Almost every housewife is familiar with a product such as jelly. It is obtained by special culinary processing of gelling products. They can be used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology. Consider what gelling substances are, what they consist of, why they are used.
General information
These products are classified as nutritional supplements. Their main property is a change in the texture of the product. Most often they are used in confectionery and cooking.
From the point of view of science, these additives are high molecular weight chains. Their individual molecules are long filaments with electric charges at the ends. With a decrease in temperature, they enter into an intermolecular bond. Then, the resulting molecules create a framework inside the fluid. As a result, it changes its texture (the consistency becomes denser).
Below we will tell you what gelling substances are, the assortment, properties, and application.
Kinds
These products are divided into two types - plant and animal origin. These include well-known gelatin, pectin, agar-agar and others.
The most popular and beloved confectionery products would never have received such wide popularity if not for these additives. They are part of jelly, marmalade, various creams and yoghurts, marshmallows and other desserts.
Gelatin
The component relates to gelling agents of animal origin. It has a jelly-like consistency and consists of various protein components of the animal breed. Translated from Latin means "frozen". It is made by digesting bones, muscles, tendons and other tissues containing protein.
Types of gelatin:
- The highest grade of the product is gelatin in the form of the thinnest transparent leaves or plates with a thickness of not more than 2 mm. They swell quickly at a temperature of 35-37 ° C and completely dissolve at 45 ° C.
- Lower quality gelatin is available in the form of granules or grains of yellow color. To prepare it, you need much more time, from 30-40 minutes. In addition, the cooking process itself requires a bit of effort.
- Good quality gelatin has neither taste nor smell. The second-class product has a slight aftertaste and a smell similar to meat. Such gelatin is extremely undesirable to use as a gelling agent used in the preparation of sweet dishes and confectionery.
The benefits and harms of gelatin
This product found its application many centuries ago. For example, the ancient Greeks stored meat with it, making a kind of canned food. Beginning in the 15th century, cooks who were able to create whole jelly compositions in the form of palace complexes were in special honor. In European countries, gelatin was obtained from deer horns. However, this process was very laborious and required special skills. In the XIX century, gelatin began to be produced at large enterprises. In Japan it was made from fish membranes, in America - from pork tissue, in European countries - from bones of cattle.
Gelatin is widely used in various fields: in pharmaceuticals, food industry, medicine, cosmetology, cooking and as a gelling substance for jam.
The use of gelatin is that it contains essential amino acids and proteins for humans. In addition, the course of taking gelatin powder has a positive effect on the body:
- It improves joint mobility and strengthens muscles.
- Saturates the brain with microelements and increases its performance.
- Beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
- Maintains a balance of substances in the body.
There is no harm from gelatin. However, it should be used with caution for people suffering from diseases:
- Kidney.
- Hemorrhoids.
- Atherosclerosis
- Thrombosis.
Agar agar
The product belongs to herbal supplements. Get it by prolonged digestion of gelling substances from algae. Then the resulting mass is filtered and dried.
Produce this component in stages. First, the algae is thoroughly washed, then treated with various alkalis and washed again. After this, they begin to cook and filter. Then the substance is subjected to drying and pressing. The final step is product grinding.
Agar-agar is often used as a vegetable substitute for gelatin as a gelling agent in cooking. It is noteworthy that the idea of using the substance was submitted by the wife of the famous microbiologist Walter Hesse. He later described the gelling qualities of algae and gained fame in academia.
This additive has the most powerful gelling properties and is used in cooking on an industrial scale. The basis is the extracted red or brown algae of the Indian and Pacific Ocean, as well as the Black Sea.
Features and Benefits
Distinctive features of this product:
- The speed and strength of gelling.
- Almost complete lack of taste and smell.
- It is completely dissolved in warm water.
Agar-agar is produced in two grades - the highest (has a light color) and the first grade (from rich yellow to brown). The best quality supplement is made in China. Its gelling capacity is 1 to 300. It is used as a gelling agent for jam and confectionery.
Benefits of this product:
- Saturation with vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
- The lack of calories.
- Lowers cholesterol.
- Improves intestinal function and supports microflora.
- Reduces acidity.
- Cleanses the body of toxins and toxins.
If you use agar-agar in an amount of more than four grams per day, diarrhea and pain in the intestine are possible. You need to remember this and observe the dosage.
Pectin
The discoverer of this gelling agent is Henri Braccono, a French chemist who isolated pectin from plum juice. However, our contemporaries, when studying the manuscripts of the ancient Egyptians, came across a description of "fruit ice" that does not melt. This information is considered the first fact of the use of pectin.
Translated from ancient Greek pectin means "curled up." It is found in most fruits, in certain types of vegetables and algae. Pectin retains moisture, increases the shelf life of products.
