Cooking with Dry Ice

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Dry ice goes from a solid to a gas skipping the liquid phase through a process called sublimation. Dry ice is mostly used for cooling things. It is beneficial because it is colder than regular ice and doesn’t leave any residue. The temperature of dry ice ranges between -78.5 degrees Fahrenheit and -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to regular ice which is at a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. Dry ice is also used for cooking, however when you think about dry ice and food, you think of frozen foods and ice cream. Most of the vending carts in Central Park have ice cream and keeping that ice cream cold is dry ice. The venders when getting the ice cream wear gloves so they can avoid burns. Dry ice’s low temperature causes frostbite. Dry ice is used ubiquitously throughout the culinary world. It is primarily used when cooking fish. Applying the dry ice to fish cooks it in a way that gives it a different taste from just searing it. Although dry ice can be quite useful towards cooking, it is quite dangerous. Not only is it dangerous for the person consuming the food but for the chef as well. If you cook with dry ice often you will be exposed to toxic levels of carbon dioxide causing internal damage to your organs. Dry ice is dangerous but it doesn’t mean you can’t use it for culinary purposes. If you take the right precautions, than I think’s it’s fine to cook with.

Dry Ice

Schuyler Van Amson

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Dry ice has advantages to water ice because it can reach a colder temperature and leaves behind no residue besides accidental frost. Dry ice also sublimes when put near water, skipping the liquid phase and turning into gas.

When you think of Dry ice used in cooking the first thought goes to refrigeration, keeping food preserved and cold with dry ice. Dry ice has been used for preserving frozen foods, ice cream and other materials when mechanical cooling is not used however dry ice is becoming more commonly used in other ways….. However dry ice is very dangerous, without protection dry ice can cause severe burns because of its low temperature, this is called frostbite. Dry ice has been sometimes used to actually cook food. A chef would harness the extremely low temperature of the dry ice to cook seafood. The dry ice would be so cold it would sear the seafood giving it a very unique taste; this method is not widely used. I believe as innovative and interesting this is, it is a bad idea. I like to follow the idea, if it’s not broken don’t fix it and cooking by regular means has no real problem and cooking with dry ice seems not only complicated but has many limitations. Also people have been known to get sick from being around too much sublimed dry ice and we would be consuming those materials in large portions.

Culinary use of Dry Ice

Charles Thilorier recorded the first sighting of solid CO2 in 1834. In his descriptions he found Carbon Dioxide in the form of solid “snow,” after having been cooled and pressurized from a liquid state. Nowadays solidified carbon dioxide (or dry ice) has a wide variety of uses, including culinary ones. While many assume dry ice is used solely to keep products chilled during transportation, in recent years it has become popular culinary ingredient among cooks and professional chefs alike. Within regular atmospheric temperature and regardless of external temperature, solid CO2 is always below -78.5 degrees Celcius, or -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of its extremely cold temperature, touching dry ice with one’s bare skin can cause cryogenic burns (the freezing of deep-tissue which can result in frostbite). Not only is it dangerous to handle with one’s skin, but it can also be dangerous to inhale the Carbon Dioxide vapor that is subliming off of the solid. This is particularly dangerous in enclosed areas, where the percentage of Carbon Dioxide in the air can reach levels that asphyxiation. Because of its hazards, it is crucial to wear gloves, goggles, and take every precaution while handling dry ice to prevent damage to sensitive tissue such as the eyes.

While dry is used to freeze-dry foods such as fruits and make edible frozen sculptures, in recent years it has become a more common ingredient that is actually mixed into what we eat. How is it that we can consume dry ice then if it is so dangerous to even handle with our hands? To begin with, dry ice used in cooking is “food grade,” meaning that the Carbon Dioxide that composes it is of the same quality as the CO2 used to make carbonated beverages and to transport food. Thus, it is free of any potential chemical impurities that are present in dry ice unintended for consumption. Another important precaution taken before consuming dry ice, is to make sure that there are not any visible pieces of it. In many dishes, dry ice is used to make foods and beverages “carbonated.” Without the effect of diluting flavors caused by the use of carbonated water, dry ice is a popular culinary alternative that gives chef a wider range of sensations in their cuisine. Grinding the dry ice finely, and mixing it with a beverage or ingredients of a smoothie achieve this effect of carbonation. Ice cream can also be made using dry ice blended with the regular ingredients of ice cream. Once again, the dry ice must be ground finely enough so that there are not any visible pieces. At this point, the amount of solidified dry ice left in food products is not enough to cause injury, as most of it has likely sublimed.

Although the use of dry ice can result in interesting flavors, textures, and can be visually appealing as well, users of this substance should be well informed of its hazards and must take precautions when handling it. Like many tools or ingredients in the kitchen, dry ice has its hazards, however, there is no reason why it should not be consumed when the proper precautions are taken.

