Make your own Peanut Butter or Nutella Powder

http://www.gourmet.com/food/video/2008/05/goldfarb_tapiocamaltodextrin

I'm intrigued! I googled up this link of a movie… wow.

If you have a magic bullet or even a spare coffee grinder it's faster that doing it by hand.

An interesting thing about Tapioca Maltodextrin is that it's not sweet and is generally flavorless, but its has sugar like calories (4 per gram) and it a good thickener. It would be good for adding to DIY dehydrated savory meals to give them more body or thicken them and give good low glycemic index calories. It would also be good for energy drinks if you like to make your own, but don't like them too sweet. You can get non flavored instantized protein powder then mix with Tapioca Maltodextrin for a good protein and carb base with low sweetness. You can then add whatever you need to taste. Since Tapioca Maltodextrin is soluble is cold water it would be very easy to make your own nutella protein drink mix. Mmm.

I watched the video and googled more info about the tapioca maltodextrin and it looks really interesting.

My first question would be regarding the shelf life of the peanut butter or nutella powder. Since the t/m absorbs the fat(oil?) how long will it "keep" in a ziplock on the trail? Any experience with this?

Keep as in spoilage or keep as in stay a powder?

Spoilage is going to depend on heat and other things. Oxygen is not your friend with oil spoilage. That said I don't think you would have any issues with veg based fat for trips less than 30 days. Even over that its not going to hurt you. It might just not taste as fresh.

You have to keep the powder air tight because Tapioca Maltodextrin in water soluble and will likely attract moisture. You wouldn't want to carry it in an open bag in Florida in August.

Depending on how much powder you used to transform your fat it might clump up in the bag, but you can break it back up manually.

Does it miraculously make the stuff lighter?

Can you melt it back into a goo? velveeta dip mmmmmmm…..

and what the heck do the asians do with it????

>Does it miraculously make the stuff lighter?
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No

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>Can you melt it back into a goo?
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When you add water the Maltrodextrin will disolve and leave you with a slurry that wont be exactly like the original. It might be better. Try it and let us know :)

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> and what the heck do the asians do with it????
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Asians and us non-Asians use it as a thickener for sauces and soups etc. It can also be used in baking.

That sounds like a good way to transport messy, calorie rich foods in a less messy fashion. Very interesting!

I've been experimenting with this technique for quite some time. It's quite fun. I've made nutella powder, almond butter powder, olive oil powder and cashew butter powder. Eric is right, it doesn't make it lighter but it does make it easier to deal with. The nutella powder was yummy sprinkled on oatmeal too.

Basically anything that is high fat will do.

I was fortunate that the company that makes these products was nice enough to send me a complimentary mixed case of all kinds of this sort of stuff (they know I am working on a mainstream cookbook so I think that is why they did that).

Just a note of interest… tapioca maltodexterin is in many things like hot chocolate powder and such. It keeps powdered items from caking.