Gelling Agents

Hey foodies!

Gelling agents play an essential role in cooking and baking to achieve perfect textures in your creations. Between gelatin (powder or sheets), agar-agar, pectin and Kappa carrageenan, it can sometimes be difficult to find your way around and know which one to choose for your needs.

In this article, we explain everything you need to know: when and why to use each gelling agent, how to dose them correctly and use them effectively. To answer all your questions, a detailed FAQ awaits you at the end of the article!

Gelatin

Gelatin, of animal origin, is made from collagen extracted from bones, skin and cartilage. In solid form, transparent, odorless and tasteless, it plays an essential role in baking and cooking. It allows you to achieve perfect textures for mousses, entremets, creamy fillings and many other preparations.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 16 to 20 gr per liter of preparation, depending on the bloom of your gelatin. This quantity can be adjusted according to the desired texture.
• Thermoreversibility: Yes (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Gelatin-based preparations can be frozen.

Blooms, explanations and calculations

The bloom measures the gelling power of gelatin. The higher it is, the firmer the gel obtained will be. In baking, blooms generally range between 50 and 300. To give you an idea, the "standard" bloom is 200.

Blooms are also recognizable by a color code:

• Extra gold: 240 blooms
• Gold: 200 blooms
• Silver: 180 blooms
• Bronze: 160 blooms

Adjusting the quantity according to the bloom:

To adjust the amount of gelatin based on the bloom, use this simple formula:

(Required weight x Required bloom) / Available bloom = Weight to use

Example:

If a recipe calls for 10 gr of gelatin at 200 blooms and you have a gelatin at 160 blooms:

Calculation: 10 x 200 / 160 = 12.5 gr

You will therefore need to use 12.5 gr of your 160 bloom gelatin to obtain the same gelling power.

For the curious: other uses of gelatin

Gelatin, much more than a simple ingredient for pastries, is also used in cooking as a gelling agent, thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier. It helps clarify juices and broths, improve the texture of ice creams and jams, and reduce the fat content in certain desserts.

Outside of cooking, gelatin also plays an important role in the medical, food and pharmaceutical industries. For example, for vaccines, it is sometimes used as a stabilizer to maintain their effectiveness during storage.

Sheet Gelatin

In Switzerland, gelatin sheets are commonly used by home bakers for baking and cooking. Easy to find, they are available in most supermarkets. Gelatin sheets are generally of porcine origin.

Usage: Soak the sheets in a jug of cold water for about 5 minutes to rehydrate them. Squeeze them out and incorporate them into a hot liquid brought to a boil, stirring until completely dissolved.

Please note their weight, which can vary: a Swiss sheet weighs 1.66 gr, while a French sheet weighs 2 gr. It is therefore important to adjust the quantity used according to your recipe to obtain the right result.

Powdered Gelatin

Powdered gelatin, which comes from beef, pork or fish, offers alternatives suitable for different diets and preferences.

We particularly recommend it for making mirror glazes, as it allows you to achieve a perfect glaze, neither too elastic nor too gelatinous.

Usage: Weigh the exact amount of gelatin using a precision spoon scale. Add 5 times its weight in cold water, mix, then let it rest for 10 minutes to hydrate properly.

Replacing sheet gelatin with powdered gelatin is possible!

It is perfectly possible to replace sheet gelatin with powdered gelatin, and vice versa.

Example:

If your Swiss recipe calls for 3 gelatin sheets, this corresponds to 1.66 gr x 3 = 4.98 gr of gelatin.

In this case, weigh 5 gr of powdered gelatin in a bowl, add 25 gr of cold water, mix with a spoon and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Once hydrated, incorporate it into your preparation according to the steps of your recipe.

Agar-Agar

Extracted from red algae, agar-agar is a natural gelling agent, transparent, odorless and tasteless, appreciated for its great versatility in cooking. Particularly popular in vegan preparations, it is ideal for making mousses, panna cottas or jellies, while providing a firm and stable texture.

Usage: Bring the agar-agar to a boil in a liquid (such as cream or a fruit purée) and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to activate its gelling power.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 4 gr of agar-agar per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: Yes (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Agar-agar-based preparations cannot be frozen, as it weeps upon thawing.
• Agar-agar is 4 times more powerful than gelatin and sets quickly (approximately 4 hours).

Discover our chocolate-raspberry tart recipe where agar-agar is used to prepare a delicious raspberry jelly.

Kappa Carrageenan

Carrageenans are natural polysaccharides extracted from red algae, colorless, odorless and tasteless, making them very versatile in cooking. Among them, Kappa carrageenan is a vegetable gelling agent that creates a firm and slightly brittle texture.

