How to dilute granular gelatin. Cooking Tricks: How to Breed Gelatin

Gelatin is a substance of animal origin, which is quite actively used in cooking. It has no smell, color or taste. In the production of gelatin, tendons, ligaments and bones of livestock are used. It is thanks to these components that gelatin is used to prepare various jelly-like dishes, aspic, jelly and much more. But in order to prepare a really tasty dish of the desired consistency, you need to know how to properly dilute the gelatin.

How to dissolve gelatin

There are no secrets here. It is enough that the gelatin dissolves in cold water, after which, as a rule, a certain amount of liquid is added to the desired volume and heated.

When preparing a dish of a certain consistency, you need to know how to dissolve gelatin correctly.

Keep proportion. To get the so-called "trembling jelly" you need to dilute only 20 grams of pure gelatin in a liter of water. If you want to get a denser jelly (about the same as in jelly), use about 50 grams of gelatin per 1 liter of water.
During heating, do not let the solution boil, otherwise the gelatin will lose its properties.
When making fruit jelly, try to cut the fruit as small as possible. Otherwise, fruit jelly will peel off easily.
Do not chill the mixture in the freezer. The dish will not become jelly-like, but will simply crystallize.
When buying a pack of gelatin, always pay attention to the expiration date of the product. Expired gelatin loses its properties.

jelly recipe

Here is one of the easiest jelly recipes. As a basis, you can take any jam, fresh fruit or juice. To get started, take 15 grams of gelatin and dilute in 100 grams of water, after which, add 1.5 cups of preheated juice. After that, you need to send the mixture to a small fire for 15 minutes, then pour it into molds and let it harden. Now you know how to dilute gelatin.

Gelatin is commercially available in the form of coarse-grained powder or plates. In order for it to be used in dishes, both one and the other must be diluted. Gelatin is diluted with any liquid (water, juice, broth) - it depends on which dish it will then be added to. It can be fruit jelly, sour cream soufflé, meat or fish aspic. Using gelatin, you can even make a cake. Now we will tell you how to dilute gelatin, and give some of the simplest recipes using it.

Dilute gelatin powder as follows:

Pour as much gelatin into the ladle as indicated in a particular recipe. For reference: 15 g of gelatin (without top) is placed in one standard tablespoon.
Pour it with five tablespoons of warm water, juice or broth.
Let the gelatin swell - it will take 10-15 minutes.
Pour half a glass of the same liquid in which it swelled into the swollen gelatin.
Put the ladle in a water bath and, constantly stirring the contents, ensure that a thick, viscous mass is obtained in the ladle. Make sure that the contents do not boil.
If, after a water bath, undissolved grains of gelatin remain in the container, then strain the contents through a kitchen strainer.

Add the diluted gelatin to the main liquid that you will use for the dish. At the same time, make sure that the amount of liquid required in the recipe is not violated. For example, if 1 liter of juice is provided for making jelly, then take 5 tablespoons (see No. 2 in point 1) and half a glass (see No. 4 in point 1) from this liter.

Gelatin, which goes on sale in the form of plates, is diluted a little differently:

Pour the required number of plates with cold water.
After 5-7 minutes, drain the water, and squeeze the plates well from moisture.
Place the swollen plates in a ladle and fill with juice, broth or water.
Place the ladle in a water bath and constantly stir the mixture. Make sure it doesn't boil.
Pour the prepared gelatin mass into the main liquid.

For any dishes (jelly, aspic, jelly) the following amount of gelatin is required, calculated per liter of liquid:

for a slightly gelled dish, as if "breathing" - 15 g;
for normal jelly - 20 g;
for very strong jelly - 25 g.

Strong jelly can be used to cut decorations from it for any dishes.

With the help of gelatin, you can cook delicious and original fruit-sour cream jelly:

Dilute 10 g of gelatin in water.
Beat 500 ml of sour cream and 1 cup of sugar.
Pour diluted gelatin into whipped sour cream and mix well.
Take four transparent glasses and pour 125 ml of sour cream into each.
Put the glasses in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
From 10 g of gelatin and 500 fruit juice, make the second part of the jelly.
Put pieces of fresh fruit or berries on the frozen sour cream jelly.
Fill them with the prepared fruit mixture.
Place glasses with two-layer jelly again in the refrigerator to solidify.