Dry Ice Cookin'

People’s minds usually think about the fog from their favorite rock concert, or the mysterious white stuff that villains used to get away from the gang in Scooby Doo, when the subject of dry ice is bought up in conversation. Dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide. As it melts, it becomes carbon dioxide. It is common in the earth’s atmosphere. Dry Ice is useful for freezing, because of it has a very cold temperature of -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Human exhale it, while plants use it for photosynthesis. Dry ice received its name, because in normal temperature, it changes directly from a solid to a gas, which is called sublimation.

Dry ice was first recorded by a French chemist named Thiloirier. He recorded solid carbon dioxide in 1835 by watching a large amount of liquid carbon dioxide evaporate to leave dry ice. The first commercial and common use for dry ice was in 1925 by Prest Air Devices, which created the first carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. Since then dry ice has been used for many other things such as: to make fog, to use as freezing sources, carbonate liquids, store food, fix dents, protect fish and game, and for medical reasons. Though, the most recent and increasingly popular use is for cooking.

Cooking with dry ice has become extremely popular. It has become so popular, restaurants specialize in it and there are thousands of tutorials and cooking guides to assist home chefs. Popularized by televisions shows such as Top Chef, it is slowly becoming an acceptable form of cooking. Cooking with dry ice can possibly cause many health hazards, not only for the eater, but for the person cooking with it. Being overexposed to dry ice can cause headache and difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and unconsciousness. I believe that if the food is being cooked with dry ice does not show any signs of contamination and is proven healthy by scientists, it deserves a chance.

Dry Ice in Cooking

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide skips over liquid form, going directly from a solid to a gas through the transitory process of sublimation. Many chefs have begun to harness dry ice as a tool, since it can be used very effectively as a cooling agent. Since dry ice sublimes (changes from a solid to a gas) at approximately -78.5° C or -109.3° F compared to water which freezes at 0° C or 32° F, it is much more effective as for keeping a substance cool. One of the primary uses of it in the culinary world is that it can be used to make instant ice cream. In addition, many ice cream vendors, like the ones all across New York, use dry ice to keep their products cold. It is also very effective in a power outage. With dry ice, goods can be kept cool for much longer than the typical 4 hours in which the refrigerator keeps them safe.

There are a few safety problems with dry ice. If it touches your skin, you will almost instantly get frostbite. In addition, if you breathe in the “smoke” from dry ice in an area that has poor ventilation, you could suffocate because of oxygen displacement. However, in my opinion, the pros of dry ice greatly outweigh the cons. As long as proper safety precautions are adhered to, there is no reason why dry ice shouldn’t be used in the culinary world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnORu5p9neY

Dry Ice in Cooking

When people think about dry ice most people envision it helping to keep foods cold and how it creates mist when it comes in contact with water. Dry ice is now starting to be used for another major thing. It is becoming a very valuable tool for cooks to work with to enhance their dishes. Dry ice can be very dangerous though, this is because dry ice freezes at -109.3°F or -78.5°C which makes it extremely cold and very dangerous to handle without protective gloves. When cooks do use dry ice and other chemicals in their cooking it is known as molecular gastronomy. By definition molecular gastronomy is the study of chemical and physical process during the act of cooking. The name molecular gastronomy was thought of in 1988 which shows how relatively recent this field of work is. I feel as though it is ok for dry ice and other potentially dangerous chemicals to be used in cooking, but only in a safe and responsible way. Dry ice has so many different uses in food it has the possibility to change the culinary world exponentially over the next few decades if not abused.

Edible Science

Remember that episode on Top Chef season 4 when Richard Blais used liquid nitrogen in the quick fire challenge? Or when José Andrés appeared on 60 Minutes and froze coconut moose in seconds with liquid nitrogen? Like dry ice, liquid nitrogen is a new technology being used to transfor
m textures of the foods we know and love. A little thing called molecular gastronomy has taken over the food industry, and what you thinkis your entrée, may be an edible science experiment sitting on your plate.

Molecular gastronomy is the study of the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking, and is practiced by both scientists and chefs. Molecular gastronomy was originally created to explain the chemical reasons behind the transformation of ingredients. Molecular gastronomy has also become a modern style of cooking, taking advantage of new scientific innovations. Dry is the solid form of carbon dioxide and is primarily used as a cooling agent. Thanks to its extremely cold temperature, the most common use of dry is ice is food preservation. Ever get a package from Omaha Steaks? Well if you have, you can thank dry ice for keeping your meat from spoiling over the shipping period.

