Modernist Cooking At Home

  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • Techniques
  • Equipment
  • Cookbooks
  • Blog

Carageenan

Carageenans are extracts from red seaweed appearing in kappa, iota, and lambda forms.  Their differences are marked by the number of sulfates they have per saccharide.  Kappa has one sulfate, Iota has two sulfates, and Lambda has three sulfates per saccharide.  The differing number of sulfates impacts the strength and rigidity of the bonds formed.  Kappa forms very strong rigid gels, Iota forms soft gels, and Lambda merely thickens.

The Carageenans are often times used as thickening and gelling agents particularly in products with a high calcium content (like the chestnut cream here).  They are found in a variety of products as thickeners and stabilizers (ice cream, salad dressings, processed meats, toothpaste, etc).

In Modernist cooking they are used for their gelling and absorbing power, which is much greater than traditional thickeners like cornstarch and flour.  Additionally, they are a vegan alternative to traditional gelling agents.  Find all three versions here.

Carageenan

Share this:

  • Tweet

Related posts:

Xanthan GumXanthan Gum Konjac GumKonjac Gum

Filed Under: Ingredients

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Me

Learn about me and how I went from a frozen pizza queen to a burgeoning modernist home cook! … Read more

Recent Posts

  • Sous Vide Lobster Tail Salad with Sous Vide Poached Egg
  • Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator Review
  • Sous Vide Meatloaf with Hazelnut Crust
  • Scallops, Beet Juice Pickled Turnips and Beet Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Brownie with Sous Vide Crème Anglaise

Recent Comments

  • Alejandro Palacios on Vacuum Sealer Reviews
  • Jamie on Sous Vide Buttered Lobster Tail, Hen of the Woods, Bone Marrow, Pearl Onions
  • Eric Park on Reverse Spherification
  • Jamie on Sous Vide Buttered Lobster Tail, Hen of the Woods, Bone Marrow, Pearl Onions
  • Al Harris Jr. on Vacuum Sealer Reviews

Recent Posts

  • Sous Vide Lobster Tail Salad with Sous Vide Poached Egg
  • Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator Review
  • Sous Vide Meatloaf with Hazelnut Crust
  • Scallops, Beet Juice Pickled Turnips and Beet Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Brownie with Sous Vide Crème Anglaise

Copyright © 2022 www.modernistcookingathome.com - Privacy Policy