[rockyuk]

Hi Everyone,

I am trying to find a way of making a consistently creamy textured sorbet recipe, I was wondering if anyone on here has used Guar Gum Powder or Agar Agar powder in their recipes?

I am trying to keep the recipes vegan and vegetarian safe so I have to be mindful about the ingredients that I use. Also with the above powders how to you calculate it based on the quantity of liquid example 500ml or a litre, how do you calculate the correct quantity?

Thanks

Rockyuk

 

[chefross]

I must be missing something here.
Sorbet is fruit juice, and sugar, nothing more.
It's the technique that creates the texture.
Why would you need chemicals?
What would worry Vegans here?

 

[jellly]

Sorbet stabilizers help keep the ice crystals small, which does help with the texture of a sorbet. One of the popular brands of stabilizer, Cremodan 64, contains whey protein so it is not vegan.

Chefross- You mention chemicals, but I am not sure I would consider either agar (from seaweed) or guar gum (from the outer part of the guar bean) to be a chemical.

Some varieties of sorbet don't need stabilizers if the fruit has enough fiber, like mango or banana. However, I think lemon is very hard to do without.

Rocky- to your original question: are you using frozen fruit purees or fresh fruit? If using purees, your vendor can often supply a great chart for reference. I have used both Boiron's and Perfect Purees with great results. You will need to adapt your recipe to the variety of fruit you are using. When using fresh fruit, I will make a sorbet syrup and add it to the fruit, using a refractometer to adjust ratio. If you can't check brix, you may want to start with a base recipe from a reliable source. I have also had good results from the cookbook: Frozen Desserts.

 

[foodpump]

If you want to keep the ice crystals small, you need inverted sugar, available in tubs from your bakery supplier.

Honey is a form of inverted sugar and will do the trick quite well, but it isn't vegan......

 

[chefross]

Jelly...
I must take issue here with what you said.
Lately Chefs have been adding what I call, non-food to aid in texture, and preservation of foods.

Everything from drugs to textiles and everything in between can be made from plants and minerals.

My point being that food doesn't need "additives" to insure proper consistency or texture.
These recipes have lasted for decades without non food additives because great care was given to technique.

Is it possible that these additives are being used to bypass the technique because the process is too complicated or time consuming?

I can't answer, but I do know that for 46 years, I have never needed to add anything to a recipe other than the ingredients listed.

 

[knifeforhire89]

When i make Sorbets (usually Guava, Passion Fruit, or Strawberry) I always have a puree handy because i normally have to make a large batch. A purple scoop for 500+ kind of numbers (like i am serving tomorrow). I use Three cups water, 1 cup sugar, and about half a cup of puree. Bring it to a boil, chill the liquid in an ice bath for a few hours. Then its into the ice cream maker. As long as i let it chill long enough, then slam it in the freezer immediately, i dont have any issues.

The one time i used AUI's Ideale sorbet stabilizer it ended up being a sticky, gummy mess that never set properly.

 

[harpua]

When i make Sorbets (usually Guava, Passion Fruit, or Strawberry) I always have a puree handy because i normally have to make a large batch. A purple scoop for 500+ kind of numbers (like i am serving tomorrow). I use Three cups water, 1 cup sugar, and about half a cup of puree. Bring it to a boil, chill the liquid in an ice bath for a few hours. Then its into the ice cream maker. As long as i let it chill long enough, then slam it in the freezer immediately, i dont have any issues.

The one time i used AUI's Ideale sorbet stabilizer it ended up being a sticky, gummy mess that never set properly.

I've had that experience with the stabilizer as well. I like to use trimoline and glucose. That stuff gets gummy and weird.