Patent Abstract:
a meringue composition is disclosed , which may be prepared without the inclusion of egg or egg byproduct material as an ingredient . the meringue is prepared from a mixture consisting essentially of saponin , a sugar or sugar substitute , and water . the meringue is capable of being prepared to a self - sustaining , baked product . the final meringue product may be prepared by a variety of heating methods , including microwave heating . further , the nature of the final product may be controlled by the extent of heating , so that a product more flowable or creamy may be achieved by a reduction in the heating time . the meringue of the invention is suitable for strict vegetarians and individuals who are allergic to eggs and egg bi - products .

Detailed Description:
the invention provides a formulation for a meringue product which is suitable for consumption by strict vegetarians (‘ vegans ’) as well as individuals who cannot ingest egg products or egg - containing byproducts , and that yields the physical and organoleptic properties found in conventional meringue preparations . both completed baked products , including confections , and powdered preparations useful as baking ingredients , are contemplated and may be prepared in accordance herewith and as described herein . the following describes exemplary and non - limiting procedures whereby a meringue in accordance with the invention can be prepared . it is to be understood that the following procedures and specific ingredients may vary within the scope of the invention . likewise , and as stated throughout , the meringue of the invention may be prepared both as a completed product , and in a dry powdered ingredient form . roots of saponaria officinalis contain triterpenoid saponins : these may include saponariosides a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h , i , j , k , l , m ; flavonoids : saponarin , vitexin , acetylvitexin , saponaretin ; and quillaic acid [ 23 ]. initially , 10 grams of powdered soapwort roots were soaked in 1 liter of water for 1 hour . the resulting supernatant was then boiled for approximately 30 minutes to reduce the total liquid volume to from one - half to one - third , and was thereafter filtered . the filtrate was centrifuged , and the collected supernatant was then analyzed by hplc at 214 nm and 275 nm . the results are presented in fig1 and 2 , respectively . referring to the figures and particularly to fig2 , many more components were detected at 275 nm , which made the utilization of the spectrum difficult . the solution was found to contain components such as lipids or tannins which are evident from the brownish color of the solution . to obtain foam with the requisite characteristics of foam formation and stability , 10 grams of powdered soapwort root were placed in 1 liter of water and soaked therein for 1 hour . in an alternate procedure , 100 grams of soapwort roots were soaked overnight in a comparable volume of water . using powder soaked for one hour instead of whole roots soaked overnight was found to shorten the extraction time , while yielding the same volume of foam possessing the same stability . the resulting preparation was then boiled for approximately 30 minutes to reduce the volume of the liquid component prior to filtration , by about one half to one third . after filtration , the filtrate was centrifuged , and the supernatant was collected and finally lyophilized . after lyophilization , a mean mass of 0 . 1905 ± 0 . 0001 g of solid was recovered from 15 ± 1 ml of liquid , so that the anticipated concentration is 12 . 70 ± 0 . 07 g / l of solid . according to a previous study , saponaria officinalis extract contains 11 . 58 - 19 . 58 % saponins [ 26 ] and the concentration of saponins in solution is accordingly about 1 . 47 - 2 . 49 ± 0 . 07 g / l . 100 ± 1 ml of water rich in saponins makes 1 . 0 ± 0 . 2 l of foam . we find that 1 . 0 ± 0 . 2 l of foam can produce around 200 small baked meringues . the average volume of a meringue is thus approximately 5 ± 2 . 5 ml , so that a meringue contains about 7 - 12 ± 5 - 7 mg saponins traditional recipes for natef include extracting saponins with water , whereas scientific research indicates a protocol of extraction of saponins using alcohol ( methanol or ethanol ) [ 27 ]. a first extraction was made using water . accordingly , 0 . 10 gram of soapwort powder was placed in 10 . 0 ± 0 . 1 ml of water and soaked for a period of 1 hour ( ratio 1 : 100 ). the entire solution was then boiled until approximately one half of the liquid remained , and the remaining solution was then passed through no . 1 filter paper . the filtrate was then centrifuged for 5 min at 3000 g , after which the supernatant was collected and lyophilized . a second extraction was then made , following the same procedure but using 70 % ethanol instead of water . the following demonstrates the difference in the extent of the recovery of saponins as a function of the extraction solvent . water extraction : m extract , h2o = 34 . 0 ± 0 . 4 mg ethanol extraction : m extract , etoh = 20 . 0 ± 0 . 3 mg accordingly , separate samples each containing 16 . 2 ± 0 . 