Expert: Paul Wagner - 5/24/2009

Question
I know this mightn't be what you normaly deal with but I'm not sure who else to ask:
"Like all edible liquids, watermelon juice can be used as a steaming ingredient but will flavour be affected if it's boiled say while steaming rice?"

Answer
HiJohn

This is a great question.  

First of all, you have to remember that about 85% of the flavor we percieve comes from our sense of smell, not our sense of taste.  We can really only taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and maybe umame. Everything else comes from what we smell.  

Secondly, you have understand that what we smell must somehow evaporate, or volatize, into the air so our noses can pick it up.  When you boil or steam something, anything that volatilizes at that temperature will evaporate into the air...and won't be left in the final dish.  This is why the cakes cooked with brandy don't really have much alcohol left---it all evaporates during the cooking.

That's a really, really long way of saying that you can cook anything in watermelon juice, but the longer you cook it the more the aromatic elements will be lost...and the less it will really taste like fresh watermelon juice.  If you really want that fresh flavor, the best idea is to add it very close to the end of the process, where it won't evaporate so much into the air.

Hope that helps.

Paul Wagner