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Gelatin


foodietraveler

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Sheet gelatin is generally preferred by many professionals because it is flavourless and, moreover, less likely to lump. The substitution formula is usu. rendered as 5 sheets = 1 Tbsp granulated. After soaking the sheets for a few minutes in very cold water, they're squeezed gently.

If you're using dry gelatin powder, remember to slake it first w/ a little cold water in order to soften & hydrate the crystals. Then, when hot water (no more than 180° F.) is added, the moist crystals will readily dissolve.

If gelatin desserts develop a rubbery skin, either the surface of the prepared gelatin was overly exposed to air; or, possibly, there was too high a proportion of gelatin to liquid.

"Dinner is theater. Ah, but dessert is the fireworks!" ~ Paul Bocuse

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Sheet gelatin is generally preferred by many professionals because it is flavourless and, moreover, less likely to lump.  The substitution formula is usu. rendered as 5 sheets = 1 Tbsp granulated. After soaking the sheets for a few minutes in very cold water, they're squeezed gently. 

If you're using dry gelatin powder, remember to slake it first w/ a little cold water in order to soften & hydrate the crystals. Then, when hot water (no more than 180° F.) is added, the moist crystals will readily dissolve. 

If gelatin desserts develop a rubbery skin, either the surface of the prepared gelatin was overly exposed to air; or, possibly, there was too high a proportion of gelatin to liquid.

I thought I might check out using sheet gelatin in place of the packets, so did some googling and became more confused. Perhaps you could amplify a bit on how to choose what kinds of sheet gelatin one uses.

For example, there seems to be various grades/types (?) of gelatins. The Uster site implies that all these types of sheets have different gelling power and that the number of sheets you need to use would vary depending upon which type is used.

here

(To add to that mix, the site you linked to has "silver" sheets.)

Another site, however, says, categorically:

Leaf or sheet gelatin is the same substance as granulated gelatin, just packaged and sold in a different form. It is more widely used in Europe (and shows up in more European recipes) than in the States.

The gel-making ability of sheet gelatin is constant no matter what its size, so four leaves equal the amount of gelatin in the standard 1/4-ounce packet sold here. Leaf gelatin dissolves a little less readily than granulated gelatin, which is surely another reason that it is not as popular in our speed-obsessed kitchens.

here

One last issue is storage: one site suggests only 10 months, but I know that the packets last way longer than that.

"Half of cooking is thinking about cooking." ---Michael Roberts

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Interesting and confusing............

"How do they differ?"......Powdered gelatin and sheet gelatin can be used interchangeably. How to prepare them for use- differs.

Powdered gelatin is first dissolved in cold water (or another cold liquid that's in your recipe). The tiny gelatin granules will "bloom" or blowup/expand in size as they hydrate. Typically your mixture will become solid (not hard, but not liquid anymore) as the gelatin expands. You then need to heat this up to melt the gelatin before using in your recipe.

Sheet gelatin comes in thin sheets that are hard and dry. You also have to hydrate this before using like the powdered gelatin. Unlike dryed gelatin-the sheets don't need to be hydrated in a exact amount of liquid. The sheets will absorb only so much liquid, and they will change from being hard and dry to soft and rubbery. You then squeeze out the liquid that clings to the sheets of gelatin. Again, you have to heat this to dissolve the gelatin.

I think using sheets of gelatin is easier then using powdered gelatin. But the convience isn't enormous. Sheets are easier for professionals because we can have a bowl full of hydrated sheets on hand and just pull out and count how many sheets we need per-recipe. (This is a bit confusing-but....) Some professionals also hydrate a large quantity of gelatin and scoop out how much then need per-recipe (but this involves more knowledge in calulating how much per weight you need to gel to a certain consistancy). I often dissolve my sheet gelatin right into my hot ingredients in my recipe. Where as with hydrated dryed gelatin, I prefer to heat it to dissolve in a seperate step (not dirrectly in ingredients from my recipe)- so I can visually see that it's evenly dissolved.