9 mg of each powder , were placed in 50 ± 1 ml water , and were beaten using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 , for a period of 5 minutes . the total contents of each sample was then transferred to separate respective 140 ml clear jars ( 55 mm diameter ), and the following measurements were taken . fig3 a - 3c are pictures of the materials processed with the respective solvents . although many of the studies use alcohol to extract saponins , the better solvent for the purposes of the present invention appears to be water , because of the greater stability of the foam prepared from water extracted powder . in addition , it has been observed that the ethanol solution after extraction is much less colored than the water solution . this appears to indicate that ethanol may extract fewer of the other components in the powdered extract , which in turn , may impede the complete and thorough analysis of the saponins , and thereby avoid additional treatments . concentration of the saponin - containing solution increases as a function of the time that the soapwort is boiled in water . accordingly , 20 g of powdered soapwort were soaked during one hour in 2 l water ( ratio 1 : 100 ). the total mixture was then boiled successively for 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 and 40 minutes , respectively , and 50 g samples were collected after each boiling time . each sample was filtered through a coffee filter ( no . 4 ), and was then beaten for 5 minutes using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 . the remaining liquid and the foam were transferred into a 104 ml clear jar ( 55 mm diameter ) for measurement . samples of 10 ml of each filtrate were lyophilized to determine the solids concentration obtained at the different boiling times . the results are presented in table 1 , below , and in fig4 and the summary tabulation from that figure , following after table 1 . the same experiment was done with 10 g of powdered soapwort that was soaked for 1 hour in 1 l water ( ratio 1 : 100 ). the entire mixture was boiled for 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 and 40 minutes , respectively , and 50 g samples were collected at the end of each boiling time interval . each sample was filtered through a coffee filter ( no . 4 ), and was beaten for 5 minutes using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 . the remaining liquid and the foam were transferred into a 104 ml clear jar ( 55 mm diameter ) for measurement . samples of 10 ml of each filtrate were lyophilized to determine the total solids content at the different boiling times . the results are presented in table 2 , below , and in fig5 and the summary tabulation from that figure , following after table 2 . the initial natef recipe [ 28 ] instructs that the soapwort containing mixture should be boiled until about a fifth of the initial amount of water is left . in the present example , the mixture was only boiled until one - half to one - third ( i . e . 40 - 45 %) of the liquid remained . when processed in this manner , it was found that the filtrate formed the most stable foam , and moreover did not have the bitter taste that is present when the solution is too concentrated . if the solution is boiled until a quarter or a fifth of the initial liquid volume is left , the resulting meringue has an undesirable taste . sugar is added to stabilize the foam . however , adding syrup made of water and sugar as has been suggested in the natef recipe [ 28 ], creating a sticky , creamy and much more liquid foam . when this mixture was baked , the resulting meringue took the form of a plain round flat cake , which is not the desired shape . in accordance with the present method , sugar is added alone and not in a syrup form , so that the addition of the same amount of sugar suggested in the natef recipe , directly and by itself , and not within a syrup , unexpectedly resulted in the preparation of a meringue that is stable both at ambient temperature and at cooking temperature . thus , 30 grams of powdered soapwort root were placed in 3l of water ( ratio 1 : 100 ) and soaked for one hour . the entire mixture was then boiled until 40 % of the liquid remained , and was then filtered through a coffee filter ( no . 4 ). seven samples of 100 g of the filtrate were beaten separately for 5 minutes using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 . thereafter , sugar in the following percentages ; 0 %, 40 %, 86 %, 100 %, 110 %, 120 % and 130 %; and corresponding to the following amounts ; 0 g , 40 g , 86 g , 100 g , 110 g , 120 g and 130 g ; was gradually added to individual respective samples . 86 % sugar was taken as the reference amount and corresponds to the amount of sugar usually used in the natef recipe [ 28 ] using a sugar syrup . the results are presented in fig6 , and demonstrate that maximum stability is achieved when sugar is present in the range of 85 % to 115 %. accordingly , adding sugar increases stability up to a certain point . thus even if it delays the collapse of the foam , it also makes the foam more dense , so that when the foam is baked it does not retain the original extruded shape . this is important in the instance where a meringue product capable of being self supporting while being baked , is desired . the effect of ph on the meringue was examined , and lemon juice was accordingly added in differing quantities . 10 grams of soapwort powder were soaked in 1l of water ( ratio 1 : 100 ) for one hour . the entire mixture was then boiled for approximately 30 minutes and filtered through a coffee filter ( no . 4 ). three samples of 100g each of the filtrate were separately beaten for 5 minutes using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 . 