Hi C-H's, As lucidly as ever, George Nelson wrote: > .......fairly unfazed by freeze-thaw cycles. Who says the age of great literature is past? >As I mentioned earlier, >enzymes are most certainly broken free of membranes and from within vessels >and if there are any which could degrade capsaicin they would be free to >react. .................. >Of course, if I recall correctly, the Cardinal said the mash produced by >freeze-thaw is rather potent, so it appears any degradative enzyme activity >is rather slight in this situation. However this touches upon another mysterious reaction. We all know that hot sauces generally exhibit a decrease in potency as they age. I have heard this glibly dismissed as "just oxidation", and while I accept that oxidation can still take place in a fermented sauce (most of the free oxygen used by the yeasts) and in a dark refrigerator, the enzyme hypothesis is more appealing. Another sort of built in self destruct mechanism. A cunning evolutionary trait to make us plant more and more peppers? >Sources of xanthan gum? Delete panic; insert calm. As ever, the generous Jim C. of MTWP&H has filled the breach with a sample. -- --- Regards, Cameron.