pudding becoming watery?



J

Jeff Novotny

Guest
Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and put
it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the next day.
Anyone know why this is?

Thanks! Jeff
 
Because of your saliva. The saliva starts to break down the
food (first step in digestion).

"Jeff Novotny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>
> Thanks! Jeff
 
Jeff Novotny wrote:

> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>
> Thanks! Jeff

Because you spit in it. Your saliva contains amylase
enzymes.

Seriously, Bob
 
Jeff Novotny wrote:

> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> next day. Anyone know why this is?

It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid from a
gel. There can be any number of reasons why it happens
ranging from the ingredients and their respective
quantitative relationships, to thermal effects, to shock,
and several others.

If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged foods,
you'll usually find gums of one sort or another to help with
it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan, carob bean gum and
the like. Sometimes they'll use emulsifiers like lecithin
and others to help bind the ingredients more firmly.

Had a conversation about that this week with a food
scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
manufacturers put into theirs.

Pastorio
 
Bob (this one) wrote:
> Jeff Novotny wrote:
>
>> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
>> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
>> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
>> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>
>
> It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid from
> a gel. There can be any number of reasons why it happens
> ranging from the ingredients and their respective
> quantitative relationships, to thermal effects, to shock,
> and several others.
>
> If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged
> foods, you'll usually find gums of one sort or another to
> help with it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan, carob
> bean gum and the like. Sometimes they'll use emulsifiers
> like lecithin and others to help bind the ingredients
> more firmly.
>
> Had a conversation about that this week with a food
> scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
> manufacturers put into theirs.
>
> Pastorio
>

You're over-analyzing this one, and missed the key word:
"pudding". It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it
with a spoon and putting half of it back in the refrigerator
-- and overnight the gel collapses. It's because the saliva
transferred into the container by the spoon starts breaking
down the starch into sugar (probably maltose).

Although, the syneresis thing was interesting...

Best regards, Bob
 
In article <[email protected]>, zxcvbob
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Jeff Novotny wrote:
>
> > Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> > covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> > put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> > next day. Anyone know why this is?
> >
> > Thanks! Jeff
>
> Because you spit in it. Your saliva contains amylase
> enzymes.
>
> Seriously, Bob

Hmm, interesting. I might need to conduct another experiment
here -- eating half a container of pudding without using the
same spoon for each spoonful -- no transfer of spit---er,
saliva. Stay tuned.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> updated 3-23-04.
Rec.food.cooking's Preserved Fruit Administrator (I've got
the button to prove it!) "The only difference between a rut
and a grave is the depth of the hole."
 
In article <[email protected]>,
zxcvbob <[email protected]> wrote:

> Bob (this one) wrote:
> > Jeff Novotny wrote:
> >
> >> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> >> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> >> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> >> next day. Anyone know why this is?
> >
> >
> > It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid
> > from a gel. There can be any number of reasons why it
> > happens ranging from the ingredients and their
> > respective quantitative relationships, to thermal
> > effects, to shock, and several others.
> >
> > If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged
> > foods, you'll usually find gums of one sort or another
> > to help with it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan,
> > carob bean gum and the like. Sometimes they'll use
> > emulsifiers like lecithin and others to help bind the
> > ingredients more firmly.
> >
> > Had a conversation about that this week with a food
> > scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
> > manufacturers put into theirs.
> >
> > Pastorio
> >
>
>
> You're over-analyzing this one, and missed the key word:
> "pudding". It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it
> with a spoon and putting half of it back in the
> refrigerator -- and overnight the gel collapses. It's
> because the saliva transferred into the container by the
> spoon starts breaking down the starch into sugar (probably
> maltose).
>
> Although, the syneresis thing was interesting...
>
> Best regards, Bob

It's probably a combination of the two. The amylase in
saliva will start breaking down starch. In addition, the
simple act of putting a spoon into a pudding will disrupt
the gel and begin the process of syneresis.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me
 
zxcvbob wrote:

> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>> Jeff Novotny wrote:
>>
>>> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
>>> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
>>> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
>>> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>>
>> It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid
>> from a gel. There can be any number of reasons why it
>> happens ranging from the ingredients and their respective
>> quantitative relationships, to thermal effects, to shock,
>> and several others.
>>
>> If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged
>> foods, you'll usually find gums of one sort or another to
>> help with it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan, carob
>> bean gum and the like. Sometimes they'll use emulsifiers
>> like lecithin and others to help bind the ingredients
>> more firmly.
>>
>> Had a conversation about that this week with a food
>> scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
>> manufacturers put into theirs.
>>
>> Pastorio
>>
> You're over-analyzing this one, and missed the key word:
> "pudding".

