So, if you can cold-brew coffee, I wonder if you can cold-brew Pasta?

Alexandra :prami:

Andy Carolan :prami:

@alexandra It's nice that you think I have some left to save!

DreamGryphon

I doubt it. ^.^; I tried cooking spaghetti in a slow cooker once and it didn't really work properly (they got a weird texture).

Andy Carolan :prami:

@DreamGryphon I imagine it got really soft?

Tom Streeter

@andycarolan Basically no. Cold brewing coffee is extraction, not cooking. Increased temperature speeds up the same *basic* process that occurs at room ( or lower) temperatures (though heat’s more efficient at pulling out more bitter substances that we might not want) . The heat in boiling pasta actually converts the starches in the pasta to a different structure which makes the al dente texture possible. Moisture isn’t enough. The heat has to be there too.

Andy Carolan :prami:

@tom_streeter Whoa, many thanks for taking the time to explain. I am genuinely intrigued at the cooking process of different foods. I have tried to cold-brew coffee, and didn't really like it as much as regular ‘espresso' process. I really should try cold brew espresso again, to see if I can improve on my previous try!

Alexandra :prami:

@andycarolan Yeah, mine kinda went by the roadside a long time ago.

Sumocat 🐈‍⬛

@andycarolan You can cold brew anything. I don’t know why you’d want to drink cold pasta water though.

Tom Streeter

@andycarolan My pleasure. I worried in my explanation that I implied that somehow ‘extraction’ is in some way inferior to ‘cooking’ when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It can be wildly complex. For example, cold brewing espresso will likely never work well because the fine grind lets the water easily extract flavor compounds that no one wants to taste, whereas a coarser grind makes the job tougher because the larger granules means more surface area to soak into.

Andy Carolan :prami:

@Sumocat ROFL, fair point!

Andy Carolan :prami:

@alexandra LMAO!

Andy Carolan :prami:

@tom_streeter I can only imagine there's an ideal grind 'size' for cold-brew. I generally only grind for espresso. Anything else, and I buy pre-ground. It's not often that I do that though.

David Johnson :prami_pride:

@andycarolan I pulled a face as I read that

David Johnson :prami_pride:

@andycarolan A night’s sleep?!

@alexandra

Andy Carolan :prami:

@ctt LMAO, so did I... and I was the one who wrote it

Andy Carolan :prami:

@ctt LMAO! @alexandra

David Johnson :prami_pride:

@andycarolan