http://www.efooddepot.com/products/i...Edible_Gum.jpg

I bought some of the above, assuming it's guar gum. I crushed it
fairly fine using a mortar and pestle and added about 2tsp to 8oz
of warm water. It's been sitting for 2 hours and hasn't really
thickened at all.

Is there something else that's needed to activate it? I find it
hard to believe that you'd use more than a TB per 8oz of liquid.
Maybe I didn't crush it fine enough? Is it safe to put in the
coffee/spice grinder without gumming it up?

-sw

Steve wrote:

> I bought some of the above, assuming it's guar gum. I crushed it
> fairly fine using a mortar and pestle and added about 2tsp to 8oz
> of warm water. It's been sitting for 2 hours and hasn't really
> thickened at all.
>
> Is there something else that's needed to activate it? I find it
> hard to believe that you'd use more than a TB per 8oz of liquid.
> Maybe I didn't crush it fine enough? Is it safe to put in the
> coffee/spice grinder without gumming it up?

Looking around at recipes which contain guar gum, it might be that you need
to agitate it. (In which case, I definitely would *not* put it into a coffee
grinder.) Every recipe I've seen has a liquid which is blended with guar
gum.

Here's a fairly bizarre one:

Applewood Ice Cream
(from Grant Achatz, chef at Alinea)

200 g applewood sawdust
1000 g whole milk
100 g heavy cream
75 g sugar
50 g egg yolk
25 g glucose
3 g guar gum (0.46%)

Toast sawdust for 20 min at 180°C (360°F). Bring milk to boil and pour over
sawdust. Leave to steep in refrigerator overnight.

Bring 400 g infused milk and cream to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together
sugar and egg yolk. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolk mixture to temper.
Return combined mixtures to saucepan. Over medium-low heat, whisk until
mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and
add glucose. Transfer to blender, add guar gum and blend on high speed for 3
min or until smooth. Freeze and process with pacojet.

Hope this helps!

Bob

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
news
> http://www.efooddepot.com/products/i...Edible_Gum.jpg
>
> I bought some of the above, assuming it's guar gum. I crushed it
> fairly fine using a mortar and pestle and added about 2tsp to 8oz
> of warm water. It's been sitting for 2 hours and hasn't really
> thickened at all.
>
> Is there something else that's needed to activate it? I find it
> hard to believe that you'd use more than a TB per 8oz of liquid.
> Maybe I didn't crush it fine enough? Is it safe to put in the
> coffee/spice grinder without gumming it up?
>
> -sw

I don't think that is guar gum. At least not in the usual form. It may have
been hydrated and sold as a chewing gum or candy like product.


http://www.ranteccorp.com/photos/guar_variation.jpg
Most times it is sold as a powder like cornstarch. It will lump like
cornstarch too.

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:25:41 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Looking around at recipes which contain guar gum, it might be that you need
> to agitate it. (In which case, I definitely would *not* put it into a coffee
> grinder.) Every recipe I've seen has a liquid which is blended with guar
> gum.

Hmm. I didn't think about agitation. I mashed the clumps with the
back of a spoon and stirred.

I'm not sure your logic behind the "no coffee grinder". Because it
may get gummier whisking around in the grinder?

> Applewood Ice Cream
> (from Grant Achatz, chef at Alinea)
>
> 200 g applewood sawdust

Very bizarre. He also cooks with tobacco.

-sw

Steve wrote:

>> Looking around at recipes which contain guar gum, it might be that you
>> need to agitate it. (In which case, I definitely would *not* put it into
>> a coffee grinder.) Every recipe I've seen has a liquid which is blended
>> with guar
<snip>
>
> I'm not sure your logic behind the "no coffee grinder". Because it
> may get gummier whisking around in the grinder?

Yes, it might be difficult to get it *out* after you whisk it around in
there. It might turn into something resembling hardened epoxy, and there
might not be any food-safe way to soften it.