Do you want to surprise your friends and family? Prepare an unusual cake using gelatin.

Bake a biscuit or buy a store-bought one - only 500 g.
Cut the biscuit into 2cm x 2cm cubes.
Cut banana, kiwi, strawberries, tangerines into the same cubes. Take any fruits, but in general they should also be 500 g.
From one liter of sour cream and 25 g of gelatin, prepare a sour cream mixture. Before adding diluted gelatin to sour cream, beat it with two glasses of sugar.
Take a deep bowl and cover it with cling film.
Pour one cup of the sour cream-gelatin mixture into the bottom of the bowl.
Mix the biscuit slices and fruit slices on the sour cream.
Fill this layer with sour cream.
Next, lay out the biscuit and fruit again.
Fill the bowl to the top, alternating sour cream and biscuit-fruit layers.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
Before serving, dip the bowl of cake for a couple of seconds in hot water.
Place a large flat dish on top of the bowl and turn everything together so that the cake is on the dish.
Remove the film from the cake and cut it into portions.

If you have cooked aspic, but it has not frozen, then heat it up and dilute the gelatin in this broth. Add it to a dish and put it in a cold place - the jelly will be saved.

Gelatin is a product in the form of crystals or plates, odorless and tasteless, obtained from the tissues of fish and animals. From Latin, its name is translated as "frozen" or "frozen". In its composition, gelatin is 85% protein. Most of the benefit of this product lies in the collagen, which is contained in it in considerable quantities.

The first time gelatin was obtained and patented was in 1845 by engineer Peter Cooper. Almost 50 years after its invention, no one could understand its benefits and find a way to use it. Most people considered gelatin to be an absolutely useless product, until another inventor, Pearl Waite, prepared a very tasty dessert using it, which he called "jelly". After that, the benefits of gelatin were fully revealed, and he received his place of honor in cooking.

Today, with the use of gelatin, many tasty and healthy dishes are prepared - meat and fish aspic, jelly, jelly, soufflé, marshmallows, creams. Before use, it is better to soak it in cold water, where it will swell 2-3 times. And this substance dissolves only in a warm liquid.

But gelatin is used not only in cooking, but also in pharmaceuticals - candles and capsules are prepared from it; in the photo and film industry - for the manufacture of film and photographic paper - - it is a very useful restorative additive in masks, shampoos, balms. Gelatin also has vegetable analogues - agar-agar and pectin, obtained from seaweed.

The substance that forms the basis of gelatin is collagen. Along with this, it includes water, proteins, ash, starch, fats, carbohydrates, micro and macro elements, vitamin PP, amino acids in its composition. There is no doubt about the benefits of this product for the human body, because it contains magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron and the amino acid glycine. It also contains 2 more very useful amino acids - proline and hydroxyproline, which contribute to the development, restoration and preservation of connective cartilage and tissues.

Gelatin is an excellent dietary product, all dishes that include it in their composition are perfectly absorbed by the body and do not cause increased secretion of the digestive glands. Many people know that gelatin is very useful for cracks and fractures of bones, because it contributes to the speedy fusion of bone tissue and the restoration of joint tissues after injuries.

Eating gelatin, which is so rich in collagen, can significantly improve the condition of nails and hair, make joints mobile and elastic. Experts recommend that people who suffer from osteochondrosis and arthritis regularly include in their diet those dishes that were prepared on the basis of gelatin. By the way, it is also useful for external use, for example: in the form of strengthening baths for nails and face masks.

Those amino acids that are part of gelatin are a source of energy for the body, help strengthen the heart muscle, and have a positive effect on mental activity. With low blood clotting, gelatin will also be useful. Its use is also recommended in the form of jelly, kissels and mousses for pulmonary, gastric, intestinal and other bleeding.

