Ultra-tex

[adey73]

Just got some Ultra Tex 3.

Have people got links to examples of usages for as many applications as possible? (esp, 'papers')

thanks

Edited June 5, 2008 by adey73 (log)

[Tri2Cook]

I have Ultratex 3 and Ultrasperse 3 in the toy box but I haven't done anything beyond basic stuff with them. Making an uncooked "custard" or thickened sauce is generally as simple as putting the base you want to use in a processor and adding it little by little until you get the texture you want. It doesn't seem to require any precise numbers or ratios for that use. I haven't explored it's limitations (acidity, alcohol, etc) so I don't know if they are factors. There was a post on Ideas in Food about doing sheets with Ultratex. I don't remember it mentioning specific ratios or amounts but they discussed the basic concept which is enough to go on for a little trial and error session. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Tiny]

different substances use different amounts, a good starting point is 4-6% you may need a little less, may need a little more.

In my last class I used some UT3 in my entremet project. I made a smoked cherry, vanilla bean and port puree, I thickened it with the UT3 and used it as an insert. I also thickened some OJ and spread it thin on a silpat and dried it in the oven to make OJ fruit leather tuilles.

Ive also used it in the past to make a kiwi coulis that had the flavor of fresh kiwi and was bright green.

UT3 is awesome stuff!!!!!

[chefpeon]

Ok you guys. Please tell the rest of the class about what the heck Ultra Tex is.

[Tri2Cook]

It's right here Chef...

http://www.foodinnovation.com/FoodInnovati...aspx?pid=585234

They have a lot of cool stuff if you browse through the products here...

http://www.foodinnovation.com/FoodInnovati...duct%20Selector

[Tiny]

Ultratex 3 is a modified tapioca starch that is cold water swelling. It thickens like a cooking starch, but it doesn't need to be cooked, it is flavorless and doesn't have a starchy mouthfeel.

[Qwerty]

I would say it is "relatively" flavorless, but still no more intrusive than a traditional starch, i.e. corn, arrow, potato, etc. I've used it in the past and have noticed that it does indeed have a subtle taste to it. Very subtle though.

It's good for a lot of stuff, but it's main use is, like previously stated, to thicken cold liquids to a proper consistency. It's good if you want to preserve freshness, like in the kiwi coulis example above.

It has a similar function of xantham gum but I think the flavor/texture of ultatex is much superior. There is a new product called ultatex 8 on the market which is basically a more refined version of ultatex 3 but even more powerful.

it's one of the more user friendly and more applicable techniques/products to come out of the "molecular gastronomy" movement.

[chefpeon]

How does it compare to Instant Cleargel?

[OldSchoolMeetsNew]

Hello I just received a shipment of Ultra tex, 4,3, and 8 and was wondering what are their best uses...can u really make papers with them as described on willpowder.net? Any tips or suggestion are much appreciated. Thank you

[tomdarch]

I forgot that I had ordered some Ultra-Tex 3, and found it yesterday, so I decided to play around with it. First up was (after discovering that my blender had conked out) "cornstarch" chocolate pudding. About 500g milk, some sugar and cocoa powder (forgot to write down amounts). I added the Ultra-Tex a few grams at a time and blended with a hand immersion blender. After about 15g, I realized that the milk was very cold, so I gave the mix 2 runs in the microwave of 30 seconds to bring it from cold to luke-warm. That didn't seem to have an effect on thickening. I kept adding Ultra-Tex in 5g amounts. At 25g there was noticeable thickening. I stopped at 30g because I could hear that my small immersion blender was straining. The result was a bit thinner than I would like for a pudding, but it's acceptable. I didn't notice a specific taste from the Ultra-Tex, but the overall taste was a bit different from the stove-top/cornstarch version, possibly because the milk is not heated/scalded.

My other experiment was thickening 150g of room temperature soy sauce. I put in a bit at a time and around 9g, I had a nicely thickened "sauce". It wasn't so thick that it would "stand up" or form peaks, but dripped and spread on a plate, it had enough body to stay in place. As for taste - no so great - not because of the Ultra-Tex, but because a mouthful of soy sauce is a bit too much.

[cookman]

Does anyone know if Ultra-Tex 3 can be used as a substitute for Ultrasperse 3? I'm trying to follow a recipe from MC that calls for the latter, but can't find a source for it on the web. Are the two products comparable?

[Tri2Cook]

Does anyone know if Ultra-Tex 3 can be used as a substitute for Ultrasperse 3? I'm trying to follow a recipe from MC that calls for the latter, but can't find a source for it on the web. Are the two products comparable?

Ultrasperse is less prone to clumping when added to cold liquid but you can use the Ultratex in it's place. It's the number after the name (3 in this case) that is the main differential to pay attention to. If they're both "3", it will work in a 1:1 swap with these products.

[Msk]

I've used Ultratex 3 to make Balsamic "Chips".

Balsamic Vingar

5% Utex3

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dehydrate

The thickened glaze tastes pretty darn good by itself, though I haven't used it for meats or anything.

Mike

[cookman]

Are there some basic rules on when to use the 3 vs the 8?

[Tri2Cook]

Are there some basic rules on when to use the 3 vs the 8?

I'd go with the 8 unless you just want or already have both. It does the same job with less product and is more stable in acidic preparations. Recipes developed around the 3 can use the 8, just use less. Recipes developed around the 8 may or may not work as well with the 3. With delicate flavors, the increased volume of the 3 might start masking things a bit. With higher acidity, it may not remain stable as long using the 3. But in most cases the two are pretty much interchangeable with modifications to the amount used.