What agar-agar to use for marshmallows?

Gelatin is used to create some desserts. But the product has a specific flavor. In order not to spoil the taste of the cooked sweet, it is replaced by agar-agar - a substance that also has a gelling property.

What is agar-agar

Agar-agar is a vegetable substance that is used in the preparation of desserts in order for the finished dish to solidify. It is made from various types of algae. When put in water, the substance forms a thick mass which resembles a frozen jelly. It is often used to make everyone's favorite sweet - marshmallow.

The dessert should have a light and airy consistency, and this is impossible with gelatin. That is why agar-agar is used. It, together with apple pectin allows you to give the sweetness a stable structure, lightness, airiness, but thin and dense crust on the outside.

How it differs from gelatin

These are two completely different substances. Gelatin refers to products of animal or artificial origin. It is used in the preparation of dishes that cannot be stored without refrigeration: casseroles, cold cuts. Gelatin has a specific flavor and can spoil the dessert. The substance has a high caloric value and is not suitable for dietary meals. Despite the fact that gelatin has a low cost, its consumption is quite high when cooking.

Agar-agar is used for the preparation of dishes that can be stored without refrigeration: marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade. It is widely used for decorating culinary masterpieces. The main difference from gelatin, agar-agar does not spoil the taste of the product. It is distinguished by its high cost, but low consumption. The substance in some cases can cause digestive disorders, so it should be used with caution.

How to choose agar-agar for marshmallows

In order not to make a wrong choice, when buying agar-agar, it is important to pay attention to the following factors:

Gelling power.

It comes in 700 to 1200 blooms. For making marshmallows, this is the most important indicator, because a small value will not solidify the dessert, but will spread out. Excessively strong agar-agar will make the product hard. Most often, a substance with a strength of 900 blooms is needed to make marshmallows.

Form

Today you can find agar-agar on sale in several forms: powder, granules, plates, flakes, grits and films. For making marshmallows, it is better to opt for the powder, as it dissolves faster and allows the dish to thicken quickly. Flakes and granules are good to use. But when using films and plates, the amount of substance will need to be recalculated.

Variety

On the shelves you can find a product of the highest or first grade. There is also the second, but it is difficult to find in the store. To make a delicious dessert, you need agar-agar of the highest grade. Using the first or second will increase the risk of an unpleasant odor of algae.

Composition

A quality gelling agent should contain only agar-agar. It may also be listed as an additive E406. There should not be anything else in the composition. Many manufacturers add other ingredients. As a rule, they are more than the agar-agar itself. If such additives are used, the dessert will not work.

Shelf life

The substance loses its gelling power over time. Therefore, when choosing, you should pay attention to its manufacturing period. Buy the freshest product. By the end of the shelf life, its strength decreases by almost 30%. This is enough to make the dessert fail.

If you use a low-quality product, the dessert will not turn out dense enough or will be spoiled.

Top of the tested brands

Using agar-agar of these brands, the dessert will always turn out, as their product is of high quality:

• Guzman;
• Ewald;
• Roko;
• Sosa;
• Pudov's.

Experienced hostesses and cooks recommend buying thickeners made in Japan, Chile, Spain, Italy or Vietnam. Chinese brands should be avoided. They do not clean their product well enough and the finished dish smells strongly of algae.

How to calculate agar-agar for marshmallows

The important thing when making marshmallows is to follow the exact proportions. To make one serving of a sweet dessert, most often you need about 6-7 g of thickener. Recipes indicate the amount of agar with a strength of 900 blooms. This is important to consider when calculating the proportions.

Thus, if you need to make a double batch of marshmallows, then the amount of all the ingredients must be doubled. Correctly count the amount of thickener is very important, so that the dessert turns out perfect.

How to understand the strength of agar-agar

On each package of gelling agent there are numbers: 600, 900 or 1200. These are the numbers that indicate the elasticity of the resulting dish. The higher the value, the denser the marshmallow will be.

Thus, if the recipe specifies that you need 6 g of agar-agar force 900, then if there are other values, you need to recalculate the amount of gelling agent.

How to recalculate agar-agar 1200 to 900

If you have a product with a strength of 1200, and to make marshmallows, you need agar-agar with a strength of 900, the amount of additive must be recalculated. This should be done as accurately as possible. If you put it less than required, the dessert will spread and not solidify. But if you put a lot of thickener, the sweetness will turn out very elastic, and the lightness and airiness will be absent.

The powder is 1.33 times stronger than required. It takes 6 g of the substance to make a serving. To get the right amount, 6/1.33 is sufficient. The output is 4.51 grams.

Can I substitute agar-agar with gelatin?

Many hostesses are interested in the question of whether it is possible to replace agar with gelatin. It would seem that these two substances have a similar effect, designed to thicken the dish and give it a jelly-like state.

But, these products can not replace each other for several reasons:

1. It is necessary to recalculate the number of ingredients. Agar-agar has a different thickening power than gelatin. Therefore, calculations will be necessary.
2. Change the amount of granulated sugar and water.
3. It will be necessary to deviate from the procedure for making marshmallows. The whole point is that gelatin thickens at different temperatures. There will be a need to completely change the recipe, taking into account the temperature regimes of the thickeners. This is not always easy.
4. When you replace the agar-agar, the taste of the dish also changes, because the gelatin has an unpleasant specific flavor. It is not felt in the preparation of the casserole or cold cuts, but will be pronounced in marshmallows or other desserts.

If the amount of ingredients is not counted correctly or the cooking procedure is not followed, the dessert will fail. It will either spread or become too thick.

Marshmallows are a favorite of many desserts. It is tender, soft and melts in the mouth. It can be made by yourself at home, but it is important not only to correctly observe the proportions, but also to consider the thickening power of the gelling agent. Agar-agar can be used not only for marshmallows, but also for marmalade, marshmallow. Replacing it with gelatin is not recommended, as the sweetness will have an unpleasant taste.