I made a first attempt at using arrowroot as a thickener and failed. I'm
hoping for some guidance.

Cornstarch is a good thickener to use at high temperatures. To contrast,
Arrowroot supposedly thickens between 158 F and 175 F, and at higher
temperatures the thickening action stops.

I boiled a pot of water to 170 F then put in a Ball canning jar with one cup
of water and two tablespoons of arrowroot powder. I mixed in the arrowroot
into the water to create a slurry, and then I let the Ball jar heat up to
170 F. Around 160 F the arrowroot did start to thicken, but it was a weak
gel. After about 20 minutes at 170 F, I took out the Ball jar and let it
cool. Somehow the arrowroot de-gelled and it became a liquid again.

What am I doing wrong here? How do I get the gel to stick (pun intended)?

If I overheat to beyond 175 F, is the gel going to remain, or will it
actually undo at those higher temperatures?

--
W