The daily dose of pectin necessary for health is 15-25 g, which corresponds to 1.5-2.5 kg of fruit. It is clear that not everyone can eat so many fruits, so you can make up for the deficiency with the help of pectin-containing preparations. It is noteworthy that pectin perfectly fights with excess weight, if you eat it two hundred to three hundred grams per day.
Today mass production of pectin has been established. Those who are interested in what gelling substance is put in jam, it is useful to know that pectin is widely used in the manufacture of sports, diet and medical nutrition. It is produced in the form of powder for jelly, jam and juices. Pectin is also produced in liquid form. Such a product is used for cooking.
The raw materials for the production of pectin are peel of citrus crops, beet pulp and sugar beet, baskets of sunflower. Twenty tons of apple squeeze produce one ton of pectin.
The benefits of pectin
In addition to using this product in cooking, it is used in medicine. After conducting numerous studies, its ability to influence cancer cells has been identified.
Cancer is one of the worst diseases of the current generation. Scientists all over the world are trying to find a vaccine against it, and ordinary townsfolk act with the help of traditional medicine. Pectin deserves special attention.
Cancer cells have the ability to connect, so the tumors grow, and metastases spread throughout the body. The Gal3 protein in the body connects malignant and healthy cells, thus helping the cancer develop. In turn, pectin blocks Gal3 and fights metastases. To prevent cancer, you need to eat more foods that contain healthy pectin.
Here are some of them:
- Mid-latitude fruits - apples, pears, apricots, plums.
- Southern fruits - peaches, figs, bananas, melons, mangoes, pineapples.
- Berries - blueberries, strawberries, dates.
- Vegetables - carrots, beets.
The benefits of pectin:
- Safely removes heavy metals and radioactive elements from the body.
- It fights against microbes, contributes to the development of beneficial intestinal microflora.
- Lowers blood sugar.
- Prevents constipation.
- Saturates the body with beneficial substances.
- Helps to lose weight.
Starch
The substance is a white powder without taste or smell. Reacting with water, forms an adhesive substance. In some plants, the highest concentration of starch is found in leaves and stems, in others - in fruits and seeds. In nature, starch molecules can decompose into sugars, thus nourishing the plant. The same thing happens in our body.
It contains plant starch in cereals and legumes, in potatoes, bananas and other plants. It is used as a gelling agent for jams, jelly.
The benefits of starch:
- It nourishes beneficial intestinal microorganisms.
- Prevents absorption of toxic substances.
- Helps with intestinal upset.
- Reduces the inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Fights constipation and diarrhea.
The most popular starch is potato, but corn, tapioca, rice and wheat are also available. In food production, corn starch is used. It has several advantages compared to other types - the complete absence of color, taste and smell, can be subjected to freezing and heating countless times.
There is refined starch obtained by modifying vegetable. Refined starch is heavily digested by the body and can worsen health:
- Promotes the development of atherosclerosis.
- Causes indigestion and flatulence.
- Increases insulin levels.
- Impairs vision.
- Causes nausea and vomiting.
- Deteriorates the state of blood vessels.
Starch is used not only in food production, but also in light industry (textile and paper).
Carrageenan
This gelling agent is most commonly used in animal feed. Its main goal is to retain moisture and change the substance from the original to jelly-like. Carrageenan does not have any benefits or nutritional value. Get it by synthesis of red algae and are divided into 3 groups:
- Kappa carrageenan. It has the most powerful gelling properties and is used in the production of animal feed and meat products.
- Yotta-carrageenan. It is characterized by less pronounced gelling properties; it is used in the production of suspensions.
- Lambda carrageenan. Does not apply to gelling components.
Guar gum (E412)
The substance is produced during the processing of guar bean seeds. This is an instant white powder that inhibits the crystallization of ice.
The benefits of guar gum:
- Hypoallergenic.
- Lowers cholesterol.
- Reduces appetite.
- Removes toxins.
Guar gum is part of dietary supplements for weight loss. With uncontrolled and excessive use, fatalities are likely. The supplement is not one of the prohibited ingredients, but should be used in small doses.
E412 is a part of dairy products, various juices, jellies and jams, bakery products. It is used as a stabilizer in meat products. Also, guar gum is used in the coal industry, in the production of paper and textiles.
Application in cosmetology
Gelling substances are no less often used in cosmetic products.
Since pectin has a bactericidal effect, it is used in the manufacture of ointments and creams with an antibacterial effect.
Gelatin is often included in styling products for hair, as well as creams with a restoring effect.
Agar agar is added to anti-aging skin care products.
Masks and creams with starch perfectly nourish and moisturize the skin.