HEALTHY AGAR AGAR JELLY
In this post I am going to talk about the agar and how to make jelly easy, a basic preparation that can make a difference in some of your dishes.
Learn how to prepare a fruit jelly, you can have it prepared in your fridge for several days and use it for many things.
Now it's an orange season, so I've prepared a good amount of orange jelly, I love fruit jelly because I can use it in desserts, but also in salads, are you surprised?
Preparing jelly using agar agar is very easy, agar agar offers many possibilities to give a different touch to your dishes.
If you usually prepare a salad that has orange, add the gelatin in addition to the orange or in replacement of it and you will give a different touch.
In the same way you can prepare jellies of all kinds of flavors, strawberry, lemon, mango, apple, you can also prepare gelatins based on vegetables, for example cucumber, tomato or carrot.
You could also make a jelly with a fish bottom, with a meat broth or with a vegetable stew and play with them on the plate, making different combinations in your dishes.
You can make jelly with vegetable juice or with a chicken broth, there are many possibilities.
Once you have your gelatins ready you just have to play with them by adding them to your recipes. It is a fun way for children to dare with some new flavors, it is easier to seduce them with colorful and beautiful preparations, if it comes through your eyes, you have won.
Why not try?
I to make jello use agar, the agar agar is used in the kitchen as a gelling agent, it is very easy to handle and the result is a firm gelatin without any added flavor.
Agar agar is a substance that is obtained from some species of algae, therefore its origin is vegetable and allows us to prepare vegan recipes, also does not provide calories because it is not digestible and has no flavor.
The agar agar is of vegetable origin, comes from algae, provides fiber and has very few calories.
We are used to using gelatin of animal origin, whose function is only and exclusively that, to gel, but agar agar also has the function of thickening.
Therefore agar agar works well in hot recipes that we want to thicken, a sauce, a soup, a custard or a pudding to which you do not want to add flour, bread or sponge cake. Does not the idea seduce you?
Advantages of agar agar against gelatin of animal origin:
- It is of vegetable origin, suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Like the other gelatin, it does not add flavor.
- It provides fiber.
- It has a much higher gelling power, using 8 grams per liter, there is a very firm gelatin.
- Its caloric intake is very low, it has 261 kcal / 100 grams, therefore, if we use between 4 and 10 grams per liter, it is nothing.
- In addition to gelling, if we use less quantity, it serves as a thickener, for example, to thicken sauces, custards, a pudding. Traditional gelatin does not allow this use.
Why prepare jellies:
- Kids love it, but older ones too.
- It allows you to play with the textures on the plate.
- Aesthetically, gelatin is precious. Many combinations can be made.
- You can prepare sweet gelatins, natural or salty fruit, with vegetable juices.
- Ideal in salads, salads or as a complement to other dishes.
Next I attach the recipe to prepare an orange jelly, but following the same steps you can prepare it of what you want.
If you liked this recipe, you may also like:
Easy gelatin
Ingredients
- 500 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 4 grams agar powder agar
Elaboration step by step
- In a saucepan put the juice and add the agar agar, with some rods mix very well and let the agar agar soak, during 1 or 2 minutes.
- Put the saucepan on moderate heat, stirring constantly with the rods until it reaches a boil.
- Let it boil very little during 1 or 2 minutes, do not stop stirring.
- After that time you can put the mixture in the molds where you want to make gelatin.
- Allow to cool to room temperature at least 30 minutes and then to the refrigerator, in a couple of hours the gelatin will be ready.
KIDS, DESSERTS, EXPRESS RECIPE, SUGAR FREE, LACTOSE FREE, VEGETARIAN
John Paul Crosses
Excellent promote the use of agar
missblasco
Thanks Juan Pablo, I love agar agar for all the possibilities it offers in the kitchen and for its plant origin. Regards!
Ramon
I have followed the recipe instructions to the letter and I have a mass that has nothing like gelatin, it has more of the texture of cheesecake.
missblasco
Hello Ramón, how sorry I am, it usually turns out well.
The key is in the amount of agar agar per liter of liquid, for example, 1 liter 5 g, half liter 3 g. In this recipe I put 4 g for half a liter of juice, which makes it very firm. (It is very important to weigh the grams as accurately as possible).
The other fundamental step for the agar agar to "work" is to cook it for a few minutes, without stopping stirring. Once the agar agar is incorporated, it is about the juice that is almost to the point of boiling, but when stirring it with the rods, you do not let it bubble, so for 2 minutes it is enough. It is allowed to cool and hardens immediately. Greetings.
