jasonsand

I personally would not use pectin, I usually use agar agar or gelatine. We make 4 qt batches at a time and use up to 20 sheets of gelatin per batch, and sometimes even then it needs an extra sheet or two. The nice thing about gelatin vs. pectin is that the gelatin does not have acid problems like you have ran into, and that you don't need to bring the gelatin up to as high of a temp. Agar Agar is nice, because it really doesn't care what temp you set it at, it just wants to set asap! hehe

I just bought some tapioca maltodextrin and have played with a few powders, but I am curious if it is possible to cook with these powders. I have heard of Bobby Flay doing a molten lava cake that reconstitutes in your mouth and would like to replicate it. I have not seen it, but the thought of the liquid center reconstituting in your mouth is very interesting to me. Any help would be good. I have also tried some veggie powders and found that if you mince the item well, and run it through the microwave at the lowest power setting while stirring it every so often, you can get a great powder. I usually will run it through a processor one more time after drying for a fine powder. I have done this with beets, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. Another option is to use a juicer, and dry the pulp using the same method. That also works quite well, it is a bit quicker due to lack of water content, and you can use the juice for another project.