By the way, there are no special contraindications to eating this product. Very rarely, it can cause an allergic reaction. With caution, gelatin should be used by those people who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system and are prone to oxaluric diathesis, because this substance itself is an oxalogel.

How to properly dilute gelatin?

Gelatin is widely used in cooking. You can buy it in the store in the form of transparent plates or powder. But buying it is not enough, you still need to know how to properly breed it.

If gelatin is in the form of a powder, then you need to put it in a bowl, pour 4-5 tbsp. l. boiled water, milk, fruit drink or other liquid, which is indicated in the recipe for cooking. Now the mixture should be stirred and allowed to stand, the granules should swell and increase in size. If the gelatin is in the plates, then it should also be pre-soaked in water for 5-7 minutes, then drain the water and squeeze the plates a little from the water, put in a bowl.

Cooking gelatin is best in a water bath, for this you need to boil water in a saucepan and cover it with a container of gelatin on top. Stirring constantly, gelatin should be slowly melted. The temperature of the mass should not be understood above 80 degrees. The more thoroughly the gelatin was stirred during the cooking process, the better it will solidify later.

After the gelatin has melted almost completely, the container should be removed and the liquid filtered through a sieve so that films and undissolved granules remain in it.

Now the gelatin is ready to be added to the hot liquid that was indicated in the recipe, then everything needs to be mixed, poured into molds, cooled to room temperature and put in the refrigerator.

Fruit jelly is a light, tasty and also healthy dessert that will appeal not only to children, but also to adults! But the frozen structure of this dish will help provide gelatin.

The consistency of the dish will depend on the amount of gelatin taken. If you want the jelly to turn out “trembling”, then you need to take 20 g of the substance for 1 liter of water. You should not reduce the amount, otherwise the dessert will not harden. To get a "rubber" jelly that will be cut with a knife, gelatin should be taken 50 g per 1 liter of water.

The swollen product should be heated. To do this, it should be poured into a saucepan and put on a minimum fire. You can do this in a water bath. It is impossible to move away from the stove, because the mixture must be constantly stirred. After the product is completely dissolved, without bringing the liquid to a boil, the pan must be removed from the heat.

Cooked hot gelatin can be combined in a separate container with a jelly base: puree, fruit juice, jam or compote. The mixture must be cooled to room temperature, and then placed in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

But when making jelly, there are some little tricks:

Gelatin must not be brought to a boil, otherwise it will not thicken;
It is impossible to take aluminum dishes to heat gelatin, otherwise the product will become dark in color and have an unpleasant taste;
To avoid lumps when diluting gelatin, you need to pour it into a warm container, heating it with warm water. And if lumps still appear, then they should be filtered through a sieve;
The mass should be cooled in the refrigerator, it will crystallize in the freezer;
If you need to add fruits to the jelly, then they must first be crushed.

Thanks to gelatin, the jellied meat turns out to be exquisite and beautiful. But first you need to know - how to properly dilute gelatin for making jelly?

First you need to dissolve it in a glass of cold water and leave for an hour to swell a little.

Then the mixture should be poured into an enamel pan and put on a small fire. Boil gelatin should be, constantly stirring, until it is completely dissolved, but you can not bring it to a boil!

Then the solution must be filtered through cheesecloth and mixed with broth, which is intended for jelly.

By the way, in the case of cooking jelly with gelatin, carrots need to be cut very finely. For 1 liter of water, exactly 20 g of the substance should be taken. Excessive use of gelatin can over-harden the jelly, while spoiling its aroma and taste. You can check the rate of gelatin with your finger - for this you need to draw liquid into a spoon, wet your fingers in it. If they stick but come off easily, then you're good.

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It is very difficult to imagine modern cooking without gelatin. Cakes, sweets, marshmallows, mousses, jellies and jellies are unlikely to be prepared without this additive. Although for the first time food gelatin in its pure form appeared not so long ago - in the 19th century.