I don't think so, Bob. It's a well-known phenomenon in
packaged gels irrespective of the matrix or matrices.

> It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it with a spoon
> and putting half of it back in the refrigerator -- and
> overnight the gel collapses. It's because the saliva
> transferred into the container by the spoon starts
> breaking down the starch into sugar (probably maltose).

It may be part of the reason, but I doubt the small amount
of amylase left on the spoon will cause a couple ounces of
pudding to liquefy. And, yes, it would be maltose.

There are several questions that might have a bearing on the
subject: Is the pudding kept out long enough to have a
significant temperature change? (Starch/milk gels will
"weep" if warmed.) Did the OP stir the pudding? (Turbulence
will cause or accelerate syneresis.) How "watery" did it
get? Was it a small pool in the bottom or was the whole
thing liquid? I assume that the OP didn't fashion some sort
of cover but just pressed the foil back down.

I'm suddenly curious enough to buy some puddings and try
some side-by-side experiments. Get rid of about half the
pudding through several different conditions:
1) eat some with one spoon and put it back in the
fridge quickly.
2) eat some and put it back after 15 minutes.
3) just spoon out about half and put it in the fridge
quickly.
4) spoon out about half and put it in the fridge after
15 minutes.
5) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge.
6) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge,
uncovered.

I'll see if different brands (assuming there are different
brands) have different ingredient lists.

Anything else I should include? Love empirical science...

Pastorio
 
Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Hmm, interesting. I might need to conduct another
> experiment here -- eating half a container of pudding
> without using the same spoon for each spoonful -- no
> transfer of spit---er, saliva. Stay tuned.

Open container. Use clean spoon to put a portion into clean
bowl. Replace container in refrigerator. Eat from bowl using
same spoon. Check container in morning. Let us know how it
turns out. Don't ask me why since I never eat the stuff, but
I'm interested.

--Lia
 
In article <Rpi8c.82346$1p.1217743@attbi_s54>, Julia Altshuler
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> > Hmm, interesting. I might need to conduct another
> > experiment here -- eating half a container of pudding
> > without using the same spoon for each spoonful -- no
> > transfer of spit---er, saliva. Stay tuned.
>

>
> Open container. Use clean spoon to put a portion into
> clean bowl. Replace container in refrigerator. Eat from
> bowl using same spoon.

DUH-me!!! :)
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> updated 3-23-04.
Rec.food.cooking's Preserved Fruit Administrator (I've got
the button to prove it!) "The only difference between a rut
and a grave is the depth of the hole."
 
