Agar-agar

The agar-agar (called E406 in the List of the food additives) is a gelling product obtained starting from red algas (inter alia floridées like the Gracilaria ). It is a Polysaccharide Galactose contained in the cellular Paroi of certain species of Algue S reds (rhodophycées).

This extract would be rich in iron. Purified agar-agar, removed from all its biogenic salts is called the Agarose, usable according to its level of purity in various applications of Molecular biology.

By dessication these algae form a Mucilage which by pulverization gives agar-agar used primarily to gel the culture media for the Micro-organisme S. It is called kanten with the Japan where it is used in certain Pâtisserie S, being then presented in the form of long transparent bars or out of powder. This substance is used in very minor amounts. It practically has neither taste nor color. It is flexible and gelling vegetable perfect to replace the animal Gélatine, there exists a multitude of receipts in which agar-agar can be used: Jam S, Cold S of fruits, Blank S…

For a use in jams, to envisage approximately 5 to 6 grams of powder Agar-agar per kilo of not-acid fruits like the strawberries, apricots, plums. But for more acid fruits like oranges to envisage the powder double almost. It is advisable to carry out tests for controlling well the cooking and the quantity of powder to be used. I add the powder mixed with two or three caster sugar spoons (or, better, watered in a few spoonfuls of water) at the end of the cooking while whipping not to make the grumeaux one. Then I let cook approximately two good minutes for dissolving the Agar-agar powder well. Contrary to the gelatin, Agar-agar must cook in the preparation. During cooking, the powder can produce, at the beginning, a small odor " of mer" who disappears at once and does not give to in no case taste with jam. This Agar-agar powder is an excellent alternative to the pectin usually used for the preparation of jams.

Here a small receipt of jam of strawberries using of Agar-agar:

- 1 kilo of prepared strawberries, - 650 grams of caster sugar, - 6 grams of Agar-agar powder.

To make cook sugar with 1/2 water glass to obtain a syrup. To add the strawberries cut into 2 and to make cook the whole approximately 5 minutes. To crush the whole with the vegetable mill and to give in the pan. To mix Agar-agar with two sugar spoons and to pour in rain in the strawberries while whipping well. To let cook two more minutes and put out of pots. To screw the lid on the ebullient pots and to turn over them to ensure a " autopasteurisation" who will allow you to preserve your jams without moulds a long time. To leave 1/4 of hour on the lid and to turn over to let cool normally. To taste.

Properties

  • also Used in the gastro-intestinal disorders
  • With strong amount: even cause flatulences, in the worst of the cases of the intestinal obstructions.

List species of algae with agar-agar

* Sphaerococcus Euchema
* Gelidium
* Gracilaria
* Gelidiella
* Pterocladia

Method of extraction

The algae are cut, pulps and are filtered. The Filtrat is mixed with a solution of ethanol and Eau in order to obtain a Précipité of agar-agar which is then dried.

Zh-min-nan: Chhài-iàn

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