It does get tricky figuring out how to sub. sheet gelatin for dried in recipes. Because as pointed out earilier theres several grades of gelatin. I personally have not seen a difference in quality between these different grades (but I trust they exist in a more scientific test then what I do with recipes). But they weigh different amounts which makes them stronger or weaker depending upon their weight. W. Glissen writes " Sheet gelatin is available in various sizes, ranging from 1.7 to 3 g.". So......a sheet that weighs 1.7 g. is almost half the amount of weight of a sheet weighing 3 g. It will take you almost 2x the amount of the 1.7 sheets to thicken the same amount of liquid as the 3 g. sheet.

So to know how many sheets of gelatin one needs to sub. it for dried you have to know what kind of sheet gelatin you have. For bronze sheets of Gelita brand gelatin I use them as 3 grams per sheet. I have another brand of sheet gelatin at work right now that works out to be 2 grams per sheet. So those Gelita sheets are a bit thinner then my current brand.

I follow and believe the info. at the A. Uster site is more acurate then the info. at the other site linked. I've never experienced qelatin having a limited shelf-life. I've kept it for years and found it to work just as well as freshly purchased gelatin.

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I will by no means attempt to posit my views as being authoritative on the subject of gelatin. During my apprenticeship in the late 1980s, I was encouraged to focus on gelatin as something of a “secret agent” stabilizer. It would function so admirably when used to give a featherweight mousse the wherewhithal to firm up a layer in gâteaux, or firmly restructuralize a chibouste. I have not used leaf gelatin for quite a while, so your best bet would be to ask someone such as Nightscotsman to field your queries. He, and his colleagues, would certainly be apprised of recent developments in its food science, as well as in the optimal selection & handling of the products.

I am perhaps not absolutely certain, but it is consistent w/ my recollection that leaf (or sheet) gelatin has an almost indefinite shelf life – particularly when it is stored properly in a cool, dry environment.

I’ve had good success w/ the softened, unflavoured granulated form of gelatin by popping it in the microwave to hasten dissolving it. I buy bulk packages because they are freshness-dated (the old stuff just doesn’t perform well). Normally, 7 grams will be sufficient to set 500 ml. of liquid.

Incidentally, the first tip I ever learned about gelatin, years ago, was that a very small amount added to whipped cream will prevent it from weeping when it has to stand a while before serving. Be cautious about never adding too much gelatin to anything! After all, rubber is for tires!

"Dinner is theater. Ah, but dessert is the fireworks!" ~ Paul Bocuse

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What we were taught at the world pastry forum is that there are different potencies of gelatin. It has to do with how they process it and how concentrated it is. The stuff we get in the U.S. is weaker than what the use in other countries from what I understand. I believe it was Japan that was mentioned as using really super concentrated stuff.

Pamela Wilkinson

www.portlandfood.org

Life is a rush into the unknown. You can duck down and hope nothing hits you, or you can stand tall, show it your teeth and say "Dish it up, Baby, and don't skimp on the jalapeños."

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Thanks to all of you. I'm presently "sharing" my kitchen and have done practically no baking of late, but plan to go on a spree when I get it all to myself again.

A local bakery uses a very thin colorless, tasteless, soft "glaze" on some fruit tarts. I've been wondering what it is and thought it just might be a very light gelatin. Or is it some special product only for bakeries?

"Half of cooking is thinking about cooking." ---Michael Roberts

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Some pastry cooks producing a large output, may prefer to use commercially prepared glazes, such as this Italian product (available in either neutral or apricot flavour) .  Packed in big (13kg/26lb) containers.

http://www.ipsa.it/novage.jpg

Ah, that satisfies my curiosity, but as a home cook I guess I'll stick with making an apricot or red current glaze. I don't make that many fruit tarts.

As for my local baker, I guess she lied when she said she made it in house and then looked inscrutable. :blink::blink::blink:

"Half of cooking is thinking about cooking." ---Michael Roberts

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As for my local baker, I guess she lied when she said she made it in house and then looked inscrutable.  :blink:  :blink:  :blink:

I'm not sure if I understand completely...........but- yes you can make your own clear glaze or nappage. Pierre Herme has a recipe in his book........in fact I've made it. I didn't totally agree that it's flavor is neutral though and since have used purchased apricot glaze just because it's so handy.

