Maintaining solid-oil suspension

What is the best route for maintaining the suspension of solids in oil? It seems xanthan gum might be the answer, but finding surprisingly little detail on its use with oil. Is it just the same as water-based suspensions? Any advice on ratios (hoping to maintain suspension, but not increase viscosity) and whether guar gum is needed also? Thanks!

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tshewman

What is it you are looking to suspend? If you need to thicken the oil to suspend a product, the viscosity has to change.

Alex_S_172761

I'm working with some different dehydrated vegetables, so say, dehydrated beets, or mushrooms (ok, not a vegetable). When blended, they stay suspended for a few hours or a day, but then settle out. The solid matter thickens the oil and increases the viscosity already, so hoping to not make it even thicker than that. Thanks!

tshewman

Thanks! The challenge here is if we are using dehydrated vegetables, they will absorb some moisture thus making them heavier and more difficult to suspend. You could use a various number of hydrocolloids, however, Gelatin is generally easiest (160-170 bloom at about 2% of liquid). But again, there has to be a change in viscosity, otherwise the products will sink. :-(

bkeene12

This is going to sound nuts but might work- re-hydrate some gelatin with club soda, dip each of your dehydrated veggies into this mixture and let them gel. Then try suspending these in your oil. Perhaps, the air bubbles present in the bicarbonate will help the light weight dehydrated veggie stay afloat and avoid becoming oversaturated with moisture when dipped in the gel at the right time. Might be worth an experiment.

Alex_S_172761

If I wanted to keep it veg though, xanthan should work? I've been told elsewhere that any gum should work at .5%. I'll run a test on it within the next few days and report back.