Those who like to spend their free time preparing various dishes, of course, know what sheet gelatin is. This product is often used in cooking.
Detailed description
If you use the literal translation from Latin, the word "gelatin" sounds like "frozen". This definition expresses the essence of the product itself. Connecting with any liquid medium, it gradually changes its state of aggregation. After a while, the mixture becomes solid, while remaining quite plastic. Such a substance goes on sale in the form of small granules, but there is also sheet gelatin.
On the shelves of stores it can be found in the form of a set of plates, each of which is packed in a separate film. Few people know that sheet gelatin has a rather complex chemical composition. In addition to useful minerals (calcium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus and manganese), it contains many different vitamins (PP, C, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 and E). In addition, gelatin is rich in collagen, which is so necessary for a person to strengthen bone tissue and joints. It is important to eat it not only for young children during the formation of the body, but also for adults as a guarantor of strength. Sheet gelatin is also rich in amino acids. The main one is glycine. This substance is a kind of source of energy and induces an active life. And proline and hydroxyproline help to cope with the deposition of salts and restore bones after fractures.
Application area
Having dealt with the composition, you need to understand where sheet gelatin is used. How to use this substance for cooking?
Basically, it is an obligatory component in the formulation of various desserts (jelly, puddings), as well as cold meat and vegetable snacks. At the mention of this product in memory immediately pops up a jelly familiar to everyone from childhood or, as it is also called, aspic. By the way, few people know that this dish is considered useful precisely due to gelatin. After all, meat is a pantry of protein, and it contains very few useful amino acids. With this gelatinous supplement, it is possible to make up for the missing amount. The dish immediately becomes a real accumulator of vital energy. Sometimes boiled meat or fish is simply poured with a layer of gelatin. It looks very impressive and in addition it turns out quite tasty. In the confectionery industry, the gelling component is used to prepare various creams, yoghurts, mousses and candied fruits. A useful ingredient not only changes their consistency, but is also a good nutritional supplement.
Finished product
Experienced culinary experts and housewives are well aware of the gelatin sheet Ewald. It can often be found in stores in packages of very different weights.
The product is manufactured by the famous company Ewald-Gelatine GMBH from Germany. It looks like thin wafer sheets, which can contain from 10 to 200 pieces in a box. A distinctive feature is that it practically does not have any taste or smell. This is very convenient and does not limit its scope. The technological process of manufacturing a sheet product is not particularly difficult. The liquid mass prepared in advance is formed in the form of thin plates, and then dried in such a way that the mass of one product becomes about 5 grams. Each unit is wrapped in cling film and placed in a cardboard box. After that, it can be safely stored in a dry room for up to three years. Such gelatin is very convenient to use, which determines its customer demand.
Preliminary preparation
To begin the process of working on any dish, the product must first be prepared. To do this, you need to know how to breed sheet gelatin. To do this is not at all difficult.
The procedure is quite simple and takes very little time:
- The plate must be removed from the packaging, separated from the film, and then laid on the bottom of a clean dish and pour necessarily cold water. After 5 minutes, it will become more transparent and elastic.
- After this, the product must be wrung out, removing excess moisture, and then put it in a pot with boiling water. The container should be placed on a small fire. There, with constant stirring, the substance should dissolve, while changing the viscosity of the liquid.
- Now the finished composition must first be cooled slightly, bringing the temperature to 45 degrees. After that, it can be mixed with the main product. After spending some time in the refrigerator, the dish will look like jelly.
Sometimes they use a different training option. With it, dissolved hot gelatin is separately poured into the mold. Then, having waited for it to completely harden, carefully use a knife to separate it from the dishes and lay it on the surface of the finished dish. More often this option is used in the confectionery industry.
Cooking method
To have a complete picture of the product, you need to know how sheet gelatin is made. The photo gives only a general picture of the finished product. The raw materials for its production are cases of tendons and cartilage left after cutting the carcasses of cattle. First, they are washed well, and then subjected to prolonged heat treatment. For several hours, the fibers are boiled in a large amount of water. The result is a clear and slightly viscous liquid. After that, they give it a certain shape in the form of plates, and then dried to a relative humidity of less than 15 percent. Such sheets can be used both as an ingredient for the main mixture and as a semi-finished product. For example, you need to decorate a cake or another dessert with green leaves or make butterfly wings. They are easy to make from gelatin. To do this:
- First, hold the plate in cold water.
- Then, when it swells, print a pattern on the surface using a special form.
- After that, apply food-grade paint with a brush.
- Cut products with ordinary scissors.
A dessert decorated with such details will look very beautiful, appetizing and natural.