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Measuring Food Quality with a Brix Meter (refractometer)

Measuring Food Quality with a Brix Meter (refractometer). April 17, 2008 Larry Howard Bloomington Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation. Brix – What is it?. °Brix is the ratio of Total Soluble Solids (TSS) to water in solution

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Measuring Food Quality with a Brix Meter (refractometer)

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  1. Measuring Food Quality with a Brix Meter (refractometer) April 17, 2008 Larry Howard Bloomington Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation

  2. Brix – What is it? • °Brix is the ratio of Total Soluble Solids (TSS)to water in solution • 25° Bx = 25% TSS by weight (e.g. 25 grams of solids to 75 grams of water) • The “sap”or juice squeezed from the leaves of plants contains mostly sugar molecules but also smaller amounts of minerals, amino acids, vitamins, plant hormones, and proteins.

  3. Brix – How is it measured? • A refractometer – a device with a prism, a numeric scale and an eyepiece • a 2-3 drops of plant juice are squeezed onto the prism and a demarcated line is viewed on the scale

  4. Why Brix? • Higher Brix – higher nutrient density (assumption) • Higher Brix – better taste (widely acknowledged) • Higher Brix – resistance to rotting • Higher Brix – resistance to disease • Higher Brix – resistance to frost • Higher Brix – Higher Quality! (Useful Link: http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm)

  5. Variables • Plant hydration – a heat stressed plant, hot windy conditions, or dehydrated plant sample can affect results • dehydration of the plant or the sample leads to false high readings • Temperature – calibration at 68° F • theoretically, higher temps  lower reading, lower temp  higher reading

  6. Experiments • Fruits/veg from different sources • Same produce, fresh vs. aged • Same plant, different times of day • Same plant, differing weather conditions • Different plant varieties • “Skins-on” vs. Skins Off

  7. Purchasing • ~20$ -- 300$ and up • Google  Shopping  “Brix refractometer” • Technika -- ~$55 • Features • scale – 0 – 30 Bx is desirable • digital vs. manual readout • auto temperature calibration, manual temp. calibration or no calibration (must use a table) • Specs: accuracy (+/- %) and precision (1°, .1°, etc.)

  8. Sample Results • Earthbound Farm Organic baby carrots – 5 • Grimmway Farms Organic whole carrots – 9 • Tomorrow’s Organic Russet Potatoes – 7.5 • Celery – 3 • Lacto-fermented cucumber relish – 8 • Oregon Tall Fescue – 9 • Juice from supermarket orange – 11.2 • Saturated salt solution at 69°F – 27.5

  9. Social Hazards (tips) • Poor results are common – don’t despair • Work for improvement not perfection: from poorfairgoodvery goodexcellent • Careful when assessing other’s products/gardens! • Offer to pay for samples, explain yourself, right to refuse (“I’m looking for a higher sugar content”)

  10. Brix Chart (partial) from International Ag Labs, originally produced by Dr. Carey Reams

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