Grinding Achitoe; extracting Annatto seed in hot liquid and oil
Manda Ruby
will last up to 4 days only. Wull go bad after 4 days. I called
Foodsco and asked the manager whether they carry the paste. They don't
carry and he said I could make it and said that I could keep in the
fridge for upto "4 days".
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Powder (actually paste since you have to soak it to soften):
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070903083029AALoqUZ
Grinding achiote: Because the seeds are very hard, they are best
pulverized in a high-speed spice grinder; unless they are reduced to
an extremely fine powder, the paste will be gritty.
They are often softened by soaking in hot water for 2 hours before
grinding for use . Annatto seeds tint foods a bright yellow and are
familiar to you as the dye used to color Cheddar cheese orange and
butter yellow.
It is hard to get a superfine powder using a standard home spice
grinder, soaking will allow you to make a paste at home. Otherwise it
is readily available in powder form & inexpensive in most grocery
stores.
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Hot liquid:
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/annatto
Add one teaspoon of Annatto in 1/4 cup (2 oz, 60 ml) of hot boiling
water and let steep for 1/2 hr, strain out and discard the seeds. Then
use the water in cooking.
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Achiote Oil
Aceite de Achiote
http://www.daisycooks.com/pages/recipes_detail.cfm?ID=2
Annatto seeds, known as achiote in Spanish, are small irregularly
shaped, deep reddish colored seeds about the size of a lentil. They
grow in pods but are sold loose in jars in the spice aisle. (Or see
the "Sources" section above.) Steeping annatto (achiote) seeds in hot
olive oil for a few minutes will do more than give the oil a brilliant
orange-gold color; it will infuse it with a nutty, delicate aroma and
add a quick kick to whatever you use it in. This incredibly simple
technique will become part of your repertoire, not just for the many
dishes that call for it in this book, but any time you want a splash
of color and a hint of annatto flavor.
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat
just until the seeds give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don't overheat
the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil a nasty green.
Once they're sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let stand
until the sizzling stops. Strain as much of the oil as you are going
to use right away into the pan; store the rest for up to 4 days at
room temperature in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
In addition to using achiote oil to sauté onions, garlic and such, you
can use it straight, painted onto fish and poultry headed for the
grill or broiler.