86 g sugar was added to the foam after the formation of soft peaks ( ratio 100 : 86 ). three samples were then prepared , to which were added 0 ml , 10 ml and 20 ml of lemon juice , respectively . the first sample with no lemon juice added , had a ph = 5 ; the second sample with 10 ml lemon juice added , had a ph = 3 ; and the third sample with 20 ml of lemon juice added , had a ph = 2 . an initial comparison of foam height as a function of ph is presented in fig7 . referring to fig7 , there is little if any variation in the height of either the foam or the liquid during the first 30 minutes following preparation . accordingly , a more detailed examination was made to measure and determine the half - life of the foam during a 40 minute period ( between 60 and 100 minutes following foam formation ) to compare the stability of each of the three samples . the results of this examination are presented in fig8 , and in table 3 , below . comparing the three stabilities , higher ph of the solution does not appear to have a significant influence on foam stability , however the foam is less stable at a very low ph . separately , the level of the ph of the solution does not appear to affect its foam forming ability . the stability determined under ambient conditions is distinct from the stability when the meringue is baked . several combinations of baking regimes were tried before optimal temperature and baking time were found . the preferred conditions for the batch preparation as conducted , were 30 minutes at 200 ° f ., followed by turning the oven off and permitting the product to cool for one hour . to make the foam , 10 g of soapwort powder were placed in 1l of water ( weight ratio 1 : 100 ) and soaked for one hour . the entire mixture was then boiled until between one half and one third of the liquid was driven off , and the resulting liquid was then filtered through a coffee filter ( no . 4 ). the filtrate was beaten for 5 minutes using an electric beater ( max watts 300 kitchenaid , st . joseph , mich . usa ) at setting 10 . sugar was then added to the foam after the formation of soft peaks , with a mass of sugar equal to 86 % of the mass of filtrate . the entire mass was beaten until stiff peaks formed . the oven was preheated to 200 ° f ., and the meringue was cooked under close supervision for a period of one hour . excessive baking times give rise to the formation of pores , and the meringue additionally loses a smooth shape and glossy texture . short baking times do not provide for a sufficiently dehydrated product with a uniform interior texture . a slow return to lower temperatures under dehydrating conditions is desirable ; otherwise , the final meringue product may become rehydrated upon cooling . variations in the heating temperature and regime at which the meringue product is heated can have an important effect on the properties of the final product . by way of example three ovens were heated to 200 ° f . ( 93 ° c . ); 300 ° f . ( 149 ° c .) and 400 ° f . ( 204 ° c . ), respectively . when the foam was cooked at 200 ° f . ( 93 ° c . ), it maintained its bright white shape . at 300 ° f . ( 149 ° c . ), the foam appeared drier and turned beige , while at 400 ° f . ( 204 ° c . ), the meringue decomposed and turned dark brown . thus , assuming all other conditions are maintained constant , increasing the heating temperature from 200 ° f . to 300 ° f . does not have a large impact on the final shape and taste of the meringue , however increasing the temperature from 300 ° f . to 400 ° f . radically changes the shape of the meringue , which indicates that the temperature range within which the meringue can be baked is rather narrow and critical from a cooking perspective , and consequently cooking the meringue is delicate . fig9 a to 9c depict the appearance of meringue samples after cooking at each of the temperature levels indicated , e . g . 200 ° f ., 300 ° f . and 400 ° f . as stated earlier , the meringue product may be prepared to a final form other than that of a self sustaining foam article , to suit its end use in a prepared food . accordingly , the meringue may be prepared either at a lower temperature , or may be heated for a shorter time period , to form a flowable marshmallow - like consistency and texture . likewise , the means of heating may vary , and the product may be heated by microwave energy . in all instances , the exact heating regime should be carefully controlled to assure that the resulting product possesses the desired end characteristics . this also appears to explain the color change from 200 ° f . to 300 ° f ., and suggests that a caramelization reaction takes place ; that is ; a reaction of browning sugars exposed to heat which occurs around 300 ° f . in dishes with a 1 substantial quantity of sugar in relation to the amount of water . during this reaction both enediols and dicarbonyls are formed , which are responsible for the presence of caramel pigments and flavors . the caramelization reaction yields the dehydration product of the saccharide followed by the isomerization and polymerization . after 410 ° f ., the sugar begins to break down to pure carbon which explains the dark color . however , the temperature of the filtrate does not have an effect on its foaming ability , both cold and warm solutions make foam with a volume approximately ten times greater than the initial liquid volume . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above example represents merely one way in which the advantages of the invention may be realized . there are likely to be numerous variations of the formulation and specific processing steps which will result in a product remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . o . güçlu - üstundag , g . mazza , 2007 . saponins : properties , applications and processing . critical reviews in food science and nutrition , 47 : 231 - 258 h . mcgee , “ on food and cooking : the science and lore of the kitchen ”, 2004 , 68 , scribner h . mcgee , “ on food and cooking : the science and lore of the kitchen ”, 2004 , 68 , scribner les noix de lavage , mon magasin bio , french , 1 , http :// www . monmagasinbio . com / astuces_1 . php d . watts , “ elsevier &# 39 ; 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