Xanthan gum

[r.mines]

Karen...any of you other experienced LC cooks....help?

I bought some xanthan gum and tried to use it to thicken gravy. I used about a teaspoon and added the cold liquid a bit at a time. It thickened and clumped immediately, and got quite lumpy. I rescued it by running it through a sieve, and I think the gravy will be OK.

Is there a better way to add xanthan gum to liquid? Should the liquid be cold or hot?

Rachel

[doreen T]

hi Rachel,

I posted this a few days ago to a question about thickeners.Add the xanthan powder to some of the liquid first (it will dissolve in both hot and cold liquids) ... then add it to the rest, stirring like crazy ...... It has a tendency to clump, but unlike cornstarch, the clumps will dissolve as long as you keep stirring! It gives a gummy texture, like how pectin thickens a jam, rather than a smooth creamy texture the way flour or cornstarch would. Perfectly fine for gravies, stir-fry sauce, home-made syrups, etc...... Creamy sauces seem to fare better with egg yolks as the thickener, but that's just personal opinion.

The carbs in xanthan gum are all fiber, by the way .. hope this helps. Actually, it's best to add the bit of liquid to the powder, not the powder to the liquid. Then, stir the gummy mess into the rest of the liquid... :D

Doreen

[r.mines]

Thanks, Doreen. It sounds like there's no way to avoid a bit of clumping. I added the liquid to the powder, a bit at a time, stirring furiously all the while, and it still clumped. Running it through the sieve got rid of the clumps, and the gravy turned out fine (especially after adding a couple tablespoons of red wine, yum!). As you say, not quite the texture or colour of flour gravy; the end result was more like a sauce thickened with cornstarch. But it was perfectly acceptable, not odd-looking or tasting at all.

Rachel

[doreen T]

hi Rachel,

You might want to consider investing in one of those "immersion" type blenders, long and slender that you immerse into whatever you want to blend, chop, puree, etc. Canadian Tire has Braun for $19.99. I bought a version that twists apart in the middle, for easier cleaning, $29.99. I LOVE it, purees soups, blends the lumps out of gravy, whips a whey protein shake into a thick, yummy froth .. some come with an attachment to whip cream in 15 seconds flat. Makes awesome homemade mayonnaise too, in just seconds.

I finally bought a dehydrator today. Phoned and walked and drove all over the city looking for one. Paid $120 for it, but it comes with a few extra doo-dads and gizmos, so I'm happy. Bought some top-side lean round, will get it marinating shortly. This one has quite a cookbook with recipes for fish jerky too. Don't gag, I'm thinking smoked trout or salmon would be good. And home-dried tomatoes (in August-September, when fresh from the garden has the best flavour) to put in good olive oil and herbs (black peppercorns, basil and thyme) Carby for sure, but a little goes a long way. This model is supposed to be good for 4 lbs. of meat, so maybe that explains the higher cost from the one you bought??

Even in the high heat and humidity of summer, I can put it out on my balcony to run overnight, and not heat up the apartment. Yayyy!!

Thanks for the marinade recipes, and the motivation for getting one of these things. I've been mulling over the notion for years, and always found a reason to talk myself out of it. Now I have one, and I intend to use it a lot, thanks to you... :)

Doreen