Monday, September 8, 2008

Warning: Applesauce Under Pressure

This evening I was making a batch of brownies that called for some applesauce. Already having an opened jar on hand in the fridge, I got it out, not thinking anything of the fact that it had been in there for quite some time (although it has almost a year until its expiration date). Twisting the cap, you can imagine my shock and surprise when a loud popping sound resounded through the kitchen and I found my glasses splattered with something cold and sticky -- applesauce!

Apparently, the applesauce froze from its place at the back of my refrigerator. When I shock its contents up a little, it seems that some pressure built up, so when I cracked the lid, some sort of little chemical explosion occurred. Not only did the applesauce blow up -- complete with a little puff of smoke! -- but the applesauce itself tasted bitter, almost as if it had been spiked with seltzer. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? Or have any of you had a similar "strange but true" kitchen encounter?

As for the brownies, they are currently cooling on the counter. They were unaffected by the applesauce adventure, as I simply opened a fresh jar. But what kind of brownies? you ask, and how do they taste? That, my friends, is a post for another day!

4 comments:

  1. The seltzer taste is fermentation. Keep going and soon you'll have hard cider!

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  2. Well, I threw it away, so I suppose it won't happen this time around! Do you have to do anything else to it? What caused it?

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  3. Oh my goodness! I have never heard of that happening! I bet you didn't know you had a science experiment brewing in your refrigerator.

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  4. I just had the samething happen..it scared the crap out of me and my ears are still ringing! Mine smoked for a while and now its all frothy...im taking it back to Walmart it was a new jar!

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