The Molecular Gastronomy Party has started!

[kbjesq]

Xanthan gum can be used with guar gum to form elastic textures with a number of ingredients, like chocolate ganache, for example.  It can be added to vegetable or fruit juices to make sauces or purees.  It is used as a stablizer for foams.  There are thousands of possible applications.  It is stable with high acidity and high salt levels.  It is also cold soluble, meaning you won't loose the color or nutritional value of your product by cooking.  Read labels of food items for your insperation.  Most of the products used in "mg" are used in high volume food production.  Often times that is why they were even created. Xanthan gum is used in toothpaste as both a thickener and emulsification stablizer.

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Forgive me if this is sounds stupid, but I still do not understand how this product is used. I have a big jar in my cupboard, unopened, because I wasn't able to find any recipes or ratios for using xanthan. I know it is in a lot of products, as you mentioned, but I don't know how much of it is used, for example, in a bottle of vinaigrette dressing.

Let's say that I want to mix it with fruit juice to make a sauce. What would be the ratio? And what is the technique? Although you state it is cold soluble, does the application of heat have any effect upon it?

[kpzachary]

Xanthan gum can be used with guar gum to form elastic textures with a number of ingredients, like chocolate ganache, for example.  It can be added to vegetable or fruit juices to make sauces or purees.  It is used as a stablizer for foams.  There are thousands of possible applications.  It is stable with high acidity and high salt levels.  It is also cold soluble, meaning you won't loose the color or nutritional value of your product by cooking.  Read labels of food items for your insperation.  Most of the products used in "mg" are used in high volume food production.  Often times that is why they were even created. Xanthan gum is used in toothpaste as both a thickener and emulsification stablizer.

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Forgive me if this is sounds stupid, but I still do not understand how this product is used. I have a big jar in my cupboard, unopened, because I wasn't able to find any recipes or ratios for using xanthan. I know it is in a lot of products, as you mentioned, but I don't know how much of it is used, for example, in a bottle of vinaigrette dressing.

Let's say that I want to mix it with fruit juice to make a sauce. What would be the ratio? And what is the technique? Although you state it is cold soluble, does the application of heat have any effect upon it?

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Try 2 tablespoons too 500cl liquid for a thickened sauce. Just open the jar and try it! Start with water if you like, or orange juice. Make your own recipes! That is what "mg" is all about. Exploring new applications for new results. Start with a little powder and add more until it is as thick as you like. This application is not as complicated as others. Xanthan gum is also heat soluble.

[KendallCollege]

my ratio is 1/2 tsp xanthan to 1 cup liquid. put the two ingredients in a bowl, buzz it with an immersion blender (or whisk) until it appears "thickened", strain, and use.

cheers.

trev.

Edited June 27, 2007 by KendallCollege (log)

[gfron1]

[This isn't necessary a MG question, but the technique is found primarily at restaurants often defined as MG]

I want to create a lemon rind smoke and capture it underneath a glass - ala Alinea's lavender and nutmeg pillows. I'm not up for buying fancy expensive equipment - any ideas?

Right now my thought is to dry a bunch of lemon rinds that are finely minced or shaved. Then light them. Somehow capture the smoke, and somehow direct the smoke to fill the glasses.

[Tri2Cook]

Rob, The Smoking Gun is $49.99 and makes it very easy but it probably wouldn't take you much thought to come up with something yourself to do the same job. Without meaning to reveal too much about my youth, stick a chunk of dry lemon peel on a pin and light it. Have your plates with inverted glasses (containing whatever chunk of food you're serving if that's what you have in mind) ready, tilt the glass up, stick the smoking end of the pin in there, when it's full of smoke pull the pin back and drop the edge of the glass down quickly. It'll stay in there for a bit. Just requires a bit of care to not knock the lemon peel off the pin.

[gfron1]

I burned my dried rind last night and it smelled amaziningly just like burnt paper Not a hint of lemon aroma. I'm going to soak a coffee filter with lemon rind extract and see what that does.

[KLwood]

try the old trick of bending a piece of fresh lemon rind to squirt out the oil into a lit match or lighter, maybe if your sous chef is quick enough , you can capture it under glass...

[Tri2Cook]

I burned my dried rind last night and it smelled amaziningly just like burnt paper   Not a hint of lemon aroma.  I'm going to soak a coffee filter with lemon rind extract and see what that does.

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Hmmm. Well I've never tried lemon rind smoke so that's interesting to know.

[Shalmanese]

I would just try and light the lemon oil instead. Lots of bartenders know the trick.