Alginates and Fruit Juices

[James Hyde]

I've successfully made spheres with basic spherification using a variety of liquids, but I have a problem when trying with orange and grapefruit juice. Before you jump to the answer, please read what I've tried and found so far. Oddly, there are very very few recipes for these juices online, and no discussion of the issue that I have. 95% of all orange juice recipes are for reverse spherification, though I see no reason why it won't work in the basic form.

The grapefruit/orange juice co-agulates or part sets the alginate, so that you get tiny blobs (<1mm). When you drop it into the bath, the balls disperse easily and create a spralling mess. It appears as if the fruit juice is triggering the gelling reaction.

- Calcium content

The calcium content of grapefruit and orange juice is about the same as that of apple or cranberry, which seem common in spherification.

- Acidity

I've tried adding various amounts of tri-sodium citrate to buffer the pH level, but this doesn't have any affect on the above. Strangely, if you add too much sodium citrate to just water and alginate, the same lumpy gelling happens as with the grapefruit juice.

- Not dispersed properly

I thought this for a long time, so in the end I made a double strength water and alginate solution (which spherified perfectly) and then added the juice to this, mixing slowly. Once I'd added more than about 20% of the water volume in juice, it started to turn into a lumpy gel again.

I can see no reason why this shouldn't work, but it clearly doesn't! Can any one explain what reaction is going on?

[ChrisTaylor]

Are you using freshly-squeezed orange juice or a bottled juice?

[James Hyde]

I've tried a couple, all have been bottled/carton - one 'fresh' the others pasteurised. None say they have any added calcium.

[arjunkane]

If you use orange juice then it will be clear and perfect.

[James Hyde]

If you use orange juice then it will be clear and perfect.

I did use orange juice and, as you will have read in my original question, it was not clear.

Perhaps you could offer some insights on what you did to get sphere's using orange juice? What type of orange juice was it? And did you add any buffers to it?