Cooling it Down: A look at Freeze-Dried Jalapeño's through GC-MS
Location
CoLab, COM 259
Start Date
30-4-2026 12:00 PM
Document Type
Poster
Description
The project focuses on the chemical characteristics of Jalapeño peppers with emphasis on freeze-drying. The primary objective is to identify key compounds within Jalapeño peppers that give them their distinctive features, such as aroma, flavor, and potency; furthermore, the experiment aims to determine whether or not freeze-drying Jalapeño peppers removes any of the compounds. Compounds are identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The procedure includes homogenizing the peppers via steam distillation to extract an oil. That oil is then mixed with Methylene Chloride and dried using a drying agent to remove any water from the mixture. The resulting mixture is then analyzed using GC-MS. The compounds found in freeze-dried and non-freeze-dried peppers are compared to determine whether freeze-drying peppers removes their distinct features.
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Cooling it Down: A look at Freeze-Dried Jalapeño's through GC-MS
CoLab, COM 259
The project focuses on the chemical characteristics of Jalapeño peppers with emphasis on freeze-drying. The primary objective is to identify key compounds within Jalapeño peppers that give them their distinctive features, such as aroma, flavor, and potency; furthermore, the experiment aims to determine whether or not freeze-drying Jalapeño peppers removes any of the compounds. Compounds are identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The procedure includes homogenizing the peppers via steam distillation to extract an oil. That oil is then mixed with Methylene Chloride and dried using a drying agent to remove any water from the mixture. The resulting mixture is then analyzed using GC-MS. The compounds found in freeze-dried and non-freeze-dried peppers are compared to determine whether freeze-drying peppers removes their distinct features.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Todd Watson.