>> Applewood Ice Cream
>> (from Grant Achatz, chef at Alinea)
>>
>> 200 g applewood sawdust
>
> Very bizarre. He also cooks with tobacco.

I've got the Alinea cookbook and I've been reading the "Alinea at home"
blog, both of which illustrate cutting-edge cooking at its sharpest. The
blog is great because about twenty percent of the time the recipe fails
(even though it was followed carefully) and the author has no idea what went
wrong -- which gives a sense of what can happen in a home kitchen when you
fiddle around with so-called "molecular gastronomy". C'est la cuisine
avant-garde.

Bob

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:25:41 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
> > Looking around at recipes which contain guar gum, it might be that you need
> > to agitate it. (In which case, I definitely would *not* put it into a
> > coffee
> > grinder.) Every recipe I've seen has a liquid which is blended with guar
> > gum.
>
> Hmm. I didn't think about agitation. I mashed the clumps with the
> back of a spoon and stirred.
>
> I'm not sure your logic behind the "no coffee grinder". Because it
> may get gummier whisking around in the grinder?

I cook with guar gum all the time.

All I do is mix it in with the dry ingredients and then add liquid as
the recipe indicates.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:11:56 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> http://www.efooddepot.com/products/i...Edible_Gum.jpg
>
> I bought some of the above, assuming it's guar gum. I crushed it
> fairly fine using a mortar and pestle and added about 2tsp to 8oz
> of warm water. It's been sitting for 2 hours and hasn't really
> thickened at all.
>
> Is there something else that's needed to activate it? I find it
> hard to believe that you'd use more than a TB per 8oz of liquid.
> Maybe I didn't crush it fine enough? Is it safe to put in the
> coffee/spice grinder without gumming it up?
>
> -sw

i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:18:22 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> I don't think that is guar gum. At least not in the usual form. It may have
> been hydrated and sold as a chewing gum or candy like product.

I'm sure it's a gum used for thickening. India is the largest
producer of Guar Gum in the world (80%). It has no taste, and
several sites and blofgs mention this "edible gum" product as being
guar gum. I don't know why it's sold in this form, but there were
at last 5 brands in 8 different sizes at the store, all sold in rock
form.

> http://www.ranteccorp.com/photos/guar_variation.jpg
> Most times it is sold as a powder like cornstarch. It will lump like
> cornstarch too.

I have seen the powders. Bob's Red Mill, for one. But they are
much more expensive. I have no problem grinding it myself for 1/4th
the price (assuming it works!). Is suspect it imports easier in
whole form. It also gives me a piece of mind that it's not mixed
with formaldehyde or something.

-sw

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:

> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?

Salad dressings, mostly.

-sw

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>
>> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?
>
> Salad dressings, mostly.
>
> -sw

o.k. obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.

your pal,
blake

On Jun 29, 2:13*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
> > On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>
> >> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?
>
> > Salad dressings, mostly.
>
> > -sw
>
> o.k. *obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.

No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free salad
dressings
look like snot.

Cindy Hamilton

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:53:36 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>On Jun 29, 2:13*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>> > On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>>
>> >> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?
>>
>> > Salad dressings, mostly.
>>
>> > -sw
>>
>> o.k. *obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
>> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.
>
>No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free salad
>dressings
>look like snot.
>
>Cindy Hamilton


I was wondering what did that ....

V

Vesper wrote on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:42 -0500:

>> On Jun 29, 2:13 pm, blake murphy >
>> wrote:
>>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>> >> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>>>
>> >>> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with
>> >>> it?
>>>
>> >> Salad dressings, mostly.
>>>
>> >> -sw
>>>
>>> o.k. obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i
>>> thought it was a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not
>>> just to thicken.
>>
>> No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free
>> salad dressings look like snot.
>>
>> Cindy Hamilton

> I was wondering what did that ...

