Fix my matcha pudding?
November 25, 2019 9:42 AM Subscribe
In the winter my matcha puddings come out the wrong color.
Every few months I make a batch of matcha puddings for my family get togethers.
In the warm months it comes out perfectly. The matcha settles to the bottom of each cup and the surface is a nice creamy tan color. In the colder months though it seems the matcha never settles, the pudding surface becomes an ugly earthy swirl color.
I believe I've tried to tweak all the obvious problems. A short list includes: warming the baking cups, letting the mixes sit longer, mixing longer/harder, making the oven hotter, heating the mixes at higher temperatures, making the kitchen itself warmer. The ingredients are typical (sugar/half+half/milk/yolk).
One thing i haven't tried is storing the sugar and matcha at a warmer temperature prior to use. I'm not sure if this would really make a difference.
Every few months I make a batch of matcha puddings for my family get togethers.
In the warm months it comes out perfectly. The matcha settles to the bottom of each cup and the surface is a nice creamy tan color. In the colder months though it seems the matcha never settles, the pudding surface becomes an ugly earthy swirl color.
I believe I've tried to tweak all the obvious problems. A short list includes: warming the baking cups, letting the mixes sit longer, mixing longer/harder, making the oven hotter, heating the mixes at higher temperatures, making the kitchen itself warmer. The ingredients are typical (sugar/half+half/milk/yolk).
One thing i haven't tried is storing the sugar and matcha at a warmer temperature prior to use. I'm not sure if this would really make a difference.
Where are you getting your dairy products? If you're using whole milk and/or whole eggs from artisanal free-range producers, there could be seasonal variation. For example, the milkfat and protein content of whole milk is noticeably lower in the summer months. I wouldn't expect this to be an issue with supermarket milk and/or half-and-half and/or eggs, though.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:45 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:45 AM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
Are the texture or cooking time different in winter?
posted by adiabatic at 10:53 AM on November 25, 2019
posted by adiabatic at 10:53 AM on November 25, 2019
Humidity was my thought too — it seems plausible that the amount of moisture absorbed by the matcha powder (or the sugar?) would make a difference.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:20 AM on November 25, 2019
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:20 AM on November 25, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by adiabatic at 10:35 AM on November 25, 2019 [2 favorites]