Ideal for dairy desserts, it stabilizes proteins and creams, guaranteeing a homogeneous texture. Combined with gums such as locust bean gum, which acts as a thickener, it allows the consistency to be adjusted for homogeneous results.

This vegetable gelling agent is an ideal alternative to animal-based products, perfect for vegetarian and vegan diets.

Usage: Pre-mix the Kappa carrageenan with other dry ingredients. Then pour this mixture into a liquid, blend and bring to a boil. Setting is very quick and gelification occurs as soon as the preparation cools to approximately 40°C.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 5 to 10 gr per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: Yes (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Kappa carrageenan-based preparations cannot be frozen.
• It is ideal for the gelification of complex fruits such as pineapple, kiwi or papaya.
• Its gelling power is up to 8 times greater than that of gelatin.

Pectin

Pectin is a natural gelling agent, extracted from apples, citrus fruits or beets, identified under the code E440. Its neutral taste integrates easily into many recipes, while enhancing the natural aromas of fruits to intensify their flavor. It is particularly popular in the making of jams and jellies, where it guarantees a perfect texture while acting as a natural preservative.

Each type of pectin has specific uses. Here are their characteristics:

Pectin E440i

This pectin is ideal for jams, jellies, dairy products and candies.

Usage: Mix the pectin with sugar, incorporate this mixture into your recipe, then heat everything until it is completely dissolved.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 5 to 10 gr per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: No (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Pectin E440i-based preparations cannot be frozen.
• It must be used in the presence of sugar and an acidic medium.

Pectin 325 NH 95

Pectin 325 NH 95 is ideal for jams, glazes, fruit purées and dairy desserts.

Usage: First mix it with sugar to avoid lumps. Then incorporate this mixture into an already hot preparation, at a minimum of 40°C. Bring everything to a boil and maintain cooking for 30 seconds to fully activate its gelling power.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 5 to 15 gr per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: Yes (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Pectin 325 NH 95-based preparations can be frozen.

Quick Pectin

Quick pectin is ideal for jams, jellies, fillings and ice creams.

Usage: Mix the pectin dry with other dry ingredients. Pour this mixture into a hot liquid (minimum 40°C) while stirring vigorously. Continue stirring until the pectin is completely dissolved.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 1 to 3 gr per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: No (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Quick pectin-based preparations cannot be frozen.
• Gelification occurs upon cooling and the setting speed is fast: 4 to 8 min.
• It must be used in the presence of sugar and an acidic medium.

Yellow Pectin

Yellow pectin is ideal for candies, fruit jellies, jellies and jams.

Usage: Mix the yellow pectin dry with other dry ingredients. Incorporate this mixture into a hot liquid (minimum 40°C) and heat until completely dissolved.

Important information:

• Recommended dosage: 10 to 12 gr per liter of preparation.
• Thermoreversibility: No (see the definition in the FAQ at the bottom of the article).
• Freezing: Yellow pectin-based preparations cannot be frozen.
• It must be used in the presence of sugar and an acidic medium.

Discover our fruit jelly recipe made with yellow pectin.

FAQ

What does "Thermoreversible" mean?

A thermoreversible preparation can melt when heated and gel again when cooled, without losing its gelling properties.

Which gelling agent to use for freezing?

Gelatins (sheets or powder) are perfectly suitable for preparations intended for freezing, as they retain their gelling power after thawing.

On the other hand, it is important to avoid agar-agar, which weeps when frozen and then thawed. This could cause your entremets or other gelled creations to collapse.

Can I replace my gelatin with agar-agar?

Yes, but only if your preparation does not require freezing.

Since agar-agar is much more powerful than gelatin, it is advisable to divide by 4 the amount of gelatin indicated in your recipe.

Example:

12 gr of gelatin is equivalent to 3 gr of agar-agar. This conversion works for most preparations.

Why doesn't my gelatin work with certain fruits?

Some fresh fruits, such as kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya and figs, contain specific enzymes that block gelification by degrading the proteins of gelling agents like gelatin.

To remedy this problem, you can cook, caramelize or use these fruits in the form of preserves to neutralize these enzymes and use gelatin.

You can also use Kappa carrageenan, which works with these fruits.

Which product to use for candies (like Haribo)?

For soft candies, gelatin is ideal, as it provides a supple and pleasant texture.

On the other hand, agar-agar is not recommended for this type of confectionery, as it gives a brittle rather than soft result.

Discover our video of homemade bear-shaped candies, made with a lemon and strawberry preparation.