How to use agar-agar: composition, application and proportions

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Marshmallow, marmalade, marshmallow - all these sweet products are prepared using agar-agar thickener. It is considered to be the strongest of all known gelling agents. Unlike gelatin, which is a mixture of protein components of animal origin, agar-agar is of 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 additive E406.

When preparing homemade desserts, this thickener is much easier to work with than gelatin. But not everyone knows how to do it right. We will tell you how to use agar-agar in our article. Below, we will definitely present step-by-step recipes for dishes based on this gelling agent.

What is agar-agar: the composition and properties of the product

The strongest of all gelling agents hasthe ability to form a dense jelly in aqueous solutions in much lower concentrations than gelatin. Agar-agar is a plant-based thickener obtained by extraction (extraction) from red algae that grows in the Pacific Ocean. Externally, the substance is a yellowish powder or plates. Unlike gelatin, agar-agar cannot be dissolved in cold water, but only in hot water at a temperature of 85-95 °.

Among confectioners, natural thickener is known as a safe food additive E406, which has no taste and smell. Agar-agar has a different gelling ability, which is determined by its marking: 700, 900, 1200. Therefore, the higher the indicated 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 difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing to remember is that only 1% of agar-agar is required for the formation of jelly in relation to the mass of the finished product.

Use in cooking

Agar-agar is widely used in the food industry as a thickening agent. It is used in the manufacture of marshmallows, marmalade, marshmallows, 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-agarIt is made in the form of a hard jelly that has no taste and is served with various sauces that enrich its taste. It is also used as a thickener for juices and other meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

Agar-agar, like gelatin, should be used by adding it to various liquids. Only for its dissolution, a temperature of at least 85 degrees is required, and 38 ° is enough for solidification. At the same time, when reheated, it returns to its original state again.

How to use agar powder: proportions

As mentioned above, the natural vegetable thickener dissolves 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 particular difficulties.

When working with agar-agar, you should adhere to the proportion: 2 g or 1 teaspoon of powder per 200 ml of water. But the acidity of the medium and the desired density of the finished dish also matter. When diluting agar-agar in juice, its concentration in a liquid medium must be increased by 1.5 times, since the 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;
• for soft texture - 1.3gthickener per 500 ml 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.

Advantages of agar-agar over gelatin

The main difference between the presented gelling agents is as follows:

1. Agar-agar is a vegetable product rich in polysaccharides, mineral s alts and algae pectins. It is much he althier than gelatin, which is processed cartilage and tendons (connective tissue) from cattle.
2. Dishes cooked with agar agar set faster and do not float at room temperature.
3. The vegetable product has antibacterial properties and inhibits the development of harmful microorganisms in dishes, which prolongs their shelf life. But it is equally important to know how to properly use agar-agar.
4. Solutions prepared on the basis of vegetable powder are always transparent, while on gelatin they turn out to be cloudy.

How to use jelly agar?

Work with agar-agar as follows:

1. Prepare a saucepan by pouring 200 ml of water (broth, juice or other liquid) at room temperature into it.
2. Pour 2-4 g (1-2 tsp) of agar-agar powder into the prepared container, mix and soak for 15 minutes.
3. After the time has elapsed, bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil, stirring constantly so that the agar-agar is completelydissolved.
4. Add flavoring additives to the water solution: pieces of fruit, spices, herbs.
5. Pour a viscous and transparent liquid into prepared containers. Cool the jelly first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator. Once completely cooled, the agar-agar based dish will have a firm, firm texture.

To understand if the amount of agar-agar is calculated correctly, a teaspoon of prepared jelly should be placed in the freezer for 30 seconds. If it is frozen, then the proportion is correct, and the viscous liquid can be poured into containers. If the mass remains liquid, add a little more powder to the saucepan and bring its contents to a boil again.

Juice with agar-agar

Using a thickener in the preparation of aspic, there is no doubt that the dish will turn out to be the consistency necessary for the density. It can be easily cut with a knife into portions to serve. You can learn how to use agar-agar for jelly in the following step-by-step instructions:

1. With 1.2 kg of chicken thighs, remove the skin. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then drain the first water.
2. Put the thighs back on the bottom of the pot. Top with peeled carrots, onions, s alt (1 tsp), a few peas of allspice. Pour the ingredients with 3 liters of water.
3. Simmer jelly over low heat for 1 hour. 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add the bay leaf.
4. Put all the ingredients of the dish on a plate, separate the meat from the bones, and cut the carrots into circles.
5. Strain the broth. Add 10 g of agar-agar to it. Put the pot with the broth on the fire and, stirring with a whisk, cook it after boiling for 1 minute.
6. Put the meat in a container, spread the carrots on top. Pour the products with broth on agar-agar. Allow the dish to cool at room temperature, then put it in the refrigerator.

Agar-agar soufflé

To prepare such an amazingly delicious, festive dessert is within the power of every housewife. Knowing the proportions of the thickener and liquid base, it is easy to figure out how to use agar-agar for soufflé.

You need to prepare dessert like this:

1. Agar-agar (5 g) pour warm water (30 ml) for 15 minutes.
2. Mix soft butter (100 g) with a mixer with condensed milk (2 tbsp.) Set aside the resulting cream for a while.
3. In a saucepan 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 °. This will take approximately 8 minutes.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add soaked agar-agar to it and mix.
5. Return the saucepan to a small fire. While stirring, boil the syrup for 2 minutes. At the same stage, add lemon juice (1 tablespoon) to it
6. Beat the whites of 3 eggs until stiff. Pour hot syrup into them in a thin stream. Beat for 5 minutes, then add the butter cream and immediately turn off the mixer. Divide dessert between glasses and set aside.

Cherry jam with natural thickener

Following instructions you can learn how to use agar-agar in jam:

1. Powder (3 g) soak in cold water (50 ml) and leave for 15 minutes at room temperature.
2. Put pitted cherries (800 g) into a saucepan and top with sugar (500 g).
3. Put on a small fire, bring to a boil and then cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add agar-agar. Mix well and after 3 minutes remove the pan from the heat.
5. Spread jam into sterilized jars.