EMULSION TEXTURES

What is an emulsion?

Emulsifying is a technique widely used in cooking to combine two ingredients that usually would not remain bound together or are immiscible (e.g., water and oil). 
Emulsification is a physical phenomenon that requires an emulsifying agent and vigorous agitation or whisking. 

Types of emulsions

There are two types of emulsions.

• Oil-in-water emulsions (or O/W), like mayonnaise and ice cream
• Water-in-oil emulsions (or W/O), like vinaigrette 

Another way to differentiate emulsions is by temperature.

• Cold emulsions, such as vinaigrettes, mayonnaise and tartar sauce.
• Hot emulsions, such as béarnaise and hollandaise.  

What are emulsifying agents?

In the process of emulsifying a mayonnaise, the emulsifying agent is in the egg (the lecithin in the yolk) and in the olive oil. For other mixtures, you need to add an emulsifying agent to prevent separation. 

Mixtures without an emulsifier tend to be very unstable. The liquids will separate again over time. Using an emulsifying agent will stop the mixture from separating and create a more stable mixture. 

You can also use emulsifying agents to change the volume and texture of your dish. 

Which emulsifying agent should I use for my mixture

Find out more about SOC CHEF’s natural emulsifiers, and their applications, uses and dosages.

How are emulsions made?

To make a good, stable emulsion, it must be mixed properly. To do this, you should use a hand blender, mixer or blender. 

Emulsification is a very simple process, but it is important to bear in mind that it can break, which means the emulsifying agent hasn’t done its job. The most common reasons an emulsion will break are adding the fats too quickly, or using ingredients at different temperatures. 

At this point you may be asking yourself how to know when an emulsion is ready. It basically depends on the recipe, but seeing thick drops in the mixture is a clear indicator that it is ready. 

Where can I buy quality emulsifying agents?

Knowing what emulsifier to use and the quality of the emulsifier is very important for making a stable emulsion. 

In this section of SOC CHEF you’ll find a wide range of perfect top-quality emulsifiers.

Emulsion videos

Glice Emul olive oil espuma emulsion

Glice Emul olive oil espuma emulsion Ingredients 400 g Olive oil 32 g Glice Emul SOC CHEF Process Mix olive oil with Glice Emul and heat up to...

Vegan butter with tomato and corn

Vegan butter with tomato and corn | SOC CHEF Ingredients 300g olive oil 22g Glice Emul SOC CHEF 90g Tomato powder SOC CHEF Freeze-dried corn ...

Do you need another type of texturiser?

The SOC CHEF brand offers acidulating, bulking, spherifying and gelling and pearl-forming texturising agents as well as ready-to-use spherified products.