Why do we soak and squeeze gelatine?
I can only assume we use gelatine with liquids (or at least the majority of time it's to set a liquid) - so why soak it first? And why do we then squeeze it? I would assume it's to get rid of something but my searches return no results.
Best Answer
Gelatin sheets are soaked in cold-to-room-temp water in order to soften and rehydrate them slightly before stirring them into the (often hot) food. If you were to try to stir a sheet of gelatin directly into hot liquid, you'd find that it behaves a lot like cornstarch. It clumps up immediately and produces unpleasant-to-eat chunks that only a blender and a chinois have a hope of removing.
You squeeze it after soaking to remove excess (unflavored) water from the exterior. Otherwise, each sheet might bring along quite a bit of water, which will seriously affect the consistency of a product you expect to set up, and might affect the taste of even something like a braise to which you are adding the gelatin just for body.
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Quick Answer about "Why do we soak and squeeze gelatine?"
Although we mention that gelatin melt at about 35 degree C, if we soak it into water, the gelatin absorb the water and soften, we have to squeeze the excess water out of gelatin sheets.Why is it important to soak gelatine?
Like flowers and adolescents, gelatin needs time to bloom. This means it can't be added to any recipe as-is -- first, it must take a quick soak in some cold water. This hydrates the gelatin and ensures that your final product will have a smooth texture.Why do you soak gelatine in cold water?
First, soak gelatin in cold water or another cool liquid to hydrate its dried protein network so that it dissolves easily. (If you add gelatin directly to hot liquid, it will stick together and form lumps.) After soaking, simply heat the water/gelatin mixture (or add hot liquid) and stir to dissolve the gelatin.How do you soak gelatin?
Soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from bowl and squeeze out excess water. Next, dissolve the leaves in the warm or hot liquid that you want to set. If your liquid is cold, slowly warm the mixture to a low heat and add the soaked gelatine leaves.How and why to successfully soak (bloom) gelatin! #CookingTipsAndTricks
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