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Questions tagged [gelling-agents]

41 questions
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5 answers

Is there a vegetarian gelatin substitute that is as strong as gelatin?

I've made several mold (shaped) desserts with both gelatin and gelatin substitutes, and the substitutes have always failed to hold the shape of fully domed chocolate molds and the like. Are there any real vegetarian substitutes here, or only…
user3579
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Can I make panna cotta using a flavored, non-gelatin "Jell Dessert"?

I'd like to make panna cotta, but all of the recipes I've seen call for unflavored gelatin, and the closest thing I have on hand is a product (Gefen brand Strawberry Jell Dessert) that is neither gelatin nor unflavored: It is a kosher-certified…
Isaac Moses
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What takes over the functions of gluten in gluten-free bread mixes?

Gluten has many effects on bread doughs, as explained in this beautiful answer. I think the main effects for bread doughs are the first three mentioned there: Provide elasticity, presumably because of the network of links it creates in the…
Erik P.
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Which thickener should I use for fake spaghetti out of fruit juice?

I would like to experiment with flavoured 'spaghetti' by taking a juice and gelling it in spaghetti shape, so I could have beetroot strands that I could use in a pasta dish. Anyone done this? Got any tips on gelling agents to use and what I could…
Sam Holder
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What are alternative gelling agents to gelatine? And what are their properties?

I recently was making some orange jelly which was going to be dipped in chocolate. I couldn't use gelatine to set the jelly as it returned to a liquid below the temperature of the melted chocolate. What other gelling agents could I have used, and…
Sam Holder
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How can I make a panna cotta based on Jelly bellys?

I want to make popcorn panna cotta. I had a couple of ideas for this, either steeping milk in popped corn or (my preferred option) melting butter popcorn Jelly Belly beans into the milk and then making a panna cotta from that. These were to be…
Sam Holder
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3 answers

How can I make vegetarian marshmallows?

My girlfriend is vegetarian and we have been trying to make marshmallows at home but so far after over four tries with agar agar we have yet to be very successful. We have made one batch that were tasty - but too dense to really be marshmallows (but…
Shannon John Clark
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Making gelatin from scratch

I found on Wikipedia that it is made from animals' skin and bones. The article describes the steps of gelatin production from a technical perspective: The manufacturing processes of gelatin consists of three main stages: Pretreatments to make the…
Jaime Soto
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How to stop Xanthan Gum from clumping?

Every so often, I make Irish Cream. The problem I have with it is that the cocoa and some of the cream split a bit in the bottle. It's still drinkable, and shaking the bottle fixes it, but I'd rather this not happen. The usual stabiliser for Irish…
Hanii Puppy
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Is there a way to make jam or chutney without Gelatin / Pectin?

I was wondering if there is a way to make jam without going through a gelatin type product. There is no real motive behind that question, except for curiosity
dassouki
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How do different types of thickener actually thicken?

What I'm asking is not chemically how they do it, but rather how does each practically thicken. For example: Thickening with wheat flour is thickened when at boiling point - cooking further does not destroy the sauce/liquid. The thickening effect…
Max
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Can I use guar and gelatine together?

I am baking a fancy cake recipe for the first time, and have trouble with it. Basically, the cake has three layers. The first one is a flourless bisquit. Then there comes a guar thickened puree made of fresh mangoes and grand marnier , and above…
rumtscho
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Why commercial gummies do not melt?

I've noticed that commercial gummies do not melt, even when they are left in the sun, while home made gummies melt even at room temperatures sometimes. What is the secret ingredient? Sugar?
Mary
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How to prevent pureed blueberries from gelling?

I have a sparkling new ice cream machine. The first batch, Philadelphia-style plain vanilla ice cream, worked perfectly. I decided to try a sorbet, and made Lebovitz's Blueberry-banana sorbet, but used less blueberries than in the recipe, because I…
rumtscho
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What type of methylcellulose would be appropriate for gel noodles?

I'd planning to attempt some flavoured methocel noodles; I know that type K is the softest (best for things like marshmallows) but I've never experimented with the firmer kinds and I'm not entirely sure just how firm they get. I'm pretty sure I'll…
Aaronut
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