There are numerous fat-free dressings that don't look bad. Kraft
Catalina dressing is one. The major troubles with commercial fat-free
dressings are lack of flavor and the manufacturers' delusion that
sugar can substitute for oil.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:13:23 GMT, blake murphy wrote:

> o.k. obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.

It's mostly used to thicken. Stabalizer, too. Shelf-life - not
really.

Xanthan gum is the way to go, as Becca said. Bob's Red Mill markets
it in many gourmet stores. I'll bite the bullet and do that (guar
is $6/12oz, xanthan $10 for 9oz)

-sw

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:42 -0500, Vesper wrote:

> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:53:36 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> > wrote:
>
>>On Jun 29, 2:13*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
>>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> > On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>>>
>>> >> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?
>>>
>>> > Salad dressings, mostly.
>>>
>>> > -sw
>>>
>>> o.k. *obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
>>> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.
>>
>>No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free salad
>>dressings
>>look like snot.
>>
>>Cindy Hamilton
>
> I was wondering what did that ....

If you read up on them, they have specific scientifical(tm)
properties that keep them from pouring like snot. Guar is preferred
over Xanthan for it's less snotless properties due to it's shorter
long-chain peptide breaking point and reformation coalescence
harmony.

Or something like that. I've never thought of pouring snot. Maybe
more agitation or blending is necessary.

-sw

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:42:19 GMT, James Silverton wrote:

> There are numerous fat-free dressings that don't look bad. Kraft
> Catalina dressing is one. The major troubles with commercial fat-free
> dressings are lack of flavor and the manufacturers' delusion that
> sugar can substitute for oil.

One of the selling points of vegetable gums are that they can
replace the fat-feel of, well, fat. Up to a certain point. They
coat the tongue, basically.

-sw

On Jun 29, 3:42*pm, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> *Vesper *wrote *on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:42 -0500:
>
>
>
>
>
> >> On Jun 29, 2:13 pm, blake murphy >
> >> wrote:
> >>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
> >> >> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>
> >> >>> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with
> >> >>> it?
>
> >> >> Salad dressings, mostly.
>
> >> >> -sw
>
> >>> o.k. *obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i
> >>> thought it was a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not
> >>> just to thicken.
>
> >> No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free
> >> salad dressings look like snot.
>
> >> Cindy Hamilton
> > I was wondering what did that ...
>
> *There are numerous fat-free dressings that don't look bad. Kraft
> Catalina dressing is one. The major troubles with commercial fat-free
> dressings are lack of flavor and the manufacturers' delusion that
> sugar can substitute for oil.

Possibly, but I would rather have my salad bare than eat Catalina
dressing (fat-free or otherwise). I use vinaigrettes almost
exclusively,
although a good homemade ranch is nice for variety. (I use and
abuse the ranch recipe from the Joy of Cooking.)

You're right about the sugar, though. The two things I can't abide
about
bottled salad dressings are the sugar and the cooked taste.

Cindy Hamilton

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:53:36 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton wrote:

> On Jun 29, 2:13*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:16:51 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:56:17 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>>
>>>> i don't mean to pry, but what do you intend to make with it?
>>
>>> Salad dressings, mostly.
>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> o.k. *obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
>> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.
>
> No, it's the xanthan gum or guar gum that makes fat-free salad
> dressings
> look like snot.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

that's sorta why i asked. i didn't recall steve as a fat-avoider.

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:49:15 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:13:23 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>
>> o.k. obviously you see that in commercial dressings, but i thought it was
>> a stabilizer or helped with shelf-life, not just to thicken.
>
> It's mostly used to thicken. Stabalizer, too. Shelf-life - not
> really.
>
> Xanthan gum is the way to go, as Becca said. Bob's Red Mill markets
> it in many gourmet stores. I'll bite the bullet and do that (guar
> is $6/12oz, xanthan $10 for 9oz)
>
> -sw

well, good luck in any case.

your pal,
blake