Agar - agar 100g

Agar-Agar: The Versatile and Natural Gelatin Substitute

Looking for a natural and vegan alternative to gelatin? Meet agar-agar! In this text, you will discover the many applications of agar-agar, a plant-based gelling agent derived from seaweed.

What is Agar-Agar?

Agar, also known as agar-agar, is a natural thickening agent of plant origin. It is extracted from various types of red seaweed. It has a neutral taste and comes in powder form. Agar-agar is known for its strong gelling ability and is widely used in the food industry and in vegetarian and vegan recipes as a substitute for gelatin (on labels you will find it under the symbol E-406).

The Benefits of Agar-Agar

Plant-Based and Vegan: Agar-agar is a plant-based product and thus a perfect gelatin substitute for people who follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. It is made from natural ingredients and contains no animal products.

Strong Gelling Ability: Agar-agar has excellent gelling ability, which means it can convert liquids into a gel-like consistency. This makes it ideal for making puddings, jelly, cakes, creams, jams, and much more.

How to Use Agar-Agar

Agar is used as a replacement for gelatin in creams, jellies, mousses, preserves, and other products. It dissolves at a temperature of 85-95 degrees Celsius while setting at 32-35 degrees. You do not need to refrigerate it. Always let agar-agar stand in water or juice for 8-10 minutes before you start heating. To achieve average gel hardness, the ratio is: 1 flat teaspoon of agar per 1 glass of liquid. Dissolve the agar in a bit of cold water and add to boiling water; cook for a few minutes. Agar can also be used to make jam. Add 1-1.5 teaspoons of agar for every 1.5 kg of fruit and 500 g of sugar. If the resulting consistency is too thick, you can also add water.

Description

Agar-Agar is made from red algae harvested off the coast of Japan. In the kitchen, the product is used in powder form as a binding agent. It is a vegetarian substitute for traditional gelatin derived from animal by-products. Dissolved in hot water and then cooled, agar-agar can be used like gelatin. In fact, agar-agar is not a new product on the market but was relatively unknown on the European continent until now. In comparison - in Japan, agar-agar has been known and used since the 17th century.

Application - our video on Youtube

About 2g (1 spoon) of agar-agar per 250ml of water. Agar-agar has a neutral taste and is therefore highly versatile in applications such as puddings, cakes, soups, sauces, ice cream, jams, etc. Agar-agar dissolves at a temp. of 95°C (boil well to dissolve properly), solidifying at 32-35 °C. So you don’t have to put the dish in the fridge.
The best method is to dissolve agar in a glass of water and add it during cooking to the boiling dish.

Experiment with Agar-Agar in your Kitchen

Agar-agar offers a versatile option for creating gelatin-like dishes and desserts without using animal products. Add agar-agar to your kitchen repertoire and experiment with various recipes to discover the endless possibilities of this natural gelatin substitute.