed 100°C.

[0072] When said container 2 is used, for the recovery of the flavored oil 9, the container 2 comprising the biological material 1 will preferably be pressed using kitchen tongs or a press8 to avoid losing the oil absorbed by the container 2 and therefore wasting oil. The method according to the invention preferably comprises a preliminary step of destructuring the biological material, making it possible to obtain crushed biological material 1.

[0073] Disintegration is achieved through physical methods such as crushing or grinding. The destruction of said biological material can be achieved using a mortar and pestle or a blender.

[0074] The method according to the invention is characterized in that the mass of the biological material 1 is preferably between 0 and 50 g per 100 g of oil, preferably between 10 and 30 g per 100 g of oil.

[0075] The method according to the invention is characterized in that the oil is preferably chosen from almond oil, peanut oil, argan oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, hemp oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, wheat germ oil, linseed oil, corn oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil, cherry kernel oil, kernel oil, poppyseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, castor oil, rice oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, butter, lard, duck fat, preferably olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil.

[0076] The oil used is advantageously rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, e.g. omega 3 and 6.

[0077] The invention also relates to a flavored oil 9 capable of being obtained by the process according to the invention.

[0078] As indicated above, the flavored oil 9 is preferentially flavored with star anise, green anise, garlic, dill, basil, cinnamon, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, cumin, turmeric, shallot, tarragon, fennel, juniper, ginger, cloves, bay leaf, lavender, lovage, maniguette, marjoram, spearmint or peppermint, nutmeg, onion, oregano, parsley, chili pepper, pepper, horseradish, licorice, rosemary, savory, sage, wild thyme, tea, thyme, vanilla, wasabi and zedoary.

[0079] Flavored Oil 9 can also be flavored with fruits selected from apricot, sweet almond, pineapple, peanut, avocado, banana, coffee, lemon, clementine, quince, cucumber, fig, strawberry, raspberry, kiwi, mango, melon, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, coconut, macadamia nut, papaya, orange, grapefruit, watermelon, peach, pistachio, apple, potato, mandarin, grape and tomato.

[0080] Flavored oil 9 can also be flavored with edible mushrooms chosen from chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, morels, mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, black trumpets, truffles, matsutake.

[0081] Flavored oil 9 is advantageously used in the culinary or cosmetic preparation industry.

[0082] The invention finally relates to a kit comprising: a. an oil; b. a biological material 1, c. a first container 2 intended to receive said biological material 1, and d. a second container 4 with a capacity of between 10 ml and 5000 ml intended to receive said oil and the first container; for the preparation of a flavored oil according to the invention.

[0083] The DIY kit or device is designed to provide all the necessary equipment to make your own flavored oil 9 at home. Hence the term DIY device, which means "do-it-yourself" in English.

[0084] The kit could potentially be used as a laboratory exercise to easily teach fundamental lessons in sustainable food chemistry. It also allows for the production of flavored oils similar to those obtained by industrial methods and successfully integrates green extraction principles into teaching laboratories.

[0085] EXAMPLES

[0086] The present invention will now be illustrated by means of the following examples:

[0087] Example 1: Macerating garlic in olive oil

[0088] Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and olive oil were purchased from a local supermarket in the province of Avignon (Southern France). Garlic cloves were manually peeled and freed from external damage for further processing.

[0089] A domestic microwave oven (Samsung®) was used to perform the microwave maceration tests. 20 g of crushed garlic cloves placed in a tea bag were added to 100 ml of olive oil in a glass cup. The microwave was applied at 100 W for 15 minutes and the final flavored mixture was filtered through a tea bag.

[0090] Figure 3 shows the temperature profiles during microwave maceration of garlic clove in olive oil. Two phases are observed in the microwave maceration process. The first part is represented by an increase in temperature in fresh garlic clove more than in bulk olive oil which remains at room temperature. Garlic clove is composed of water, a dipolar compound that heats up quickly under microwaves, whereas olive oil is composed mostly of triglycerides, nonpolar compounds that are not sensitive to heat under microwaves.

