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Questions tagged [thickening]

116 questions
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Could I add butter to single cream to make whipped/double cream?

I want to make some whipped cream for millefeuille but I only have single. If I added butter to single cream and whipped it, would that add enough butterfat to it to make it suitable for whipping? Thanks in advance.
Marche101
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Common ingredient to thicken the soup

Yesterday, I had some cooked rice and poured in coconut milk. The can turned out to be bigger than expected so the contents got a bit too "loose". One way was to cook some more rice, of course. However, I wonder, is there another commonly usable…
Konrad Viltersten
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What is the binding power of starches vs flour?

I was surprised to read the answers to a recent question on thickening - two of the three, including the accepted answer, suggested using cornstarch instead of flour to save calories. I have always assumed that flour and starch are so close in…
rumtscho
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Gluten-free alternatives to beurre manie/roux for thickening sauce?

I'd like to thicken the sauce for my Thanksgiving turkey a bit, without making it inedible for my gluten-intolerant guests. From other questions on this site, I understand that corn starch would be an option, but it might give a more starchy…
Erik P.
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Why do light and dark roux have different effects when thickening sauces?

When you are using a roux, the darker it is, the less it acts as a thickening agent in a sauce and, vice versa, if the roux is quite light, it has more of a thickening effect. Why is this?
Jack Armstrong
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What are some vegan thickeners for beverages?

I need a vegan thickener that dissolves well and doesn't have any flavor. I tried tapioca flour the other day and it didn't dissolve very well and left a powdery mouthfeel. Cornstach is not bad. Arrowroot seems to work like cornstarch but it seems…
paul
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How to decide whether to reduce a sauce or thicken it?

The approach I always adopted to thicken a sauce is to reduce it so the water can evaporate, leaving a sauce that is more concentrated. Earlier, I watched a video where the host was talking about thickening agents such as flour. Looking up on…
Amine Hajyoussef
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What are the Standard Terms Used to Describe Liquid Viscosity in Cooking?

When describing the thickness of a sauce or other liquid when cooking, what are the standard terms that should be used? I've heard things like "gravy-like" or talk of coating metal spoons, but I'd like to know if there's a list of "standard terms"…
Levi Hackwith
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Xanthan Gum v. Guar Gum v. Cellulose Gum v. Glucomannan

Of these four titular ingredients, can someone please help elucidate for me when one would want to use each one? So far the only one I've used personally is glucomannan(konjac root flour), and I have used it in a pudding and in cakes, both of which…
user2649681
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How can I thicken my mushroom sauce?

Recently I have been making Crimini mushrooms like this: Purchase a small container from the store Quick rinse it at home in water to clean the dirt off In a small pot, I place a half stick of butter and marscapone and then simmer it While simmering…
Travis J
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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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What's a good cornstarch/flour to broth ratio for a chicken-broth gravy?

I have found that chicken broth or stock does not thicken as easily as beef broth or stock will. I often find myself adding too much flour or cornstarch, hoping the chicken broth will thicken, but in the end all I have is starchy tasting…
JustRightMenus
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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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Thicken stew/sauce twice with flour

When making a stew, I forgot to add flour before the liquid. To thicken the stew, I added some slurry (flour + cold water). However, it was not enough. I would add more slurry, but I found this website (2012) that says If you've prepared a dish…
user2966394
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What can I do to thicken the mixture in a meat "cup?"

I've got a pound of ground beef in the refrigerator that I need to use by tonight, and have been eating pasta and hamburgers in unusual abundance lately so my usual standbys of ragù and patties are pretty much off the table. While searching for…
Aaronut
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