Marshmallows, marmalade, marshmallows - all these sweet foods are prepared using the thickener agar-agar. He is rightfully considered the most powerful of all known gelling agents. Unlike gelatin, which is a mixture of protein components of animal origin, agar-agar has a plant nature. This is a dietary product that has a number of useful properties and is widely used in cooking. In the confectionery industry, agar agar is known as food supplement E406.
When preparing homemade desserts, working with this thickener is much easier than with gelatin. But not everyone knows how to do it right. We will talk about how to use agar-agar in our article. Below we will surely present step-by-step recipes for dishes based on this gelling agent.
What is agar-agar: composition and properties of the product
The strongest of all gelling agents has the ability to form dense gelatin in aqueous solutions at much lower concentrations than gelatin. Agar-agar is a thickener of plant origin, obtained by extraction (extraction) from red algae growing in the Pacific Ocean. Externally, the substance is a yellowish powder or plate. Unlike gelatin, agar-agar cannot be dissolved in cold water, but only in hot water at a temperature of 85-95 °.
Among confectioners, a natural thickener is known as a safe food supplement E406, which has no taste or smell. Agar-agar has a different gelling ability, which is determined by its labeling: 700, 900, 1200. Therefore, the higher the specified value, the less substance should be added to the aqueous solution.
Most housewives often use gelatin when preparing homemade desserts, since not everyone knows how to use agar-agar. In fact, everything is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. The main thing to remember is that for the formation of jelly, only 1% agar-agar is required in relation to the weight of the finished product.
Cooking Application
Agar-agar is widely used in the food industry as a thickener. It is used in the manufacture of marshmallows, marmalade, candy, chewing sweets and other jelly sweets, soufflé, jam, confiture, ice cream, various sauces and even concentrated soups. It is sold in the form of powder, plates, flakes and long ribbons. But in China, agar-agar is made in the form of hard jelly, which has no taste, and served with various sauces that enrich its taste. It is also used as a thickener for juices and other meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Use agar-agar, like gelatin, should be by adding it to various liquids. Only for its dissolution requires a temperature of at least 85 degrees, and 38 ° is enough for solidification. In this case, when re-heated, it again returns to its original state.
How to use agar-agar powder: proportions
As mentioned above, a natural thickener of plant origin is soluble only in hot water and its concentration is much higher compared to gelatin. This is important to remember before using agar-agar. Otherwise, the technology of its application should not cause any special difficulties.
When working with agar-agar, the proportion should be adhered to: 2 g or 1 teaspoon of powder per 200 ml of water. But it matters both the acidity of the medium and the desired density of the finished dish. When diluting agar-agar in juice, its concentration in a liquid medium must be increased by 1.5 times, since acid reduces the gelling properties of the thickener. Thus, to thicken 200 ml of juice, you will have to take not 2 g, but 3 g of powder.
Depending on the desired density of the final product, the proportions of agar-agar and liquid will be as follows:
- for jelly - 0.8 g of powder per 500 ml of liquid;
- to obtain a soft texture - 1.3 g of thickener per 500 ml of liquid;
- for jelly - 5 g of agar-agar per 500 ml of water or juice;
- for sweets - 7 g of dry matter per 500 ml of an aqueous solution.
The benefits of agar-agar over gelatin
The main difference between the gelling agents presented is as follows:
- Agar-agar is a plant product rich in polysaccharides, mineral salts and algae pectins. It is much more useful than gelatin, which is a processed cartilage and tendon (connective tissue) of cattle.
- Dishes prepared with the addition of agar agar harden faster and do not "float" at room temperature.
- The plant product has antibacterial properties and inhibits the development of harmful microorganisms in dishes, thereby extending their shelf life. But it is equally important to know how to use agar-agar.
- Solutions prepared on the basis of plant powder are always transparent, whereas on gelatin they turn cloudy.
How to use jelly agar?
Work with agar agar as follows:
- Prepare a stewpan by pouring 200 ml of water (broth, juice or other liquid) at room temperature into it.
- Pour 2-4 g (1-2 tsp) of agar-agar in powder form into the prepared container, mix and soak it for 15 minutes.
- After the time has passed, bring the contents of the stewpan to a boil, constantly stirring it so that the agar-agar is completely dissolved.
- Add flavoring agents to the aqueous solution: fruit slices, spices, herbs.
- Pour a viscous and clear liquid into prepared containers. Cool the jelly first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator. After complete cooling, the agar-agar-based dish will have a dense, strong texture.
To understand whether the amount of agar agar was calculated correctly, a teaspoon of the prepared jelly should be placed in the freezer for 30 seconds. If it is frozen, then the proportion is correct, and a viscous liquid can be poured into containers. If the mass remained liquid, add a little more powder to the stewpan and bring its contents to a boil again.
Jellied Agar Agar
Using the thickener in the preparation of jellies, there is no doubt that the dish will turn out to be necessary in terms of density of consistency. It can easily be cut with a knife into portions to serve. You can learn how to use agar-agar for jellied meat from the following step-by-step instructions:
- Remove skin from 1.2 kg of chicken thighs. Put the pieces of the bird in the pots and pour water. Bring to a boil, then drain the first water.
- Put the hips back to the bottom of the pan. Top with peeled carrots, onions, salt (1 tsp), several peas of allspice. Pour ingredients with 3 liters of water.
- Cook the aspic for 1 hour. 10 minutes before the end of cooking add bay leaf.
- Put all the components of the dish on a plate, separate the meat from the bones, and cut the carrots into circles.
- Strain the broth. Add 10 g of agar agar to it. Put the pan with the broth on the fire and, stirring with a whisk, cook it after boiling for 1 minute.
- Put the meat in a container, spread the carrots on top. Pour the broth on agar agar. Allow the dish to cool at room temperature, then put it in the refrigerator.
Souffle on agar
To prepare such an amazingly delicious, festive dessert is the power of every housewife. Knowing the proportions of the thickener and the liquid base, it is easy to figure out how to use agar-agar for soufflé.
To prepare a dessert you need to do this:
- Agar-agar (5 g) pour warm water (30 ml) for 15 minutes.
- Beat soft butter (100 g) with a mixer with condensed milk (2 tbsp.). Put the resulting cream aside for a while.
- In a stewpan over medium heat, boil sugar syrup from 400 g of sugar and 100 ml of water. It must be boiled to a temperature of 120 °. It will take about 8 minutes.
- Remove the stewpan from the heat. Add soaked agar agar to it and mix.
- Return the stewpan to a small fire. While stirring, boil the syrup for 2 minutes. At the same stage add lemon juice to it (1 tbsp. L.)
- Beat the whites of 3 eggs to a state of strong foam. Pour hot syrup into them in a thin stream. Beat for 5 minutes, then add oil cream and turn off the mixer immediately. Put the dessert in glasses and cool.
Cherry Jam with Natural Thickener
From the following instructions, you can learn how to use agar agar in jam:
- Soak powder (3 g) in cold water (50 ml) and leave for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Put the pitted cherries (800 g) into a saucepan and pour sugar on top (500 g).
- Put on a small fire, bring to a boil and cook after that for 20 minutes.
- Add agar agar. Stir well and after 3 minutes remove the pan from the heat.
- Arrange the jam in sterilized jars.