Beware of The Molecule Myth: Know the Truth

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Now we’ve heard some strange stories in our time, but this one has got to take the proverbial (margarine-based) biscuit! Lately there seems to have been some bizarre rumours floating about margarine being ‘one molecule away from plastic’! We’re not too sure where this has come from or what the link could be between margarine and plastic, but we’re determined to make sure we set the record straight and eliminate this margarine myth once and for all.

Is margarine plastic?

In a word, no. The idea is pure ‘nonscience’ and the phrase ‘one molecule away from’ is essentially meaningless. That’s what the Montreal Gazette tells us and it can be dangerous to listen to these urban margarine myths too; using margarine as part of a healthy, balanced diet could be the way to a more nutritious diet and more active lifestyle for you and your family.

The margarine making process is a healthy, natural recipe using nutritious ingredients that keep us supplemented with good fats and vitamins we need. Margarine combines natural plant oils harvested from all over the globe, with water, – yes, good oil’ H2O.

Now normally oil and water aren’t so keen on mixing together, but we use the help of lecithin. Lecithin is the bit in egg yolk that bind our cake mix ingredients together and it’s called an emulsifier. Using an emulsifier the oil and water combine beautifully to form the smooth, spreadable and satisfying margarine texture we love.

Add to the mix a little salt for flavour, a squeeze of preservative to keep our margarine lovely and fresh and a healthy dose of vitamins A and D for a nutritious bonus and we’re away? Now can you see any similarity between margarine and plastic there?

You can even make your very own margarine in your kitchen at home. We would not advise making your own plastic though! All you need to do is:

Blend half a cup of milk or soy milk in a food processor for one minute. Add in one cup of vegetable oil, slowly and steadily, and blend for another two minutes. Make sure you choose the vegetable oil you like the taste of best, because it really will affect the flavour. Add in a few drops of liquid lecithin (you can pick this up from your local health food shop) and blend until the mixture is the right consistency. Add in a few drops of lemon juice as a preservative and season to taste. Seal in an airtight container and keep in your fridge. You can try adding all sorts of flavours and spices to create your own personalised blends.

Hopefully we’ve cleared up that particular margarine myth for today and let us know how you get on with your home-made margarine, we’d love to see how it works out!