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consistency Thickening agents

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

My first home made sauces were jams that did not set up enough.  Sometimes, especially when using fruit, it takes a bit to get the pectin right.  Thing is, the jams that I used as sauces got me to liking a thicker sauce.  Problem with using pectin is that it it is fairly sensitive to temperature.  A sauce at room temperature might be a jam at fridge temperatures.

I am wondering if folk use a thickening agent that is not so sensitive to temperature.
 
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ajdrew said:
My first home made sauces were jams that did not set up enough.  Sometimes, especially when using fruit, it takes a bit to get the pectin right.  Thing is, the jams that I used as sauces got me to liking a thicker sauce.  Problem with using pectin is that it it is fairly sensitive to temperature.  A sauce at room temperature might be a jam at fridge temperatures.

I am wondering if folk use a thickening agent that is not so sensitive to temperature.
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Try some Guar gum.  I've never used it in a sauce, but it has served me well as a stabilizer and thickening agent for homemade bread.  I like to experiment with different bread recipes and made some that fell apart too much because I didn't use enough white flour.  I was able to improve some recipes by adding a little Guar gum.  I was able to achieve the same fix with gluten, but I'm not quite sure what it would do to a hot sauce.
 
Good luck—if you try anything, keep us posted with the results.
 
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i use dry mustard but prob not a great match for fruit, if your cooking it just cook the fruit down first so your starting with a thicker base.
 
(if you can puree the fruit first it will be faster if not use more water and cook longer, cornstarch always goes in at the end)
 
add the fruit and quarter cup of water bring to a boil
mean while stir 1tbs of corn starch into 1tbs of COLD water
add to the pot and stir 
 
cook to the desired consistencey, it happens fast so pay attention.
 
what i would do is cook this ahead of time and then add into the mix after cooking the other whole ingrediants, peppers, onions, what not.  I remember seeing somewhere you said you liked fruit based sauces so im assuming your using alot of fruit with this method otherwise dont add all the cornstarch. you have to cook flour into a roux before using or it will clump. Cornstarch just kinda dissolves. 

dragon49 said:
Try some Guar gum.  I've never used it in a sauce, but it has served me well as a stabilizer and thickening agent for homemade bread.  I like to experiment with different bread recipes and made some that fell apart too much because I didn't use enough white flour.  I was able to improve some recipes by adding a little Guar gum.  I was able to achieve the same fix with gluten, but I'm not quite sure what it would do to a hot sauce.
 
Good luck—if you try anything, keep us posted with the results.
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We dont buy bread anymore I bake it all.  I use King Arthur Flour's "hearth bread" recipe.  The recipe is really flexible so i add all kinds of stuff to change it up! thumbs up to baking Brudda! :cheers:
 
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SECRET AGENT
sean-connery-licenza-di-uccidere-james-bond_650x435.jpg
 
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Topsmoke said:
We dont buy bread anymore I bake it all.  I use King Arthur Flour's "hearth bread" recipe.  The recipe is really flexible so i add all kinds of stuff to change it up! thumbs up to baking Brudda! :cheers:
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I have a small city kitchen and never use my oven, but have a ton of fun with a Bread machine.  It has the capacity to hold 4 cups of flour.  I figured out that as long as I use at least 2 /12 cups of white wheat flour, I can add any other type of flour or flours and produce a palatable bread.  I can't find my recipe spreadsheet now, but I remember using amaranth, barley, buckwheat, rye, corn, chickpea, and millet.  Some Breads, like rye, come out better with 3 cups of white wheat flour, and other breads come out better with a little added gluten.  
 
I'm far from an experienced baker, but have two pieces of advice to offer:
 
1 - Add eggs!  When I made bread by following eggless recipes that came with my bread maker, they were unbearably dry.  Adding eggs (I believe 2) to the batter greatly improved the final product.  
 
2 - Don't use instant (fast acting) yeast.  Use normal dry active yeast.  I don't remember how to instant yeast blew up the bread, but it didn't come out right.
 
 
I even made some decent cakes by throwing in white flour, more eggs and a bunch of chocolate and some berries.
 
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Genetikx said:
I use xantham gum since that's what I see used on most commercial sauces. Anyone have experience using guar vs xantham?
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I've just started using this. Any tips for mixing it in? I noticed if you put it straight into cold water it can get lumpy, and unlike cornstarch, very hard to dissolve.
 
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My mash is pure pepper puree that goes into a blender with vinegar and xantham. If you're putting your xantham in the blender you will not have clumping. I don't pre mix the xantham with liquid prior to it going into the blender. Just have to be careful with the amount.
 
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Genetikx said:
My mash is pure pepper puree that goes into a blender with vinegar and xantham. If you're putting your xantham in the blender you will not have clumping. I don't pre mix the xantham with liquid prior to it going into the blender. Just have to be careful with the amount.
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Thanks. The first time I used it, I mixed with water to see how much was the right amount. A little goes a very long way. I then hit it with a stick blender and poured it through a strainer to remove the lumps, and put the required portion into my sauce. It worked but there was a lot of waste. Next time I will try your method.
 
Also I wanted to point out, I use it to prevent separation. The nice thing about the xanathan gum is it will keep a consistent texture and color throughout the bottle, meaning you don't have to shake it up and I think it looks more refined. Its a must if you ever make your own ketchup.
 
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Redeemer said:
 
Thanks. The first time I used it, I mixed with water to see how much was the right amount. A little goes a very long way. I then hit it with a stick blender and poured it through a strainer to remove the lumps, and put the required portion into my sauce. It worked but there was a lot of waste. Next time I will try your method.
 
Also I wanted to point out, I use it to prevent separation. The nice thing about the xanathan gum is it will keep a consistent texture and color throughout the bottle, meaning you don't have to shake it up and I think it looks more refined. Its a must if you ever make your own ketchup.
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Completely agree, I use it solely as an emulsifier. If I needed to adjust the thickness I would just use less vinegar.

By the way, if you overdo the xantham and don't want to add more vinegar, water works well and doesn't change the flavor since the stuff is so potent to begin with. I personally use distilled but not sure if that's really the best option.
 
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Xanthan (pronounced zan-than) and guar are both great thickening agents and are used all the time in gluten-free or gluten-reduced baking.  They are also used in a plethora of foods including salad dressings and ice cream.   
 
 
For jams or jellies that don't set, they can be re-batched with another set of pectin, follow directions exactly, re-pack into clean jars. with new lids.  (assuming the jam was going into  small jars with metal lid and rings.) BALL and Cert-o have troubleshooting pages on their websites.  "what to do if the jelly doesn't set" etc~.
 
 
edit- can't find the HELP pages I've seen before, but the information is out there.
 
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salsalady said:
Xanthan (pronounced zan-than) and guar are both great thickening agents and are used all the time in gluten-free or gluten-reduced baking.  They are also used in a plethora of foods including salad dressings and ice cream.   
 
 
For jams or jellies that don't set, they can be re-batched with another set of pectin, follow directions exactly, re-pack into clean jars. with new lids.  (assuming the jam was going into  small jars with metal lid and rings.) BALL and Cert-o have troubleshooting pages on their websites.  "what to do if the jelly doesn't set" etc~.
 
 
edit- can't find the HELP pages I've seen before, but the information is out there.
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Why do I continue to spell it with an A? I have it right there on the package "Xanthan" and yet I continue to spell it as "Xanthan" gum. This is what happens when you have too many screwdrivers, too early in the morning, on a flight thats too long and feel like being an internet hero. Sorry guys :(
 
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