Synergy between guar and xanthan?

Hey guys,

in the cold foam ideas (https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cold-foam-ideas) CS is using xanthan and guar to make chocolate bubbles. I tried this recently with a chocolate chantilly that refused to set and it worked – but I'd like to know more why this synergy (I only knew that LBG and xanthan form a brittle gel) works. Thanks!

Ken

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coryhansen78

From the Handbook of Hydrocolloids, they (LBG and Guar) are both galactomannans (seed-derived polysaccharides "in which the mannose backbone is partially substituted by single-unit galactose side chains"). Both increase viscosity in xanthan mixtures, LBG/Xanthan can gel, but it doesn't say that Guar/Xanthan does.

It goes on to say that the synergistic effect is greater with LBG than Guar , as the ratio of mannose to galactose is higher and "Although there is still much debate as to the exact nature of this interaction, it is generally accepted that the xanthan gum interacts with the unsubstituted ‘smooth’ regions of the galactomannan molecules."

So, there you have it. I learned a few new words today.

Ken_259952

Wow, thanks for that! So... the dumbed-down answer is... a little, but (likely) no gelling

coryhansen78

No prob. Yes, that was my interpretation as well!

The nice thing about using guar is that it doesn't need to be heated to incorporate.

brian_martin2001

While it doesn't go into the synergistic reactions (though book @Cory_Hansen_58 suggest has a wealth of knowledge about all sorts of different ones) here is a link to a specialty chemicals supplier. It's a chart with some of the various hydroccolloids, their chemistry, and the various interactions between them. In your case, I suspect that you may have diluted it too much, or it hadn't been worked enough (last time I made it, I was whisking for a good 8 minutes before it started to thicken) and with the addition of the thickeners: xanthan and guar gum, it thickened it enough for the components of the chocolate to start to coagulate. I hope you find it somewhat useful. Good luck!