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I have a few chef friends that rail against the vileness of powdered gelatin when compared to sheet gelatin. I seem to be more sensitive to flavors than anyone I know and I can't detect any taste in hydrated powdered gelatin. I think my friends are just biased against supermarket fare.

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OK, I just thought I would weigh in with the little bit that I've learned about gelatine:

First off, I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but the sub-title of this thread is misleading - leaf or sheet gelatine is not "fresh". both it and powdered gelatine are essentially the same product just in different forms.

I have read that sheet gelatine comes in at least a couple different strengths, though I only have experience with a single brand (that seems to gel the same as powdered), so I'm afraid I can't help much there.

Most gelatine is derived from pigs, though fish gelatine is available and reportedly kosher. And don't believe anyone who tells you that sheet gelatine is flavorless while powdered isn't. In school we made an old style recipe for marshmallow that used a shockingly large amount of sheet gelatine and the pork flavor came right through the vanilla. Nas-ty.

In school we also learned that when rehydrating or blooming gelatine, it is best to either soak briefly in cold water right before you use it, or if you want to pre-bloom it to use later, scale no more than 3 times it's weight in water to soak in a closed container. For example, you would use 30 grams of water to bloom 10 grams of gelatine. The reason is that if you leave the gelatine to soak in a big bowl of water it will contine to absorb more and more the longer it sits, thus adding more moisture to your recipe and affecting its outcome. Of course the ideal recipe includes the soaking liquid in the ingredient list so that there is no question of variability, but how often do we get ideal recipes?

At work we purchase several different types of neutral clear glazes for various uses. I believe most of them are pectin and or vegetable gum based rather than gelatine based. At the recent IBIE show here in Vegas, I saw a new clear glaze called "Miracle Glacage" that really impressed me. The demonstrator was using the warmed product to glaze fresh strawberries and the look was a beatutifully thin, crytsal clear shine that set instantly. When I touched the surface it was soft, but not at all sticky - unlike the glaze we spray at work that is very fragile to the touch. On tasting I found the flavor completely neutral and only slightly sweet. The rep also said you could add flavorings or even chocolate for other uses. More info here.

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Olivier Bajard also taught us that the warmer your room is, the more water it is going to absorb also. He said it comes from many sources but what is sold commercially is generally pig so no need to worry about that "crazy cow" thing as he put it. He also informed us that there's not much in humans so we're not worth much as far as gelatine goes. :biggrin: I can't remember what he called it and I don't have the name of the measurement in my notes, I want to say bloom was the word but I'm not sure about that but he said what we use in the U.S. runs about 110 and what they use in Japan is 600 so their stuff tends to run much stronger. Interesting stuff.

Pamela Wilkinson

www.portlandfood.org

Life is a rush into the unknown. You can duck down and hope nothing hits you, or you can stand tall, show it your teeth and say "Dish it up, Baby, and don't skimp on the jalapeños."

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  • 9 months later...

I'm adapting a professional recipe for home cooks. The recipe (for a caramel sauce) calls for gelatin sheets dissolved in hot water.

1. Can I substitute 1 sheet for 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder?

2. Does the gelatin powder need to be dissolved in cold water, hot water -- does the temperature matter anyway?

Thank you very much for any help you can provide, I appreciate it!!

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1 sheet of gelatin equals 1/10 of an oz

1 tblsp equals 1/3 of an oz. So no you cant switch that out

They can be substituted by exact weight

1 sheet gelatin to 1 tsp powdered gelatin

1 oz powdered to 1 sheet

1 tablespoon to 3 sheets

gelatin sheets have to be softened in cold water and clarified by heating to a liquid. Powdered gelatin has to be sprinkled over the surface of a liquid to soften.

When heating gelatin you must not go over 130 degrees or it loses its setting power a lot.