Bob (this one) wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Bob (this one) wrote:
>>
>>> Jeff Novotny wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
>>>> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
>>>> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
>>>> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>>>
>>>
>>> It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid
>>> from a gel. There can be any number of reasons why it
>>> happens ranging from the ingredients and their
>>> respective quantitative relationships, to thermal
>>> effects, to shock, and several others.
>>>
>>> If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged
>>> foods, you'll usually find gums of one sort or another
>>> to help with it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan,
>>> carob bean gum and the like. Sometimes they'll use
>>> emulsifiers like lecithin and others to help bind the
>>> ingredients more firmly.
>>>
>>> Had a conversation about that this week with a food
>>> scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
>>> manufacturers put into theirs.
>>>
>>> Pastorio
>>>
>> You're over-analyzing this one, and missed the key word:
>> "pudding".
>
>
> I don't think so, Bob. It's a well-known phenomenon in
> packaged gels irrespective of the matrix or matrices.
>
>> It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it with a
>> spoon and putting half of it back in the refrigerator --
>> and overnight the gel collapses. It's because the saliva
>> transferred into the container by the spoon starts
>> breaking down the starch into sugar (probably maltose).
>
>
> It may be part of the reason, but I doubt the small amount
> of amylase left on the spoon will cause a couple ounces of
> pudding to liquefy. And, yes, it would be maltose.
>
> There are several questions that might have a bearing on
> the subject: Is the pudding kept out long enough to have
> a significant temperature change? (Starch/milk gels will
> "weep" if warmed.) Did the OP stir the pudding?
> (Turbulence will cause or accelerate syneresis.) How
> "watery" did it get? Was it a small pool in the bottom
> or was the whole thing liquid? I assume that the OP
> didn't fashion some sort of cover but just pressed the
> foil back down.
>
> I'm suddenly curious enough to buy some puddings and try
> some side-by-side experiments. Get rid of about half the
> pudding through several different conditions:
> 1) eat some with one spoon and put it back in the fridge
> quickly.
> 2) eat some and put it back after 15 minutes.
> 3) just spoon out about half and put it in the fridge
> quickly.
> 4) spoon out about half and put it in the fridge after 15
> minutes.
> 5) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge.
> 6) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge,
> uncovered.
>
> I'll see if different brands (assuming there are different
> brands) have different ingredient lists.
>
> Anything else I should include? Love empirical science...
>
> Pastorio
>

Several different flavors -- vanilla and chocolate (of
course), butterscotch, and... I dunno, pistachio. Unless you
like lemon better.

Isn't science fun?

-Bob
 
"Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Bob (this one) wrote:
>>
>>> Jeff Novotny wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
>>>> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
>>>> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
>>>> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>>>
>>> It's called syneresis. It's the exudation of a liquid
>>> from a gel. There can be any number of reasons why it
>>> happens ranging from the ingredients and their
>>> respective quantitative relationships, to thermal
>>> effects, to shock, and several others.
>>>
>>> If you look in the ingredient list of such packaged
>>> foods, you'll usually find gums of one sort or another
>>> to help with it. Pectin, xanthan, guar, carageenan,
>>> carob bean gum and the like. Sometimes they'll use
>>> emulsifiers like lecithin and others to help bind the
>>> ingredients more firmly.
>>>
>>> Had a conversation about that this week with a food
>>> scientist about fruit juice curds and what some
>>> manufacturers put into theirs.
>>>
>>> Pastorio
>>>
>> You're over-analyzing this one, and missed the key word:
>> "pudding".
>
> I don't think so, Bob. It's a well-known phenomenon in
> packaged gels irrespective of the matrix or matrices.
>
>> It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it with a
>> spoon and putting half of it back in the refrigerator --
>> and overnight the gel collapses. It's because the saliva
>> transferred into the container by the spoon starts
>> breaking down the starch into sugar (probably maltose).
>
> It may be part of the reason, but I doubt the small amount
> of amylase left on the spoon will cause a couple ounces of
> pudding to liquefy. And, yes, it would be maltose.
>
> There are several questions that might have a bearing on
> the subject: Is the pudding kept out long enough to have
> a significant temperature change? (Starch/milk gels will
> "weep" if warmed.) Did the OP stir the pudding?
> (Turbulence will cause or accelerate syneresis.) How
> "watery" did it get? Was it a small pool in the bottom
> or was the whole thing liquid? I assume that the OP
> didn't fashion some sort of cover but just pressed the
> foil back down.
>
> I'm suddenly curious enough to buy some puddings and try
> some side-by-side experiments. Get rid of about half the
> pudding through several different conditions:
> 1) eat some with one spoon and put it back in the fridge
> quickly.
> 2) eat some and put it back after 15 minutes.
> 3) just spoon out about half and put it in the fridge
> quickly.
> 4) spoon out about half and put it in the fridge after 15
> minutes.
> 5) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge.
> 6) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge,
> uncovered.
>
> I'll see if different brands (assuming there are different
> brands) have different ingredient lists.
>
> Anything else I should include? Love empirical science...
>
> Pastorio
>
>

Isn't this the same thing that happens to lemmon pie
fillings?

