Profile: Annatto powder is ideal for making classic English cheddars or a unique cheese with a neon rind the color of a carving pumpkin.
Details:
Annatto seeds grow inside the prickly fruits of the achiote tree. Annatto powder has historically been used to color makeup, textiles, and meals. Many cheeses, like Mimolette, Red Leicester, and Cheddar, employ annatto powder to obtain their orange or red hues.
Many people are now using achiote powder as a spice in its own right. It's bittersweet with mace and mint undertones. Flavor and color oils with the seeds, or soak in boiling water to make a flame-colored soup. To make a versatile seasoning, combine annatto powder, chili flakes, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and salt.
Ingredients:
Ground Annatto seed.
Cuisine:
Caribbean, Latin American, Mexican
Shelf Life:
3 Years
Basic Prep:
You can use the annatto powder in a recipe or convert it into an oil. Heat 1 cup grape seed oil with 2 oz. annatto powder. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the oil turns orange. Strain the seeds from the oil and chill.
Ways To Use:
With rice, grains, beans and chicken or turkey. It's used to cook veggies like okra and plantains.
