There is a myth that margarine is an artificial food substance – but believe it or not, it’s not as unhealthy as some people think. The truth is that margarine can be made by using only natural ingredients – foods that can often be found in the average kitchen.
Margarine can actually be a healthy source of fat and other essential nutrients. It contains good fats and minerals such as sunflower oil and other healthy vegetable oils which are blended to make a delicious and healthy spread. It’s so simple you can even make it at home.
These are the basic margarine ingredients:
2 tbsp Sunflower oil
20g Palm/Coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature)
2 tbsp Milk 1 tsp Egg yolk (egg contains lecithin which acts as a natural emulsifier – some margarines contain lecithin derived from sunflower seeds rather than egg)
Lemon (which is a natural preservative)
Salt (which is a natural flavouring agent)
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try your hand at making it yourself, here goes!
- Gently melt the solid coconut or palm oil over a low heat.
- Now, add the sunflower oil to the liquid coconut or palm oil.
- Place the mixture over an ice bath and whisk vigorously to blend the oils together. Note: This cooling process is integral to the making of margarine, so take your time.
- When the mixture begins to reach the consistency of a milky coloured paste, you can remove it from over the ice bath.
- Now the milk can be added along with the egg yolks.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly to make sure all the ingredients are properly incorporated.
- Finally, add lemon juice and salt to taste.
The process from start to finish takes less than 15 minutes and is really easy!
For a little something extra you can add chopped parsley, garlic or chives. It’s a great addition to the flavour profile of your homemade margarine.
Not much changes when we scale this recipe up for mass production, just the proportions. The different oils and fats used in our spreads deliver a range of great tasting and nutritious products. Margarine can be made with a few basic ingredients that everyone is familiar with so why not try Flora margarine? It’s perfect for a variety of meals from spreading on sarmies to baking up a storm.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