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.
 
hahabogus wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>
>>zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>>>It's a *starch* based gel, and he's eating it with a
>>>spoon and putting half of it back in the refrigerator --
>>>and overnight the gel collapses. It's because the saliva
>>>transferred into the container by the spoon starts
>>>breaking down the starch into sugar (probably maltose).
>>
>>It may be part of the reason, but I doubt the small amount
>>of amylase left on the spoon will cause a couple ounces of
>>pudding to liquefy. And, yes, it would be maltose.
>>
>>There are several questions that might have a bearing on
>>the subject: Is the pudding kept out long enough to have
>>a significant temperature change? (Starch/milk gels will
>>"weep" if warmed.) Did the OP stir the pudding?
>>(Turbulence will cause or accelerate syneresis.) How
>>"watery" did it get? Was it a small pool in the bottom
>>or was the whole thing liquid? I assume that the OP
>>didn't fashion some sort of cover but just pressed the
>>foil back down.
>>
>>I'm suddenly curious enough to buy some puddings and try
>>some side-by-side experiments. Get rid of about half the
>>pudding through several different conditions:
>>1) eat some with one spoon and put it back in the fridge
>> quickly.
>>2) eat some and put it back after 15 minutes.
>>3) just spoon out about half and put it in the fridge
>> quickly.
>>4) spoon out about half and put it in the fridge after 15
>> minutes.
>>5) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge.
>>6) stir one, discard half and put it back into the fridge,
>> uncovered.
>>
>>I'll see if different brands (assuming there are different
>>brands) have different ingredient lists.
>>
>>Anything else I should include? Love empirical science...
>>
>>Pastorio
>>
> Isn't this the same thing that happens to lemon pie
> fillings?

Yes. It is.

Pastorio
 
"Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Was it a small pool in the bottom or was the whole thing
> liquid? I assume that the OP didn't fashion some sort of
> cover but just pressed the foil back down.

Also a completely full (no air space) container won't get
condensation cycles but a partly empty one will.

The wateryness could at least partly be evaporated moisture
that condensed on the cover (original or foil or whatever)
and fell back onto the pudding.
 
Jeff Novotny wrote:
>
> Hello, I have some packaged pudding which comes in cups
> covered by foil. After I open one, don't finish it, and
> put it back in the refrigerator, it becomes watery the
> next day. Anyone know why this is?
>
> Thanks! Jeff

You've probably broken the gel structure of the pudding with
repeated spoonings. The water can escape more easily than
from an unbroken gel.
 
I did an experiment with this: I spooned out some of the
pudding from the container without eating from it, then
replaced it in the refrigerator. The same thing happened--it
became watery. Later, I made homemade pudding, ate some,
then took it out a day later, and it hadn't become watery.
So, I would think that the watery result comes from the gel
breaking down, rather than from the amylase.
 
Jeff Novotny wrote:

> I did an experiment with this: I spooned out some of the
> pudding from the container without eating from it, then
> replaced it in the refrigerator. The same thing happened--
> it became watery. Later, I made homemade pudding, ate
> some, then took it out a day later, and it hadn't become
> watery. So, I would think that the watery result comes
> from the gel breaking down, rather than from the amylase.

Funny you should mention this. As I said I would, I bought
some of those little packages of pre-fab pudding and had my
wife eat part of one, I ate part of one and I just spooned
some out of another. Put them back into the fridge and they
all ended up with a small puddle in the containers. Tested
to see if my wife's digestive juices operate differently
than mine. Inconclusive results.

I bet all this proves something. Or not.

Haven't had pudding in a long time. I missed it.
Chocolate. But homemade is better. Gets that wonderful
chewy skin on top.

Pastorio
 
On 4/8/2004 11:05 PM, Jeff Novotny wrote:
> I did an experiment with this: I spooned out some of the
> pudding from the container without eating from it, then
> replaced it in the refrigerator. The same thing happened--
> it became watery. Later, I made homemade pudding, ate
> some, then took it out a day later, and it hadn't become
> watery. So, I would think that the watery result comes
> from the gel breaking down, rather than from the amylase.

If you like Alton Brown, you might want to check this
episode out: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episod-
e/0,1976,FOOD_9956_17112,00.html. It goes into why puddings
and custards get watery. I think that it has to do with
cooking them too quickly. Using a lower temperature and a
water bath helps prevent this.

--
jmk in NC
 
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