A substitute for carrageenan?
We are trying to make nondairy cheese. The recipe calls for Carrageenan and we have arrowroot. How much arrowroot should we use in lieu of the carrageenan?
Best Answer
I doubt very much that you'll be able to substitute any amount of arrowroot for carrageenan. Arrowroot can substitute for other starches, but carrageenan is a gum.
If you want to be able to melt the cheese easily, gelatin is your best bet, and you should be able make a 1:1 substitution (although the process is obviously different - you need to bloom it first, be careful not to overheat, and give it plenty of time to set).
On the other hand, if it's meant to simulate a hard cheese (which is likely if the recipe calls for kappa as opposed to iota carrageenan) then agar-agar is probably a better choice; you'd use about 1/3 of the amount of carrageenan (or less) and, again, it's a different process, you'd basically need to boil it for a few minutes to get decent hydration.
If you're of the mind that gelatin is not vegan (it's technically an "animal product", although it's so heavily refined that the definition is practically meaningless) then you can try the agar-agar substitution, just don't expect it to be exactly the same.
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Quick Answer about "A substitute for carrageenan?"
There are other additives that can replace carrageenan, she says. They include gellan gumCan I use gelatin instead of carrageenan?
Carrageenan Carrageenan, also known as Irish Moss, is a type of dried seaweed extract that can be used in place of gelatin. Carrageenan is flavorless and it sets foods but less rigidly than gelatin. Carrageenan is used in jellies, mousses, soups, ice creams, puddings, and dairy products.Is Agar Agar the same as carrageenan?
The key difference between agar and carrageenan is that agar is extracted from Gelidium and Gracilaria while carrageenan is extracted from Chondrus crispus. Agar and carrageenan are two natural hydrocolloids obtained from seaweed, mainly from red algal species.How do you make carrageenan at home?
Degraded carrageenan, or poligeenan, is not safe to eat. Research in animals indicates that it causes gut tumors and ulcers, and may even trigger colon cancer. Because of the possible danger, fewer studies have investigated the potential effects in humans.Carrageenan - The Science They DON’T Want You to Hear
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