Liquid nitrogen is a liquid at -196°C (that's 73°C colder than dry ice, which is kept at -123°C)! Like dry ice, liquid nitrogen can be used to instantly freeze certain ingredients and change their textures as well. Chef Ferran Adria used liquid nitrogen to create a cold version of a hot griddle; liquid nitrogen instantly alters the texture of the food to the same extent as heating it would. Not only is liquid nitrogen cheap ($1 cheaper per gallon than milk, gasoline, and water), but it is a 'green' gas. When dry ice sublimes, it releases carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) while liquid nitrogen does not. Liquid nitrogen is also useful for destruction of warts and small cancers! However, dry ice has the advantage of turning directly from a solid to a vapor-this makes it useful when a liquid phase is avoided.

However dangerous dry ice or liquid nitrogen may be, they pose no greater threat than the mercury in our fish, frying oil on a stove, or sharp knives on a chopping board. Dry ice and liquid nitrogen are two new innovations that not only create magically delicious food, but provide a new technique in the cooking industry.

Dry Ice In Cooking

Dry ice was first defined in 1925.  Dry ice by definition is the solid state of carbon dioxide, in a crystallization. We call dry ice “dry” because dry ice cannot melt into a liquid (another bonus to using it in food prepartation). Sublimation is the transitory process in which a solid turns directly into a gas; dry ice sublimates into carbon dioxide gas.

Dry ice works like this: first, carbon dioxide gas is compressed into a liquid form, removing an excess heat during the step. The gas then becomes a liquid at a pressure of approximately 870 pounds per square inch at room temperature. The liquid carbon dioxide can then expand. As a result, the temperature decreases, which causes some of the carbon dioxide gas to freeze into an icy powder. The last step is a final compression in which the powder is compressed into dry ice!

Dry ice has been a molecular gastronomic tool that’s been implored for over 100 years. And while the gimmick of dry ice in combination with food is nothing new, more and more culinary professionals have been gravitating towards the technique making it a more and more a common practice. In terms of food preparation, dry ice can speed up the process exponentially. Using dry ice can rapidly freeze anything from a liquid to a solid, so in cooking shows where time is a key component contestants often use dry ice to make their food preparation run more quickly. For example, it can freeze ice cream or fruit into a sherbet in minutes. Dry ice can also be especially helpful in power outages because it has the ability to keep foods safe for a longer period of time, whereas refrigerators only have the ability to keep food at a safe temperature for no more than 4 hours.

However, there are many precautions that come along with using dry ice. Since, dry ice boils at approximately -109.3 and -78.5 meaning it’s extremely cold. To put it in perspective, it’s way farther from room temperature than putting something in a fryer. Other precautions include not allowing the dry ice to come in contact with ones skin, staying away from the steam produced from the use of dry ice (aka making sure that the room you’re using is ventilated), and not allowing the dry ice to come in direct contact with food. These is because of dry ice’s extremely fast freezing point (meaning it can burn you really easily because of how cold it gets) and the fact that it emits carbon dioxide means its toxic to consume in large quotients.

Even with all of these precautions, I still think that dry ice is in the end just a tool. Knives are dangerous, but a chef must learn how to appropriately cut with them so that they don’t harm themselves. If a chef learns how to safely use dry ice I see nothing wrong with dry ice being used in preparation as long as it’s not directly touching the food and being given proper care and attention. Otherwise, it seems absolutely safe for human consumption. Plus, dry ice can produce fast and beautiful cooking techniques that you wouldn’t otherwise get from using a simple freezer. However, I’m definitely not encouraging people to start using dry ice in their own homes. It’s still if the precautions aren’t followed and you wouldn’t want that kind of toxicity in your living space.

When people think about dry ice, one of the first things that come to mind is how it creates a fog when water is poured on top of it. This helps to create some very interesting special effects that are used in concerts or in a magic show where the magician appears to vanish.

But the smoky fog effect is not the only use of dry ice. One of the most common things that people cook using dry ice is ice cream. Usually when you make ice cream at home, you need to crush the dry ice first by putting it in to a plastic bag with a good seal (Ziploc) and then smashing it with either a mallet or a hammer. The reason you would never touch dry ice is because of what it would do to your skin. Dry ice is composed of solid carbon dioxide, which when it heats up, turns into carbon dioxide gas. Because dry ice temperatures range between -109.3 and -78.5 Fahrenheit degrees, if held for extensive periods of time, would cause severe frost bite and damage to your skin.

Even though it is so dangerous, it is also used to prepare sea food. The extremely cold temperature burns through the food, making it cut into smaller pieces. Though the methods of cooking food using dried ice are innovative, putting such dangerous chemicals near food is a bad idea. If those chemicals get inside our body, they could end up being toxic to us. Absorbing one percent could cause drowsiness; around seven to ten percent would cause dizziness, headaches and seeing as well as hearing dysfunction, and possibly causing one to become unconscious after only a few minutes.