Each hostess at least once in her life delighted the household with such tasty dishes as aspic or aspic, which cannot be prepared without gelatin. In addition, if this product weren’t, we would not have enjoyed marmalade and jelly. But not everyone knows what edible gelatin is made of . And also not everyone knows that this product contains proteins, vitamins and minerals, which are so useful for the human body.
Methods for producing gelatin
Get this product in several ways. The first thing edible gelatin is made from is the bones of cattle. This product is processed, and the result is a tasteless and odorless substance.
Some manufacturers add blood, tendons, hooves, and other ingredients to bones. This allows them to get more finished products.
But not only bones are made of gelatin. How to cook it in another way, those who purchase a large amount of brown and red algae are well aware. They grow in the Pacific Ocean, in the White and Black Seas. Of course, the product obtained from algae has a different name - agar-agar. However, in its properties, it is in no way inferior to the product obtained from the processing of cattle bones.
Can I make gelatin myself
You can cook it at home, of course, but this process is very long and tedious.
First you need to purchase a large number of bones, pork legs, ears, etc. All this is soaked for eight hours. For a shorter period of time, all the blood simply does not have time to get out of the products. After this, the skin (where it is) is carefully scrubbed, and all the ingredients are washed. All this is boiled in water for several hours.
However, in this way you can cook only aspic or aspic. For the manufacture of other dishes (jelly, marmalade, etc.) it is better to use ready-made gelatin.
Composition of the product
As you already know, this product contains many minerals, vitamins and proteins. Scientists conducted chemical analyzes that made it possible to accurately answer the question of what food gelatin consists of.
It contains glycine. This is a very useful and necessary amino acid for humans. A sufficient amount of glycine in the body helps to increase the level of vital energy, the development of mental activity and normal life in general.
Also in the composition of this product there are (in small quantities) some trace elements. These are calcium, sulfur and phosphorus.
Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
What food gelatin consists of, we already know. Consider the composition of the product as a percentage:
- fats - 0.4%;
- carbohydrates - 0.7%;
- proteins - 87.2%.
A large number of proteins directly indicates that what the edible gelatin is made of is of animal or vegetable origin.
In addition, this product contains amino acids of proteins - hydroxyproline and proline. In the human body, their presence ensures the strength and health of the connective tissues.
Breeding gelatin: how to cook it correctly
For perfect dissolution of the product, it is best to take cold water. If you add gelatin immediately to juice, milk or broth, then its granules will not completely dissolve, no matter what you do, no matter how thoroughly mixed later.
At the bottom of a small bowl (preferably metal) you need to pour one tablespoon of gelatin. After this, the substance is poured into half a glass of boiled chilled water. When using ordinary gelatin, a bowl of water is left for fifty minutes to swell. Instant dissolves in just twenty-five minutes.
After this, a bowl of gelatin is placed over the pan, in which there is boiling water (water bath). For about ten minutes, keep the dishes on low heat, periodically stirring the swollen mass until it is completely dissolved in water. Once the liquid is completely clear, the bowl can be removed from the heat.
There is one rule that you need to remember if you want to learn about how to make gelatin and not spoil it. The product must not be boiled. When the temperature reaches 100 0 C, collagen (protein) is completely destroyed. As a result, gelatin will completely lose its main property - gelation. And this process is irreversible, so the boiled liquid can be poured without regrets and start the whole process again.
The product dissolved in water must be cooled. The optimum temperature is 50 0 C. Before adding the resulting solution to the dish, it must be passed through a sieve. This will get rid of the film, which when heated forms on its surface.
By the way, gelatin does not tolerate not only boiling, but also too low a temperature. The product must not be stored in freezers. When freezing, it crystallizes and subsequently delaminates. After thawing, its gel-forming property also disappears. Such a product can safely go to the trash, after a boiled solution.
Where is gelatin used?
We learned what edible gelatin is made of, and what is prepared from it? In what areas of our life have this product been used?
Of course, most often it is used in cooking. In which dishes only food gelatin is not added. The price of this product is low, and the properties are indispensable. It is used for making mousse, jelly, jellied meat, various aspic and so on. Gelatin is also used in confectionery factories. To enhance the taste, it is added to sweets. This product, added to ice cream, ensures that sugar does not crystallize and proteins do not curdle. Producers of canned meat and fish also resort to his help.
Gelatin will also be a real find for those who dream of impeccably beautiful hair. Vitamin E, which is contained in this product, accelerates hair growth and enhances them. In addition, it contains substances that strengthen the structure of the hair. On its basis, special masks are made, giving the hair volume, shine and elasticity.
Gelatin is used for the manufacture of cosmetics, photo materials, perfumes, printing ink and glue.
This product is also used in pharmaceuticals. Capsules for medicines are made from it. Gelatin capsules well preserve all the properties of the drug, and when it enters the human body they dissolve easily and quickly.