[0091] In the second part, the rapid increase in temperature inside the garlic clove causes the rupture of cells and glands. Thus, this rapid increase in temperature gives an acceleration of the diffusion of garlic aromas to olive oil under microwave heating and could be due to a synergistic combination of the two phenomena of mass and heat transfer acting in the same way.

[0092] In conclusion, we can say that subjecting the oil including the vegetable matter to microwaves allowed the diffusion of the aromas of the vegetable matter into the oil and therefore the obtaining of an aromatized oil.

[0093] Example 2: Sensory evaluation

[0094] In order to analyze the level of aromatization of olive oils and detect possible off-flavors due to microwave treatment, a sensory evaluation of microwave-treated and non-microwave-treated olive oils was carried out by 12 panelists (graduate students and staff members of the University of Avignon, France) to indicate the presence or absence of off-flavors and evaluate the level of aromatization. No significant difference was found between the initial olive oil and the macerated olive oil with regard to undesirable aromas caused by oil degradation. The microwave-macerated olive oil with garlic was appreciated by the panelists; the odor was close to that of fresh garlic, light and fresh sulfur compounds.

[0095] In conclusion, we can say that the process according to the invention allows the production of a flavored oil without degrading the quality of the oil and without obtaining an unpleasant taste due to a potential degradation of the biological material, and this very quickly compared to conventional methods.

[0096] Example 3: Preferred DIY implementation method.

[0097] The embodiment described in this example is illustrated in Figure 2. The first step is to place a plant, for example garlic, in oil in a household microwave oven. Instantly, the extraction will begin, the aromas are exuded and captured by the vegetable oil.

[0098] The temperature should not exceed 70°C. To check the temperature, either use a film indicating the temperature reached through the microwave or find beakers that change temperature at 70°C.

[0099] The mixture is cooled and then pressed using a press. This process is repeated several times to extract everything into the oil.

[0100] Finally, you must collect the flavored oil in a container and close it to prevent the oil from oxidizing.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method for preparing a flavored oil (9) comprising the following steps of: a. placing a quantity of between 1 g and 2000 g of a biological material (1) in a container (4) containing a quantity of between 10 ml and 5000 ml of an oil, b. subjecting the assembly, comprising said biological material (1), in said container (4) containing an oil, to microwaves at a power of between 90 and 900 W for a duration of between 12 seconds and 20 minutes, c. cooling and optionally additional heating, and d. pressing, filtering and / or recovering a flavored oil (9) contained in the container (4).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the last step is a step of pressing, filtering and recovering a flavored oil (9) contained in the container (4).

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a preliminary step of placing the biological material in a first container (2) adapted to an oil and permeable to microwaves, and in that the last step is a step of filtration and / or recovery of an aromatized oil (9) contained in the container (4).

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a preliminary step of destructuring the biological material.

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the biological material (1) is a plant material or a fungus.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the plant material is a flower, a leaf, a fruit, a seed, a root, a bark, or a part or mixture thereof.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the plant material is chosen from star anise, green anise, garlic, dill, basil, cinnamon, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, cumin, turmeric, shallot, tarragon, fennel, juniper, ginger, cloves, bay leaf, lavender, lovage, maniguette, marjoram, spearmint or peppermint, nutmeg, onion, oregano, parsley, chili pepper, pepper, horseradish, liquorice, rosemary, savory, sage, wild thyme, tea, thyme, vanilla, wasabi and zedoary, preferably garlic.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oil is chosen from almond oil, peanut oil, argan oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, hemp oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, wheat germ oil, linseed oil, corn oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil, cherry kernel oil, kernel oil, poppyseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, castor oil, rice oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, butter, lard, duck fat, preferably olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil.

9. Flavored oil (9) obtainable by the method according to one of the preceding claims.

10. Kit comprising: a. an oil; b. a biological material (1); c. a first container (2) intended to receive said biological material, and d. a second container (4) with a capacity of between 10 ml and 5000 ml intended to receive said oil and the first container (2); for the preparation of a flavored oil (9) according to claim 9.

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