Gelatin, pectin, agar? These Dessert Coagulants You Need to Know

French desserts inherit the romantic characteristics of the French and have an unshakable position in the dessert world.Chicken Collagen If you have two Paris dreams in your heart, one is on the Champs Elysées, and the other is in front of the dazzling dessert windows. Under the colorful shapes, every step of the pastry chef from selecting ingredients to processing is almost perfectly presented.

People who love making desserts must be familiar with gelatine. As a common coagulant in baking, it has the wonderful ability to turn decay into something magical. Under the action of gelatine, the originally soft and sticky batter condenses into The dough becomes soft and smooth.

In addition to gelatine, commonly used food coagulants include carrageenan, agar, pectin, etc. They have different characteristics, usage, and effects,Collagen Peptides so some friends who are new to the circle may feel confused.

Today I have compiled for you the usage of several commonly used coagulants in desserts and some details that need attention. Especially those who are new to baking, please take out your notebook and write it down!

1.Gelatin

Also known as gelatin or isinglass, it is an animal protein colloid extracted from the bones, skin and tendons of cattle, fish, and pigs. It will have a fishy smell before use, but it will dissolve at room temperature (above 25 degrees).5g Gelatin Sheet It has a soft texture and a little stickiness. It can be used in desserts to create a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

High transparency, but slightly yellowish. When used, gelatine flakes are more translucent than gelatine powder and are often used to make pudding, mousse, Italian cheese, etc.

Instructions for use: Soak the gelatine slices in ice water until soft, remove and drain, then add them to the heated ingredients to dissolve before use; pour the gelatine powder into 5 to 6 times the cold water to allow it to fully absorb water. Pour into the heated ingredients before use.

Precautions when using gelatine:

The main component of gelatine is protein. Prolonged heating may destroy the protein and reduce the coagulation power. Therefore, when using, add gelatine to the heated ingredients and then stop heating.

Some fresh fruits, such as kiwis, pineapples, peaches, etc., contain proteolytic enzymes that will hinder protein coagulation. Therefore, this type of fruit should be boiled until it boils to destroy the enzyme components, then cooled slightly before adding gelatine, otherwise it will be difficult to solidify.

Salt and acid will reduce the coagulability of gelatine. If the content of these two in the formula is high, the amount of gelatine can be increased appropriately.

Sugar reduces the gelatine's ability to set, so the higher the sugar content in the product, the softer the texture.

When using gelatine powder, pour the gelatine powder into water evenly and slowly. After dissolving, it will have a more transparent texture. On the contrary, if water is poured directly into gelatine powder, crystallization blocks will easily occur.

2. Pectin·Pectin

It is a polysaccharide extracted from citrus, apple and other fruits. When making jam, it is added to increase the consistency. It can increase the viscosity of foods with high sourness and sugar content such as jam.

It can be divided into two categories: HM pectin and LM pectin. Unlike agar, Hantian, and gelatin, it can coagulate highly acidic foods and dairy products. Often used for decoration of jam and mirror pectin.

Instructions for use: Pre-mix with 5 to 8 times the amount of sugar or other powders, then add other raw materials and mix for use.

3.Carrageenan

Carrageenan is also known as eucheumarin, gelatian gum, carrageenan, and carrageenan, because carrageenan is a hydrophilic colloid extracted from red algae seaweeds such as eucheuma, gellidium, and carrageenan.

It has a smooth texture and no viscosity, which makes it taste good in desserts. Compared with gelatine and agar, carrageenan has a higher transparency and gloss. Widely used in making jelly, pudding, ice cream, pastries, soft candies, etc.

Instructions for use: Mix with some sugar first, then add it little by little while stirring. Then add it to a liquid above 90°C and dissolve before use.

4.Agar

Agar, known as "Kanten" in Japan, is a colloidal substance, also known as Kanten, Kanten, frozen powder, agar gum, agar-agar extract, Kanten, and cole slaw. It is a type of vegetable gum. It is a seaweed polysaccharide mainly extracted from seaweeds such as Gelidium, Gracilaria, Terminal Porphyra, and Featherweed.

Agar is a translucent, amorphous powder, flakes or granules, with several different shapes such as thin strips, long strips, flakes, and small pieces. The taste is refreshing and smooth, with no viscosity, and the pastry is soft and crumbly when you bite it. It is often used to make yokan, almond tofu, etc., and cannot be replaced with gelatine.

Instructions for use: Soak the agar strips in cold water first, remove them and heat them together with the liquid until they melt; agar powder is directly put into the liquid and boiled until it melts. Hantian powder is basically the same as agar powder, but its solidification is usually stronger than agar. , please read the package or recipe carefully for the dosage, because the dosage is not the same when the two are interchanged, gelling temperature: refrigerated (below 10°C)

The effect of using coagulant:

It presents a sense of transparency and highlights the color of the ingredients. The coagulant used is directly melted, transparent and odorless. Since it has no color, it can bring out the color of the ingredients better.

Increases setting power so desserts set softly. Desserts made with gelatine should be refrigerated to solidify. Although both carrageenan and agar can solidify at room temperature, when making cold spots, they need to be refrigerated to firm up the structure and increase the flavor.