Gelatine, Agar-Agar or pectin? How to find the right gelling agent
Gelatine, agar-agar or pectin? How to find the right gelling agent
Dosage, use and freezing: everything you need to know for the perfect texture
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What you will learn
- When to use gelatine, agar-agar, carrageenan or pectin
- How to convert bloom values and leaf or powdered gelatine
- Which preparations you may freeze
- Why gelatine does not set with kiwi and pineapple
Hello fellow food lovers,
Does this sound familiar? The recipe calls for agar-agar, but in your cupboard there is leaf gelatine. Or the mousse needs to go into the freezer, and you don't know whether it will survive. Gelling agents are the quiet heroes behind every beautiful mousse, every glossy jelly and every mirror icing. But they behave very differently!
That is why we have gathered everything for you here: where gelatine, agar-agar, carrageenan and pectin come from, how to dose and use them correctly, and which ones you may freeze. With simple conversions, in case you ever need to replace a gelling agent. And at the very end, we answer your most frequently asked questions.
01Gelatine
The classic for mousse, creams and desserts.
Gelatine is of animal origin. It is obtained from collagen, which comes from bones, skin and cartilage. It is transparent, odourless and tasteless, and it gives mousse, desserts, creams and many other preparations their perfect texture.
Recommended dosage: 16 to 20 g per litre, depending on the bloom value. Gelatine is thermoreversible, and preparations containing gelatine may be frozen.
02Understanding bloom values
The higher the bloom, the firmer the gel.
The bloom value measures the gelling strength of gelatine. In baking it is usually between 50 and 300, the standard is 200 bloom. You can also recognise it by a colour code:
| Colour code | Bloom |
|---|---|
| Extra gold | 240 |
| Gold | 200 |
| Silver | 180 |
| Bronze | 160 |
If the recipe states a different bloom number from the one on your packet, calculate it like this: required amount multiplied by the desired bloom, divided by your bloom.
Example: The recipe calls for 10 g of gelatine at 200 bloom, and you have 160 bloom. 10 x 200 / 160 = 12.5 g. So you use 12.5 g of your gelatine.
03Leaf gelatine or powdered gelatine
Soaking leaf gelatine
You will find leaf gelatine in almost every supermarket in Switzerland, usually made from pork. Soak the leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes, squeeze them well and dissolve them completely in a hot liquid while stirring.
Letting powdered gelatine bloom
Powdered gelatine is available from beef, pork or fish. Weigh it precisely, ideally with a spoon scale. Add five times its weight in cold water, stir and let it bloom for 10 minutes. For mirror glazes it is our favourite: the texture becomes neither too elastic nor too rubbery.
A Swiss gelatine leaf weighs 1.66 g, a French one 2 g. So always check where your recipe comes from and adjust the quantity accordingly.
This works without problems, and the other way round too. If your Swiss recipe calls for 3 leaves, that is 3 x 1.66 g = about 5 g. So use 5 g of powdered gelatine, stir it into 25 g of cold water and let it bloom for 10 minutes at room temperature.
04Agar-Agar
Plant-based, four times stronger than gelatine and popular in vegan cooking.
Agar-Agar is obtained from red algae. It is transparent, odourless and tasteless, and gives a firm, stable texture, ideal for mousses, panna cotta or jelly.
This is how you use it: bring Agar-Agar to the boil in a liquid such as cream or fruit puree and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Only then does its gelling power become active. We recommend 4 g per litre. It sets quickly, in about 4 hours.
Preparations with Agar-Agar must not be frozen: when thawed, they release water and collapse.
05Carrageenan Kappa
The solution for milk desserts and difficult fruits.
Carrageenan is also obtained from red algae and is colourless, odourless and tasteless. Carrageenan Kappa gives a firm, slightly brittle texture and stabilises proteins and cream. That is why it is particularly suitable for dairy-based desserts. As a plant-based gelling agent, it is ideal for vegetarian and vegan cooking.
This is how you use it: first mix carrageenan with the other dry ingredients, add everything to the liquid, stir well and bring it to the boil. It sets very quickly once the mixture cools to about 40 °C. We recommend 5 to 10 g per litre. Its gelling power is up to eight times stronger than that of gelatine, but such preparations cannot be frozen.
These fruits prevent gelatine from setting. Carrageenan Kappa, on the other hand, sets them without difficulty.
06Pectin
The favourite for jams, jellies and fruit gums.
Pectin is obtained from apples, citrus fruits or beets and is known as E440. It tastes neutral, enhances the aroma of the fruit and at the same time acts as a natural preservative. Each pectin has its own purpose:
| Pectin | Ideal for | Dosage per litre | Thermoreversible | Freezable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pectin E440i | Jams, jellies, dairy products, sweets | 5 to 10 g | no | no |
| Pectin 325 NH 95 | Jams, glazes, fruit purees, milk desserts | 5 to 15 g | yes | yes |
| Quick pectin | Jams, jellies, fillings, ice cream | 1 to 3 g | no | no |
| Yellow pectin | Sweets, fruit jellies, jellies, jams | 10 to 12 g | no | no |
How to use the pectins
Mix pectin E440i with sugar, add it to the recipe and heat everything until it has completely dissolved.
Mix pectin 325 NH 95 with sugar first so that no lumps form. Add it to the preparation, which should be at least 40 °C, bring everything to the boil and let it simmer for 30 seconds.
Mix quick pectin and yellow pectin dry with the other dry ingredients and add them to a liquid of at least 40 °C while stirring vigorously. Quick pectin sets in just 4 to 8 minutes as it cools.
Pectin E440i, quick pectin and yellow pectin always need sugar and an acidic environment. If either is missing, nothing will set.
07All gelling agents at a glance
| Gelling agent | Origin | Dosage per litre | Thermoreversible | Freezing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelatine | animal | 16 to 20 g | yes | yes |
| Agar-Agar | red algae | 4 g | yes | no |
| Carrageenan Kappa | red algae | 5 to 10 g | yes | no |
| pectin | apples, citrus fruits, beets | 1 to 15 g, depending on the type | depending on the type | depending on the type |
08Your most frequent questions
What does «thermoreversible» mean?
A thermoreversible preparation melts when heated and sets again when it cools, without losing its gelling strength.
Which gelling agent is suitable for freezing?
Gelatine, in sheets or powder. It keeps its gelling strength even after thawing. Agar-Agar, on the other hand, releases water when thawed, and your dessert collapses.
Can I replace gelatine with Agar-Agar?
Yes, but only if you don't freeze the preparation. Because Agar-Agar gels much more strongly, you only need a quarter of the gelatine amount: 12 g gelatine corresponds to 3 g Agar-Agar.
Why does my gelatine not set with certain fruits?
Fresh kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya and figs contain enzymes that break down gelatine. Cook or caramelise the fruit beforehand, use canned fruit or opt for Carrageenan Kappa.
What do I use to make gummy bears?
Gelatine: it gives the soft, elastic texture. Agar-Agar tends to make sweets firm and brittle.
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