However, many housewives, especially after the first unsuccessful experience, are afraid to deal with gelatin - either it will not completely dissolve, or it will not harden. Indeed, in order for the result to turn out as it should, it is important to know how to work with it correctly. And there are a lot of nuances here - what to dissolve, at what temperature, what proportions, how to make it so that it turns out without lumps, etc. I, too, at first did not understand well what gelatin was and how to make friends with it. But, believe me, there is nothing complicated!

Types of gelatin

This indispensable ingredient is made either from animal products (tendons, cartilage, skins, etc.), or from fish waste. The latter is more expensive and less common, since the manufacturing technology is more complicated.

By the way, vegetarians and representatives of some nationalities may refuse dishes with gelatin. But agar-agar and pectin are suitable for everyone - they are made from plant products.

There are 3 types of edible gelatin on the shelves of our stores:

in granules;
in powder;
in the form of thin plates.

It is impossible to say which one is better - each has its own advantages. Leaf gelatin swells faster. In granules it is cheaper, and in powder it takes less time to dissolve. Here it is more correct to build on a specific recipe and your personal preferences.

Proportions: why observe

The main rule of successful jelly, aspic, etc. - Compliance with the ratio of dry gelatin and liquid. In general, there are instructions on each pack, but it’s better to remember:

for dense jelly, it should be taken at the rate of 40-50 g per 1 liter of liquid;
for the usual, 25-30 g will be enough.

If you are preparing very sweet jelly or pork jelly, then it is better to increase the amount of gelatin by 5-10 g. The fact is that sugar and fat have a bad effect on gelling qualities.

Compliance with proportions is also important during soaking. In order for gelatin to swell properly, we take 10 parts of liquid for 1 part of dry matter. If you take less, you get just a clot that looks like a jellyfish. If you take more, then the taste of the finished dish may turn out to be not so rich.

In what water for how long to soak

An equally important question is at what temperature to soak and dissolve gelatin. Almost everywhere, the recommendations are the same - soak in cold, warm up to dissolve, but do not boil. True, before dissolving the sheet, you must first squeeze out a little, and only then send it to the liquid.

Indeed, soaking in cold water is indispensable. In granules it swells in 40 minutes, in sheets - in 10-15, in powder - 5-10. If you pour hot water immediately, then the gelatin will stick together and it will take more time. This does not apply to instant powder. You can not soak it at all - it is perfectly diluted with hot water.

The swollen gelatin is dissolved by heating the mixture and adding liquid, depending on the recipe - broth, juice. It is better to do this in a water bath or over low heat, stirring constantly.

By the way, gelatin can be soaked not only in water - in milk, in broth, in cream, this substance also swells well. But it will take twice as long. And in this case it is better not to experiment with boiling.

Everywhere they write that it is strictly forbidden to boil gelatin, they say, peptide compounds are destroyed. This is a myth, I will say right away. Practice shows that even prolonged boiling does not affect the gelling properties. Perhaps the ban on boiling was simply generalized, since some products are really better not to boil, for example, sour cream. Or maybe the fact is that a concentrated solution of gelatin burns quickly and then the smell spoils the whole dish.

Application

Gelatin for jellied or aspic

Let's move on to the recipes. Let's figure out for a start how to dilute gelatin for jelly, jelly or aspic:

soak gelatin in cool water (remember the proportions and time);
add 1 cup of broth and heat, stirring, until the grains disappear completely;
filter the solution through a sieve or gauze;
we introduce a gelling solution at the end of preparation.

Do not forget that if we are preparing a dish of fatty meat, then we take dry gelatin a little more than the norm, but for aspic or jellied chicken, fish, standard 40-50 g and 1 liter is enough.

Separately, I will dwell on the question "What to do if the aspic (jelly) is not frozen?". Everything is simple here - we calculate the required amount of dry gelatin, soak it and dissolve it in the usual way. We boil our failed aspic and pour in the gelatin solution. Well, then as usual - cool and in the refrigerator. I recommend adding a little salt and spices so that the reanimating procedure does not affect the taste in any way.

cooking jelly

For jelly, the scheme is the same - soaked, dissolved, filtered and combined with juice, broth, cocoa, milk, etc. There are secrets in this simple procedure.

