Is there anyway to make agar less brittle, I have tried using locust bean gum and this did make the agar softer, but it was still quite brittle. Is there something I can add to the agar to get it as close to the properties as normal gelatin (soft, elasticity).
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Agar is supposed to give you a firm gel. If you want something softer or more elastic, why not use an additive with those properties?– AaronutCommented Mar 13, 2014 at 1:41
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I've gotten a softer agar, but I suspect it was because I did something wrong. (perhaps I didn't use enough? it was also sickeningly sweet, so it might've been the amount of sugar in it)– JoeCommented Mar 14, 2014 at 16:05
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2 Answers
It doesn't seem like you can get a soft, elastic gel using agar, Modernist Cuisine lists an elastic one but classifies it as firm(4-140):
Texture Firmness Gelling Agents Scaling
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Elastic Firm Locust Bean Gum 0.15%
Agar 0.10%
Xanthan Gum 0.20%
Although, they do have an elastic gel in the coating gels section that is classified as tender (4-151):
Texture Firmness Gelling Agents Scaling
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Elastic Tender Sorbitol 3.00%
Agar 0.60%
Xanthan Gum 0.25%
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Thanks for your all of reply's, Stefano are they recipes for making different types agar gels. Commented Mar 14, 2014 at 18:33
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Yeah, they're parametric recipes for making different gels; I got them from my copy of Modernist Cuisine: the page numbers are in brackets.– StefanoCommented Mar 18, 2014 at 12:05
I've tried adding gelatine, tapioca, corn starch to agar to make it less brittle. None of them work very well until they start to become the major component of the gel. Adding glycerin or sugar syrup is also fruitless.
answered Mar 13, 2014 at 0:37