Edited by chiantiglace (log)

Dean Anthony Anderson

"If all you have to eat is an egg, you had better know how to cook it properly" ~ Herve This

Pastry Chef: One If By Land Two If By Sea

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gelatin sheets have to be softened in cold water and clarified by heating to a liquid.  Powdered gelatin has to be sprinkled over the surface of a liquid to soften.

im not sure if you forgot this or not...but it has been my experience that even the powdered gelatin , even when you sprinkle it over the surface of a liquid to soften...that liquid also needs to be heated before you sprinkle the gelatin over it...otherwise you wind up with a lumpy wet mess but not much more...you will still need to make sure when heating the liquid for the pwdered gelatin that you still dont take it over the above suggested temperature....

this is just what ive learned through trial and error

a recipe is merely a suggestion

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it is not necessary to heat the liquid before sprinkling over. The reasons you are getting lumps is either your agitating it by mixing/stirring after sprinling over or your not using a container that has a large enough surface area. If you over lap the gelatin it can never reach the water to absorb it.

Dean Anthony Anderson

"If all you have to eat is an egg, you had better know how to cook it properly" ~ Herve This

Pastry Chef: One If By Land Two If By Sea

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1 sheet of gelatin equals 1/10 of an oz

1 tblsp equals 1/3 of an oz.  So no you cant switch that out

They can be substituted by exact weight

1 sheet gelatin to 1 tsp powdered gelatin

1 oz powdered to 1 sheet

1 tablespoon to 3 sheets

Err... not sure I agree with all that.... :wacko: (one ounce of powdered has A LOT more strength than one sheet)

First of all...It all depends on the strength of the sheet gelatin you're using. Sheet gelatins come in a wide variety of quality (and therefore strength). I use, for instance, platinum sheets --which are more expensive, refined, thinner, but more economical--and which have a relative strength of 235 -265g. Silver can be half strength of that... about 130. Bronze is in the range of 125-155, and gold 190-220.

Sooooo.... it may take 3, 4 or 5 sheets to do the same thickening of 2 cups liquid. Thickening is also relative (do you want it to just gel a bit so not runny, or do you want Jello Jigglers?)

If you are trying to sub weights when using sheets, it is far better to use grams, not ounces, as it is more precise with such small amounts. Most sheet gelatin will say on the side of the box what the weight is (one gram)

As for standard granulated (powdered) gelatin measurements:

1 packet = 1/4 oz = 2 and 1/2 teaspoons

Regardless, both kinds of gelatin must first be bloomed (softened in COLD never warm water) and then heated gently (never boiled) to melt/dissolve in order to add. Sheets are usually squeezed out so there's no excess water, and added directly to a warm liquid. Granulated gelatin is usually bloomed in a specific amount of liquid/water, and the whole thing is then warmed to melt and added (both the granular and water which have congealed into one mass). You never just sprinkle granulated gelatin over something you want to thicken.

If you have a cold liquid mixture that you want to add the warm melted gelatin to, then 'temper' it in. That is, don't just try to stir in the liquid gelatin: you will only get little clear lumps or pieces in your mixture. Rather, first stir a small amount of the mix into the gelatin, then add it back into the bigger bowl of mix.

Also, be sure not to use gelatin with bromelin-heavy fruits, like fresh/frozen pineapple, guava, figs, kiwi or gingerroot. The Bromelin enzyme destroys the protein bonds in the gelatin, subsequently no gelling will occur. (Cooking or other processing, like canning pineapple,will destroy the bromelin.)

I like to cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.

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Thanks for the (contrarian) advice, simdelish.

I think I'm going to test out this section of the recipe with slightly varying amounts of powdered gelatin and different recipe temps to see what works best. Doesn't look like this conversion will be as straightforward as I'd hoped.

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well, its usually NOT necessary to explain the bloom factor of gelatin to homevakers because the most common used gelatin is gold, and people that dont know about gelatin usually will find gold more at there disposal. Which is by a great chance what they are going to use.

Dean Anthony Anderson

"If all you have to eat is an egg, you had better know how to cook it properly" ~ Herve This

Pastry Chef: One If By Land Two If By Sea

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  • 2 months later...
Something that was brought up, but I don't know answer to. Simple question. Why do the gelatin sheets have lines? Is it so that the sheets can be flexible?

-Steve

I think the sheets have lines so that you can easily subdivide the sheet...

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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