16 ms·
Why would osmosis overcorrect one way and then invert, absent some additional external force?
by akerl_ 3y ago
Why would osmosis overcorrect one way and then invert, absent some additional external force?
- jmilloy 3y agoGreat question. There's an explanation here. It sounds like this only applies to dry brining, in other words, a wet brine or salty marinade would skip the first stage. Dry-brining cuts out the unnecessary added water by using the natural moisture content of the meat to create a concentrated brine that, when given enough time, is naturally absorbed back into the meat before cooking. Season a steak with kosher salt, and within a few minutes, you will witness osmosis at work: Liquid from the steak will bead up on the surface of the meat, drawn out by the salt. Wait another ten minutes, and that liquid from the beef will have started to dissolve the salt, forming a concentrated brine https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-dry-brine https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-dry-brine
- SamBam 3y agoYeah, I've never really night that explanation even with a dry brine. With a dry brine it's still going to draw water out to equilibrium. There's no real reason it would overshoot. Mixing with the salt and becoming a wet brine will still mean it's much saltier than the inside, and so won't draw back inside.
- throwawaylinux 3y agoMomentum? Quantum tunneling of the flavor atoms?
- Timon3 3y ago"Quantum tunneling of the flavor atoms" sounds like the title of an amazing 80s SciFi novel dealing with the fleeting nature of life amidst a group of chefs who let themselves not be stopped by the laws of nature in pursuit of new, better food experiences.
- antonvs 3y agoJerry Pournelle would have written it while procrastinating about writing an article for BYTE Magazine. Edit: it's not the same plot at all but this reminded me of the short story, "The Nothing Spot" (1978): http://vintage.failed-dam.org/nothing.htm http://vintage.failed-dam.org/nothing.htm
- Timon3 3y agoFun story, thank you for sharing! The beginning reminded me of the concept of the Pale from Disco Elysium.
- psychphysic 3y agoMan we made hard to use websites back in the day. Fixed breaks and tiny font on a mottled similar colour background! I wish more browser apps had a reading mode
- xattt 3y agoIt even breaks Reader mode on iPhone!
- xattt 3y agoI don’t think it would work like a rubber band. However, given that proteins degrade during marination, there has to be a change in osmolality of the meat. This may or may not affect how moisture and flavour is drawn in.
- mannykannot 3y agoI have my doubts about this, and also whether it is relevant that a pressure differential can increase the rate of osmosis. If, as the author contends, meat can be regarded as a water-saturated matrix of proteins [1], then the pressure inside the meat will rise to match the external pressure. The only way for a pressure differential to form would be if the matrix formed a very rigid shell (even a slight flexibility would allow the pressure to equalize), but it does not. Furthermore, because water is almost incompressible, this occurs without any appreciable change in volume. The author suggests that if the matrix compresses, then that will expel water, but this will only be the case if the voids in the matrix become smaller. It's more likely, I think, that the only change would be that the walls of the voids will become thinner, as the water inside the voids can follow the pressure increase without changing appreciably in volume: in effect, the water inside the voids supports them against the pressure outside. All of this assumes the pressure is being applied equally in all directions, which is the case if you are applying the pressure to the marinade, rather than squeezing the meat in one direction. [1] Or a cellulose matrix in the case of vegetables.
- ouid 3y ago[dead]