Broth is on many people’s tables on Sunday. Every housewife knows that it should be aromatic, essential and warming. What about its clarity? This time we will focus on this aspect. The answer lies in the structure of the foam.
Broth is made from meat stock. It is often made with just chicken, and sometimes we also add beef or pork. When we start heating the meat, protein precipitates. Then the phenomenon of coagulation occurs, i.e. the formation of the mentioned foam.
It is produced by albumins, which are water-soluble proteins. They begin to curdle when the broth reaches a temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius.
More proteins and minerals enter the broth if we place the meat in cold water. Then the broth contains large amounts of scum, but also gains the desired, deep flavor.
In turn, when boiling water is poured over the meat, its pores are closed, so not as much foam is produced. On the other hand, we don’t get that rich flavor.
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Many people pay attention to the color of the scum in the broth. Those from poultry are usually white. However, if we add pork or beef, they will be much darker due to the higher content of hemoglobin and myoglobin, which are blood and muscle pigments. They curdle under the influence of high temperature.
Foam in broth is associated with impurities, but in fact it is pure protein. So you can eat it.
According to one school, the scum from the broth should be removed to make the broth. This soup looks better on the table.
However, there are also cooks who believe that foam gives the broth a fuller flavor. This is a true statement, because by getting rid of scum, we also remove other substances responsible for taste sensations.
As already mentioned, the foam contains protein, but its much larger amounts are in the meat itself. Other important nutritional values are also obtained from vegetables. Therefore, if we like clear broth, then it is better not to change habits and remove the scum from it.
Apart from that decoction with foam will spoil faster if not stored properly. In such a situation, we remove the meat from it and keep it in the fridge or freezer. Portions of broth can be useful in everyday cooking if we need e.g. 1 cup of broth for a given dish.
