Gelatin to carageenan conversion?

[Sethro]

Is there a specific ratio of gelatin to carageenan that yields equal gelling strength?

[maurdel]

I was just looking for gelatin subs. I've read that agar-agar is to be used in equal amts. as substitution for gelatin powder. Haven't read about carageenan yet.

What will you be using it for?

Have you heard it is a good sub?

[schneich]

carrageenan will never give you the same texture as gelatin, it works differently###

[chiantiglace]

definitely true.carrageenan is a sure thing replacement. It depends on what you are making. If you are trying to make a strong super clear gel then carrageenan is the way to go, but for other gelling applications there may be better alternatives.

I personally like carrageenan almost more than all others for simple gels to be added to the plate. But thats me. I definitely like carrageenan more than agar in almost all gelling areas.

[Sethro]

Looking more for for a mousse stabilizer for parfait and pave and the likes, not a fluid gel or thickener.

Do you need a synthesis with LBG to create solid forms like this?

[chiantiglace]

alginate works pretty good for aerated products. sounds crazy but its true.

[Sethro]

No kidding? By itself? Weird. Any idea of a good % to start experimenting with?

[chiantiglace]

tell me what you want to make and I will formulate something for you.

[Tri2Cook]

Would you be willing to give an example of how you would do something aerated with alginate? I don't have a specific idea in mind that I need a solution for, I just like learning things I don't know (which makes for a very long list of things to learn).

[Lloydchoc]

How about marshmallows?

[Sethro]

How about marshmallows?

←

Methcel works perfectly for that, if don't mind the extra baking step.

[Sethro]

Figured it out more or less. Cooked carageenan into a portion of the puree, combined with full measure of puree to cool, then whipped with methcel and molded. Very sliceable. I'll see if I can go lower on the carageenan % and post a recipe when I get it right.

[Tri2Cook]

Figured it out more or less. Cooked carageenan into a portion of the puree, combined with full measure of puree to cool, then whipped with methcel and molded. Very sliceable. I'll see if I can go lower on the carageenan % and post a recipe when I get it right.

←

Sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what you came up with.

[chiantiglace]

what you should do is, depending on the acidity, is scale an alginate solution between .8% and 1.1%. Hydrate part of the liquid in the alginate, preferable about 15%+ and fold it into the mixture.

Say you are doing chocolate mousse, very simple, you know like 200 grams heavy cream and 200 grams chocolate, nothing else.

So you have 400 grams total, lets just go with 1%. take 4 grams of alginate, hydrate it in about 35 grams of cream (bring to a boil). Then cool it to room temp. It should be quite thick, like set pastry cream, but since it is pseudo-plastic it will get thinner when you agitate it unlike corn starch. So fold your chocolate into the alginate mixture and then in with the cream. Soon enough you will have a very stable chocolate mousse. Of course you won't need to do that for chocolate, but you can do the same for raspberry, or whatever. But if you are using all liquid, you can hydrate the alginate in that instead of the cream.

I have used this to replace gelatin in bavarians and other aerated products.

[Tri2Cook]

That sounds pretty cool. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks.

[Sethro]

/\ Did that work well for you?