There are a number of different food thickeners which are used for thickening the fluid part of various dishes. These are mostly used in the making of sauces, soups or puddings. The use of a particular food thickener depends on the degree of thickness one is looking for. For example you might need a lightly thicken mixture for soup while a brownie or a cake would call for more thickness. Apart from the quantity and type of thickener used, the end properties of the dish also depends upon the amount of stirring and other manipulations.
Mentioned here are few food thickeners used extensively by the cooks and chefs all overs. Have a look:
Arrowroot/Cornstarch
Arrowroot and cornstarch find its usage in the thickening of puddings, fillings and sauces. These ingredients basically provide a translucent effect to puddings or sauces. It is advised to first mix these thickeners in a small amount of cool liquid before adding it to the dish.
Flour
Flour is another common food additive used as a thickener in different dishes. Often the flour is used in combination with sugar to thicken solutions. Sauces which are thickened with flour are often thickened and enriched additionally using eggs.
Eggs
Eggs (yolk or the whole of it) too, can be used for thickening food items. Scientifically, as soon as the proteins present in the egg starts coagulating, the liquid tends to get trapped in the mesh of set proteins resulting in a kind of texture which gets coated on the back of a spoon when dipped and withdrawn into it.
Gelatin
Gelatin is basically an animal protein that is found in their bones. It is particular protein that makes the stock convert into gel on cooling. Gelatin like agar-agar is often used in the making of jellies. If added in an appropriate amount, it produces delicate foams which can be firmly set. One can easily retain a mold's shape and slice the item too.
To know more about food thickeners and vegetable gums, click here.
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