Natural gelling and thickening agents

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Jellification

Set of ingredients that allow the elaboration of gelatins with different textures or firmness.

What are food gelling agents?

One of the most distinctive preparations in modern cuisine is gelatines, and the use of gelatine is currently experiencing a revolution. It’s found in the most extraordinary contemporary signature dishes.

Gelling agents increase the viscosity of liquids to the point where they form a gel. All gelling agents are thickeners. They bind different molecules, which traps water and holds it, forming a translucent or transparent solid.

Using natural ingredients, chefs are able to turn liquids into gels and alter the texture of dishes. Gelling techniques may seem intimidating, but they are actually easier than you might think.

Types of gelling agents

The most traditional agents are collagen-based gelling agents derived from animal proteins. These include fish tails, pigs’ ears, tripe, etc.

These gelling agents come from animal tissue. Working temperature ranges from the melting point of 40 °C to a gelling point of 15 °C. Examples of this include gelatine sheets and gelatine powder.

There are also gelling agents made from carbohydrates, vegetables or algae. Unlike conventional collagen gelling agents, these can be used to create preparations with specific temperature ranges and textures.

Gelling agents with this kind of gelling and texturising capacity, as well as easy dosage, allow chefs to innovate and make new creations with precision.

What gelling agent should I use for my dish?

Choosing the right gelling agent is important. You have to consider the agent’s solubility (hot-set or cold-set), its gelling temperature, its heat resistance, its ability to be frozen, the type of gelling (thermo-reversible), its final texture, its transparency, and its dosage.

“Gelling agent power is measured in Bloom strength.”

Bloom

Gelling strength is expressed in Blooms. The higher the Bloom value, the lower the concentration of gelatine required for gelling.

The SOC CHEF gelling agent table shows uses, applications and dosages.

#	Ingredients	Dosage	Applications	Use
1	ORGANIC AGAR AGAR - AGAR AGAR	2 to 10 grams per litre Firmer when more is used.	Gelling starts at 43 ºC. Boil to activate.	Dissolve cold in the product to be gelled. Boil to activate. Let rest for gelling. Thermo-reversible.
2	GELLAN GUM	5 to 20 grams per litre	Gelification for baked fillings. Transparent and flexible gels and veils. Spherification.	Dissolve cold in the product to be gelled. Boil to activate.
3	IOTA GUM	2 to 7 grams per litre	Creates very soﬅ and elastic textures. Use 5-7 grams per kilogram for vegan panna cotta or flan. For semi-gelatinised fillings. Suitable for freezing.	Dissolve cold in the product to be gelled. Boil to activate.
4	KAPPA GUM	7 to 15 grams per litre	Almost instant gelling agent. Perfect for very fine baths, coatings, stable gelling, grated gelling and vegetable foils.	Dissolve cold in the product to be gelled. Boil to activate.
5	NEUTRAL MOUSSE GEL	200 grams in 250 grams of water and 750-1000 grams of whipped or half-whipped cream	For mousse fillings, Bavarian cream and fruit terrines.	Product of animal origin. Can be frozen.
6	COLD GELATINE	150 to 250 grams per litre	No colour or flavour. Only provides texture. Can be used with alcohol.	Dissolves cold, but best dissolved at 40 ºC with mechanical mixing.
7	GELATINE IN SHEETS GOLD 200	5-12 sheets per 1 litres of liquid.	Traditional gelling agent for confectionery. Source: 100% pork. 200-Bloom gelatine.	Soak in cold water for 5-7 minutes. Drain to remove excess water. Let cool for 4 hours for best gelling.
8	METHYL	7 to 30 grams per litre	Thickener.Gels in alcoholic media.	Gelling starts at 50 ºC.
9	METHYL BURGER	7 to 30 grams per litre	Thickener and gelling agent when hot. Ideal for vegetable burgers. Widely used in vegan food.	Mix mechanically while cold (to add texture). Rest for good hydration. Gels when heated over 60 ºC, creating a ‘burger’ with a stable texture and no water residue thanks to Burger Methyl’s binding power.
10	YELLOW PECTIN	2 to 10 grams per litre	Custards, fillings, baking fruit custards	Add with sugar at about 40 ºC. Boil with citrus to activate. - 2 grams per kilogram for an airy custard texture. - 4 grams per kilogram for a light custard texture. - 8 grams per kilogram for a thick custard texture.
11	NH PECTIN	8 to 32 grams per litre	For fruit pastes, gumdrops, icings, fruit cake glazes and jams..	Add with sugar at about 40 ºC. Boil with citrus to activate. Suitable for freezing.
12	X-58 PECTIN	2 to 8 grams per litre	Custard creams. Gelification in calcium media. Glazes.	Boil to activate. Active at low sugar levels. Suitable for freezing.
13	RAPID SET PECTIN	2.5 to 5 grams per litre	Thickener and/or gelling agent (with sugar and acid). Ideal for making jams with pieces of fruit, since the fruit is in suspension.	Add with sugar at about 40 °C and boil. Non-thermo-reversible. Suitable for freezing. Gels faster than other pectins.
14	325NH 95 PECTIN	4 to 10 grams per litre	Thickener and/or gelling agent (with calcium). Particularly well suited to manufacturing fruit products.	Add with sugar at about 40 °C and boil. Thermo-reversible. Suitable for freezing.

Where can I buy quality gelling agents?

SOC CHEF offers the highest-quality gelling agents for professional use in different formats.

How is gelling done?

The gelling process involves diluting the gelling agent in the liquid you want to gel, heating the mixture to the temperature indicated for the type of gelling agent, and letting the mixture cool.

It’s not a complicated process. The difficulty lies in knowing what gelling agent to use for your dish and the right dosage. Not all gelling agents serve the same purpose; some do not work with all types of ingredients.