Leftover Molecular Caviar

[bigchef]

I've got a load of leftover "caviar" I made using the ol' spherification method. How long will it keep? Can I freeze it?

[Tri2Cook]

I don't know which method/ingredients you used but they will hold for at least a couple days if you keep them from drying due to air exposure. Syneresis seems to make an appearance with most (all?) methods eventually. I usually just toss leftovers but I've kept them around just to see what happens and eventually even the solid agar/LBG-cold oil pearls turned into a pool of liquid with bits of gel floating around.

[bigchef]

Good info but will they freeze and thaw for reuse? I wondered about using the frozen spherification method from alinea. Droping the frozen spheres in the bath to form the membrane but then place them back in the freezer to us later? That way I can always have some spheres ready. Will it work do you think?

[GlorifiedRice]

I wonder if they will keep well in a jar of vodka?

[avaserfi]

What form of spherification did you use? The most basic form will not keep well. The liquid will continue to gel until the whole sphere is a solid piece of jelly, no longer caviar. Freezing may slow the process, but it doesn't take that long for the full gelling to occur in my experience.

[bigchef]

What if they where spheres? Would the reaction continue and make them solid? What if you painted on a thin layer rather than letting them sit in the bath and placed the frozen spheres back in the freezer?

[avaserfi]

What if they where spheres? Would the reaction continue and make them solid? What if you painted on a thin layer rather than letting them sit in the bath and placed the frozen spheres back in the freezer?

As far as I know the the shape doesn't matter, if you used 'basic spherification' (a liquid mixture with sodium alginate placed in a bath of calcium chloride) the reaction continues even after it is removed from the bath. In contrast, if you used 'reverse spherification' (a liquid mixture with both calcium gluconate and calcium lactate in a bath of sodium alginate) then the process stops upon removal from the bath.

My understanding is the reverse technique can be stored for later use, but it is not advisable to store the basic approach.

Edited July 1, 2011 by avaserfi (log)

[bigchef]

Excellent! I wonder why people wouldnt stick to the reverse method if it is more stable? Can I freeze them using the reverse method after they have formed?

[Tri2Cook]

Spheres with the calcium source in the sphere base that are dropped into an alginate bath won't solidify but syneresis is still an issue over time. Freezing will prevent that from happening while frozen but seems to amplify the problem upon thawing with the methods I've worked with.

The best result will always be from doing them the day you need them and only doing enough for that day in order to minimize waste. You can stretch it for a day or two by storing them in the same base they are made from (adding the calcium source, if used, to the storage bath isn't necessary but doesn't seem to hurt either... unless you're using calcium chloride which you really don't want to use in the base anyway) which will prevent drying and slow the effects of syneresis. There are also synergistic ingredients that can be used in the base that will help combat syneresis but eventually it always has it's moment.

Of course, with some spherification methods that moment doesn't arrive until well past the timeframe that I would still want to serve the spheres to anyone. They're subject to spoilage just like any other food product. One thing you could do if you're freezing the spheres before dropping them in the gelling bath is to just keep those frozen and drop them in the bath as you need them. Drop them in a warm water bath when they come out of the gelling bath and they thaw quickly. Not really an option for pearls/caviar though. Most types of spheres/caviar are fine being made pre-service but they really don't lend well to stocking up or saving leftovers for future use.