The easiest way is to take instant gelatin and pour it into a hot liquid, stirring. Then you do not need to neither filter nor warm up.

Some fruits contain special substances that destroy the very peptide compounds that make it possible to obtain jelly. Kiwi, pineapple, raw papaya are not suitable for jelly. But if these fruits are boiled, then the substances break down into simpler ones, which do not affect gelatin in any way.

Gelatin for cream

For cakes, buttercreams and more, gelatin often needs to be dissolved without the use of water. Then soak in either cream or milk. The time for the usual one is 1.5-2 hours, for the instant one - 20-30 minutes. Then warm in a water bath, stirring. Strain through a sieve and refrigerate.

While the gelling mixture is cooling down, make the cream. In a ready-made cream, in a thin stream, with constant stirring, we introduce the dissolved gelatin. In this case, I prefer to use the blender at a low speed.

We soak the leaf in water and then, after squeezing it well, we immediately send it to the heated mixture. Mix thoroughly several times. It is better to do this in a water bath.

In this case, a microwave oven is simply indispensable. We place the liquid with gelatin for 30 seconds in the microwave, the power is maximum. The gelatin should completely dissolve. If not, send another 10-20 seconds.

We cool correctly

In the end, I will dwell on the cooling of dishes with gelatin. There is no way to do without this stage. Just put it in the fridge for a few hours.

Some, seeking to speed up the solidification, are sent to the freezer. You can't do that - it's not ice cream! The fact is that the water that is in the gelling mixture freezes, and ice crystals violate the integrity of the consistency. It turns out a loose, unattractive outwardly substance with grains of ice.

Soak video:

As you can see, in order to make friends with gelatin, you need to know something. But just a little practice, and you can be sure - jellies, aspics, soufflés and everything else will definitely turn out. And every time it gets better and better!

Gelatin is a glue of animal origin. For its production, tendons, bones, ligaments of cattle are used, and fish scales and bones are also used. It has no smell, color, taste. It is a transparent substance. Has the designation E441. Sold in sachets in powder form. There are two types: A and B. Gelatin A is the treatment of pig skins with acid. Gelatin B is an alkaline treatment of bovine bones. But the properties of both types are the same. Gelatin is used in the preparation of various dishes: jelly, second courses, cream, jelly, decorations for cakes, pies.

Dissolving gelatin is simple: dissolve in cold water, then add liquid to the desired volume, heat.

It is also very important to remember:

1. It is important to observe proportions, otherwise a rubber product may turn out. 20 grams of gelatin + a liter of water = "trembling jelly"; 40-60 grams of gelatin + 1 liter of water = jelly that is cut with a knife;

2. Gelatin must not be boiled. Otherwise, it will not thicken;

3. The fruits in the recipe are finely chopped, because gelatin slides over coarsely chopped fresh fruits;

4. You can not cool the gelatin mixture in the freezer, it will crystallize;

5. Shelf life is important - expired gelatin can spoil the whole dish.

Jelly preparation. The simplest and lightest jelly can be made from jam, syrup, juice or fresh berries. Soak 15 g of gelatin for one hour in 0.5 cups of water. Add 1.5 cups of juice of your choice, preheated to 60 degrees. Then everything for 15 minutes on a slow fire. Pour the jelly into molds and refrigerate until set. It remains only to get and remove from the molds, lowering them for a minute in hot water. Only water should not touch the jelly.

Cold preparation. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of gelatin into one glass of chicken broth for 40 minutes. Add three cups of broth and simmer until completely dissolved. Then follow the main recipe.

Preparation of cream for the cake. Dilute gelatin in a glass of cream for 2 hours. Mix in a water bath for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Cool and mix with the main cream. Coat the cake with cream and put it in the refrigerator to cool for 4 hours.

Dishes using gelatin are very tasty, interesting, and also useful, since gelatin vitamins, amino acids, improves blood clotting.