Ramon
Thanks for your attention. I will try again. Although I have followed your instructions to the letter, including the exact amount of agar agar (the weight comes in the sachets). Yes it is true that I let the juice bubble when boiling. However, I have consulted with a cook and she tells me that she uses less than half of agar agar for that amount of liquid. Second try. I will tell you the result. Greetings and congratulations on your creations.
missblasco
You're welcome, I thank you for writing to me, I like to receive feedback from readers because it always helps me improve. As for the agar agar in pan-pets and gelatins, I am now using 2-5 g of agar agar for 3 ml, and 500 g for 5 liter, because it is what the manufacturer of the brand that I use recommends, but there may be variations . I hope you do well next time, I have to admit that the first few times I used agar agar to gel, several attempts also failed. Cooking is experimentation and that is how you learn. Thanks for your comment. Greetings.
The same
According to a video I saw on the internet, acidic liquids curdle worse, so I imagine it depends on the acidity of your oranges.
missblasco
Hello, with agar agar it is very easy to make gelatin, if the oranges are less acidic, the better, so the result will be more pleasant to the palate without the need to add sweeteners.
Regards!
😉
Maria Rosa
Hello, for me the gelatin with Agar, orange comes out different from the conventional one. I get that it doesn't taste like orange, it takes away the flavor. The texture is a matter of working it more. The truth expected otherwise. Any advice? Someone else happens? Greetings and thanks
missblasco
Hello, the flavor is true, it does not taste like fresh orange, the reason is the cooking, which, even if it is short, makes the orange lose that delicious acid point, that happens with acidic fruits, the sweetest ones do not change the flavor when cooked. One option is to add a few drops of lemon juice after the gelatin is made before it cools and solidifies. You can also make the jelly with the juice of other sweeter fruits. The texture is a matter of measuring the amount of liquid vs. agar agar. I do not know if I have helped you, thank you for your comment and best regards! 😉
help
Hi! I would like to tell you something and see if we can refine the Agar Agar gelatin recipes. At least I 😉
They have commented to me and I have not tried it yet, that as when making the @gar Agar jelly the flavor decreases.
You can save a certain amount (I don't know how much) of the fruit juice / smoothie. And in the step of removing the saucepan from the heat, the juice / smoothie of the fruit that has been set aside is added, it is stirred and perishes so that the flavor can be intensified.
Don't be afraid of measurements.
We can try and we are commenting.
A greeting.
missblasco
Hello Auxi, doing that is a very good idea, you would add it hot, but without boiling at any time and it would no longer lose so many organoleptic properties. If it is a small amount, I don't think there would be a problem with the amount of agar agar, but it can be calculated. The other option would be the opposite, dissolve and cook the agar agar in a small part of juice / smoothie and add that small part to the rest, beating vigorously with rods so that it is integrated, so the largest portion of juice would be natural, I do not know if it would work , I would have to try it. Who has more ideas than contribute them! 😉
Ana
Hi, I haven't tried it, but I'm going to try it, now that the oranges are sweet as hell. Maybe it's outrageous, but it occurs to me that changing the amount of juice that boils with the gelling agent would also change the texture. What if orange zest is added at the end to flavor more?
missblasco
Hi Ana, indeed I think it is a great idea to heat only part of the juice, for example about 150 ml and cook the agar agar there, the point is that to activate the agar agar it is necessary to cook it for 2 minutes in the liquid. Once the 2 minutes of cooking have passed, it should be mixed with the rest of the juice quickly, with the rods so that it is perfectly integrated, put in the molds and let cool. Adding orange zest is ideal to enhance the flavor, especially if it is going to be a dessert. And to sweeten it, you could add a little erythritol when the mixture is hot to get it to dissolve, but as you say, now the oranges are sweet and for me it is not necessary.
Thanks for comment! Greetings! 😉
gilda
Hello, I have made gelatin with tangerines and agar agar and it turns out delicious. Of course, in summer there are no tangerines in Uruguay. So I'll try some other smoothie fruit. I don't know how it will turn out, but it's trying. thank you
missblasco
Thank you very much for your comment Gilda.
I'm glad you like it, you can prepare the jelly with any blended seasonal fruit.
Best regards! 😉
gilda brito
Hi, I'm making it with grape juice and I'll see how it turns out. With tangerines it is ideal but there is not yet. Put grapes in the blender, strain and there is the grape juice.
missblasco
Very good idea! Thanks for sharing! 😉