- Author: Launa Herrmann
After the Thanksgiving Day turkey is picked clean from its carcass and we've thumbed through “101 Ways to Use Leftover Poultry,” many think: BEEF. I mean, who doesn't like the sights and sounds of a juicy tasty hamburger patty sizzling on the grill.
But if Stanford University professor Patrick Brown has his way, we'll soon be thinking about the taste of a plant blood patty. At his new company, Impossible Foods in Redwood City, this biochemist created what feels, tastes, cooks and looks like a beef burger. My scant research reveals that the process involves harvesting five plant species and breaking down the greens into plant protein. Also, achieving the right texture to recreate animal tissue is a vital process of creating the final product.
“So far, it has functional versions of fat, connective tissue and muscle made from plant compounds,” writes Evelyn M. Rusi (“The Secret of These New Veggie Burgers: Plant Blood,” Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2014, B-1, B-6).
Since the five plant species haven't been announced to the public yet, I allow my imagination to wander a bit into this brave new world with its demand for a more sustainable food source. At first, this whole concept sounds a bit sci-fi and seems far off. Yet Mr. Brown hopes to sell to stores by the end of 2015, producing more than 1,000 tons a year.
Guess it goes to show that gardeners always can find something every Thanksgiving for which we can be grateful. This year I'm thankful I still have time to raise the fence around my vegetable gardens and purchase a guard dog before the plant blood harvesting trucks hit the road looking for the five specific plant species growing in my neighborhood.
For more information on the above Wall Street Journal article, visit, http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-of-these-new-veggie-burgers-plant-blood-1412725267
Also, check out this link:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/plant-based-hamburger-leaves-blood-plate