sci@ccnysci.UUCP (Chemistry 446) (06/06/85)
In article <decwrl.2395> kolling@decwrl.UUCP writes: > >The local newspaper's food section claims that if you get hot pepper oil >on your hands, it can be neutralized with a weak solution of water and >chlorine bleach, to avoid later zapping your eyes or contact lenses. That sounds drastic. How about a solution of good old baking soda? PS: MSG may be a natural protein, but anything in excess is usually bad for you. How many mushrooms do you have to eat to equal the same amount of MSG in a typical meal from a rest. that uses MSG in their cooking? (I also recall reading something about unbalanced proteins)
dan@rna.UUCP (Dan Ts'o) (06/10/85)
In article <decwrl.2395> kolling@decwrl.UUCP writes: > >The local newspaper's food section claims that if you get hot pepper oil >on your hands, it can be neutralized with a weak solution of water and >chlorine bleach, to avoid later zapping your eyes or contact lenses. >That sounds drastic. How about a solution of good old baking soda? Does sound drastic... The basic substance of "hotness" in pepper oil and many other hot items is capsacin. Capsacin is lipid soluble, not water soluble. So water by itself is not very effective in removing it. Try some- thing with more lipid in it, like milk, or oil. This is also why yogurt is an effective quencher served at indian restaurants. Since some chili's seem to be based on vinegars (e.g. vietnamese chili sauce, pickled jalapeno peppers, I would guess that acidity improves the solubility of capsacin.