Category "gelling-agents"

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 th

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

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

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

Why did my "Turkish Delight" turn into a horrible goopy mess?

I don't normally make a lot of confections but decided recently to try a few new things. Yesterday I used this recipe for Turkish delight which I originally fo

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 manu

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 choc

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

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 successf

Are there alternative ways to test fruit preserves for doneness?

I've tried twice to make fruit preserves using only the natural pectins in the fruit. The first time with plums where the jam was much to thick, and yesterday o

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

Is methyl cellulose edible?

I blend methyl cellulose for cosmetic products (I use the fine powder). Is methyl cellulose edible? I want to make an edible gel without sugar; just stevia and

What is the difference between liquid and powdered pectin?

We have powdered pectin and have a recipe that calls for liquid. What are the differences between the two? How are they made? How do their uses differ? How do y

What can I do to dry out my marshmallows?

The recipe that I used did not call for cornstarch or corn syrup. The result is that they are slightly wet. Can I do anything to dry them up, such as dusting th

Can I substitute agar-agar for gelatin in pudding?

Can china grass (agar-agar) be substituted in place of gelatin when making pudding? Or is there any other ingredient i could use as a substitute that could give

Does Arabic gum help keep frozen yogurt soft?

I'm trying to make frozen yogurt manually (no machine), but I would like it to be soft-scoop. My first batches froze hard (tasty but hard), regardless of whethe

How do different types of thickener actually thicken?

What I'm asking is not chemically how they do it, but rather how do each practically thicken. For example: Thickening with wheat flour is thickened when at bo

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:

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 Leb

Can agar-agar be used in fondant icing in place of gelatin?

Can china grass (agar-agar) be used as a substitute to gelatin in fondant cake icing?