!8: Bosch Meat Grinder Get It Now!: October 2011

!±8± Annatto Makes Cheese and Butter Yellow

Annatto is a food coloring agent that comes from the Bixa orellana tree, the only member of the Bixaceae family. It's native to the tropics of the New World and cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas around the globe.

The annatto tree, which is known locally as the lipstick tree, grows to 30 feet tall. Its leaves are oval in shape reaching a length of eight inches and a width of two inches. The rosy-pink flowers are trumpet-like and measure two inches in diameter. The prickly seed pods are about two inches long and brown. They contain red seeds that are the source of a food dye or vegetable coloring.

Annatto is a safe, yellow food dye. It is used commercially to give a golden-yellow color to dairy products like butter, cheese and margarine. Other yellow and orange foods, like microwave popcorn, may be colorized with annatto. It's the only color additive allowed in butter in the United States. The nutritional quality and color of butter varies throughout the year due to different animal feeds in the summertime and winter. This produces more or less carotene in the butter, which also affects its color. A small amount of annatto may be added in order to keep butter at a uniform color throughout the year.

Annatto is a coloring agent used primarily in commercial food products in the U.S., but the seeds are used in Latin American, Caribbean and Philippine cuisines, where the annatto seeds are called achiote. These hard seeds are brick-red in color. Achiote is soaked in water or heated in oil or lard. The water or oil is then used to color foods. To colorize cooking oil with achiote, use two parts oil and one part seeds. Heat over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the oil turns a golden orange. Cool the mixture and strain out the seeds. Refrigerate the colored oil if not used right away.

Seeds may be ground and added to the water for cooking rice, but they need to be prepared first. Cover the seeds in water in a small pan and heat to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, remove from heat and let cool. Drain the water and use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds or use a clean coffee grinder.

Achiote is available in ethnic markets as whole seeds, ground powder, paste or liquid extract. Purchase only the brick-red seeds as brown seeds are not fresh. Refrigerate the paste after opening, but it will keep indefinitely, as will the seeds when they're stored in a cool, dry dark place.