Measuring Food Quality

with a Brix Meter

(refractometer)
April 17, 2008
Larry Howard
Bloomington Chapter
of the
Weston A. Price Foundation

Brix What is it?

Brix is the ratio of Total Soluble Solids
(TSS) to water in solution
25 Bx = 25% TSS by weight (e.g. 25
grams of solids to 75 grams of water)
The sapor juice squeezed from the
leaves of plants contains mostly sugar
molecules but also smaller amounts of
minerals, amino acids, vitamins, plant
hormones, and proteins.

Brix How is it measured?

A refractometer a device with a
prism, a numeric scale and an
eyepiece
a 2-3 drops of plant juice are
squeezed onto the prism and a
demarcated line is viewed on the
scale

Why Brix?
Higher Brix higher nutrient density
(assumption)
Higher Brix better taste (widely
acknowledged)
Higher Brix resistance to rotting
Higher Brix resistance to disease
Higher Brix resistance to frost

Higher Brix Higher Quality!

(Useful Link:
http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm)

Variables
Plant hydration a heat stressed plant,
hot windy conditions, or dehydrated
plant sample can affect results

dehydration of the plant or the sample

leads to false high readings

Temperature calibration at 68 F

theoretically, higher temps lower

reading, lower temp higher reading

Experiments
Fruits/veg from different sources
Same produce, fresh vs. aged
Same plant, different times of day
Same plant, differing weather
conditions
Different plant varieties
Skins-on vs. Skins Off

Purchasing
~20$ -- 300$ and up
Google Shopping Brix refractometer
Technika -- ~$55
Features

scale 0 30 Bx is desirable
digital vs. manual readout
auto temperature calibration, manual temp.
calibration or no calibration (must use a table)
Specs: accuracy (+/- %) and precision (1, .1,
etc.)

Sample Results
Earthbound Farm Organic baby carrots 5
Grimmway Farms Organic whole carrots 9
Tomorrows Organic Russet Potatoes 7.5
Celery 3
Lacto-fermented cucumber relish 8
Oregon Tall Fescue 9
Juice from supermarket orange 11.2
Saturated salt solution at 69F 27.5

Social Hazards (tips)

Poor results are common dont despair
Work for improvement not perfection:
from poorfairgoodvery
goodexcellent
Careful when assessing others
products/gardens!
Offer to pay for samples, explain
yourself, right to refuse (Im looking for
a higher sugar content)

Brix Chart (partial)

from International Ag Labs, originally produced by Dr. Carey Reams