Fluid gels – why gelling, then blending?

Hey guys,

granted I haven't tried creating fluid gels myself yet, but I do wonder: Why are fluid gels made by gelling up some flavorful juice into a brittle gel, just to then blend it back up into a fluid? My simple-minded approach would have been to use whatever thickener you have and use it in a smaller concentration (e.g., I once played around with xanthan in coconut milk and managed to create some rather viscous "fluid" without going through the whole process. What am I missing?

Thank you!
Ken

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brian_martin2001

What you're missing is the understanding of how various thickeners and gelling agents work. For example: you mention xanthan gum. You will need to add, by weight, equal amounts of xanthan gum to the liquid (or more xanthan gum) before you get something resembling a gel. The reason there are so many different thickeners and gelling agents out there is because many of them react differently in the chemicals contained in the foods themselves. I recommend you check out some texts on hydrocolloid gums, gelling agents, and other similar food additives. You can also go to supplier websites and get information on the various additives, what physical properties of foods they should be used in, etc. granted, if you want to use any thickener you happen to have on hand, knock yourself out, however, you will not get the same results. Good luck.

Afonso_Tito_de_Morais_164825

I think it's just that certain types of gums gel when cooled and you have to break them down. You could use other gums but these produce better results and to my limited knowledge there isn't a way to skip the gelling process.