News Article

Bedford Park, IL, March 01, 2008 – A traditional flavoring in Thai and other Pacific Rim and Caribbean cuisines, lemongrass proffers an intriguing hint of citrus without the lemony bite. Several trend watches name lemongrass as one of the top flavors for 2008. Refreshing and light with a hint of ginger, one would never suspect such a delicate flavor was so difficult to process for commercial use. Lemongrass is a true tropical grass with plenty of fibrous matter. So despite its popularity and intriguing flavor, lemongrass was an impractical commercial ingredient until today.

Vegetable Juices, Inc., is the only commercial supplier in North American of fresh, pureed processed lemongrass. Lemongrass in its native state has the consistency of razor grass. The experts at Vegetable Juices worked for months to perfect a special cutting process creating a whole puree that “melts in your mouth,” according to Jeff Wells, marketing manager for Vegetable Juices.

The company offers three different types of lemongrass, frozen with no preservatives, one refrigerated with citric acid and vinegar and salt (destined for salad dressings) and one soft frozen variety. The soft frozen line, produced using a proprietary formula, offers formulators a scoopable form of lemongrass in a frozen state. The frozen product takes up to 48 hours to thaw. Refrigerated product offers a six-month shelf life while the frozen and soft frozen is twelve months. Each type of pureed lemongrass is shipped in 40-lb. pails.

While a natural environment for lemongrass is Pacific Rim and Caribbean cuisine, lemongrass is a popular ingredient for fusion dishes and works well into frozen entrees, sauces, curries and salad dressing. The creative culinologist might include lemongrass in baked goods such as cookies, sweet breads or cheesecake, or include lemongrass as flavoring in ice cream, says Corporate Chef Chris Stepan. Stepan has even created a lemongrass ganache filling for truffles. Specific formulations utilizing VJI pureed lemongrass are available on the web site. Interested parties can utilize Vegetables Juice’s culinary expertise and expansive new kitchen facilities to develop custom products.

The pureed form of lemongrass VJI offers would especially be suited in the foodservice environment, for a rapidly expanding QSR chain, for example, that utilizes lemongrass without expending the man power or time to chop it manually. “We eliminate the fiber to create a smooth puree with consistent quality,” says Wells, “that is ready to use in any environment, from a busy restaurant kitchen to a large-scale production line.”

For more than 70 years, Vegetable Juices, Inc., has been a leader in converting natural produce into flavorful, high value-added products for industrial use. For more information contact Jeff Wells at 888/776-9752 or visit www.vegetablejuices.com.