Agar as a thickener?

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what ratio?

I've never messed with this stuff before.

TIA!

I dunno. But I've heard agar agar, once set, doen't "melt"again when
reheated, like gelatin would. So that might be a factor in your decisions.

In article <[email hidden]>,

jake said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what ratio?

I've never messed with this stuff before.

TIA!

I dunno. But I've heard agar agar, once set, doen't "melt"again when
reheated, like gelatin would. So that might be a factor in your decisions.

Well, I did some googling and it appears it's used mostly for desserts.
:-P Gum Arabic seeems to be the low carb thickener of choice for savory
recipes.

I'll have to think about that. I've never seen it for sale!
I'm sure I can get it on line tho'.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote on 01 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what ratio?

I've never messed with this stuff before.

TIA!

AFAIK Agar is like pectin only thick when cool.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Jenny's Indispensable Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce

Recipe By :Jenny the Bean (asdlc), modified slightly by Damsel
Serving Size : 27 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiments

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons Splenda® granular -- (18 drops liquid)
1 dash cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum -- optional(agar)
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
15 ounces tomato sauce -- plain
6 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 tablespoon Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 tablespoon salt -- optional
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring

Place Splenda and cayenne pepper into a medium sauce pan. Add xanthan gum,
if you choose to thicken the sauce. Blend mustard into dry ingredients.
Slowly blend in the tomato sauce. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Let simmer for a few minutes. Let cool,
then refrigerate.

Note: this sauce will taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is still
hot. Don't worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the fridge.

Carbohydrates per Serving (1 tablespoon): Less than 1 gram. Half an ounce
is 1 gm carbs, 6 calories.

Source:
""http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/""
Yield:
"1 cups"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 7 Calories; trace Fat (7.0% calories
from fat); trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace
Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : This isn't a substitute for the "real thing," it's an improvement.
It's so good the rest of the family gobbles it up and I have to keep making
more.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what ratio?

I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from a
chinese potatoes.
Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
Cheers
Pandora

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what ratio?

I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from a
chinese potatoes.
Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
Cheers
Pandora

Thanks!

I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
avoid that.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what
ratio?

I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from a
chinese potatoes.
Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
Cheers
Pandora

Thanks!

I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
avoid that.

Have you tried also "KUZU"?
It is extracted from another root.
Pandora

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...
>I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of weeks
> ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)
>
> Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what
> ratio?

I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from a
chinese potatoes.
Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
Cheers
Pandora

Thanks!

I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
avoid that.

Have you tried also "KUZU"?
It is extracted from another root.
Pandora

Any root extract is going to be starch.

It won't be low carb.

Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an agricultural
pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Pandora" <[email hidden]> wrote:

> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:[email hidden]...
> >I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of
> >weeks
> > ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)
> >
> > Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what
> > ratio?
>
> I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
> thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from
> a
> chinese potatoes.
> Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
> Cheers
> Pandora
>
>

Thanks!

I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
avoid that.

Have you tried also "KUZU"?
It is extracted from another root.
Pandora

Any root extract is going to be starch.

Ohhhhh! It's true, I'm sorry for you. At this point, I don't know how to
help you.

Quoted message said:

It won't be low carb.

Quoted message said:

Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an agricultural
pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.

Oh! It's a fortune! It is an health herbs, I've seen!
Cheers
Pandora

Quoted message said:

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack
Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

Quoted message said:

Any root extract is going to be starch.

Ohhhhh! It's true, I'm sorry for you. At this point, I don't know how to
help you.

It's ok. :-)
Thanks for trying...
Unless you really study the nutritional contents of foods, (carb's, fat
and protein contents), you may not know what foods contain what... I'm
looking for non-caloric or protein based thickeners. Whippe egg works
somewhat for soups.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It won't be low carb.

Quoted message said:

Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an agricultural
pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.

Oh! It's a fortune! It is an health herbs, I've seen!
Cheers
Pandora

Heh! Tell that to the farmers that are trying to eliminate it!
It's very invasive and hard to get rid of once it takes over. I saw
literally miles of it and it took over entire fields, and climbed over
trees and structures. It shades out and kills everything in it's path.

I suppose it'd be ok in a controlled setting, but I've never had the
nerve to import it. My wild grapes are bad enough! :-)
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Pandora" <[email hidden]> wrote:

> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:[email hidden]...
> >I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of
> >weeks
> > ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)
> >
> > Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what
> > ratio?
>
> I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
> thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from
> a
> chinese potatoes.
> Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
> Cheers
> Pandora
>
>

Thanks!

I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
avoid that.

Have you tried also "KUZU"?
It is extracted from another root.
Pandora

Any root extract is going to be starch.

It won't be low carb.

Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

Quoted message said:

Any root extract is going to be starch.

Ohhhhh! It's true, I'm sorry for you. At this point, I don't know how to
help you.

It's ok. :-)
Thanks for trying...
Unless you really study the nutritional contents of foods, (carb's, fat
and protein contents), you may not know what foods contain what... I'm
looking for non-caloric or protein based thickeners. Whippe egg works
somewhat for soups.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It won't be low carb.

Quoted message said:

Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an agricultural
pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.

Oh! It's a fortune! It is an health herbs, I've seen!
Cheers
Pandora

Heh! Tell that to the farmers that are trying to eliminate it!
It's very invasive and hard to get rid of once it takes over. I saw
literally miles of it and it took over entire fields, and climbed over
trees and structures. It shades out and kills everything in it's path.

Those farmers should build a "Kuzu factory". Have you seen how much it costs
(a pot of pillows)?

Quoted message said:

I suppose it'd be ok in a controlled setting, but I've never had the
nerve to import it. My wild grapes are bad enough! :-)

🙂
Pandora

Quoted message said:

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack
Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ophelia said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...
> In article <[email hidden]>,
> "Pandora" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
>> news:[email hidden]...
>> >I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of
>> >weeks
>> > ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)
>> >
>> > Can I use it as a thickener in sauces and soups and if so, at what
>> > ratio?
>>
>> I use it for a sort of fruit puddings. It makes things gelatinous. For
>> thicken sauces is better "arrow root" a sort of flour, extracted from
>> a
>> chinese potatoes.
>> Is very very useful! I find it in my macrobhiotic shop.
>> Cheers
>> Pandora
>>
>>
>
> Thanks!
>
> I've used Arrowroot in the past, but it's a starch and I'm trying to
> avoid that.

Have you tried also "KUZU"?
It is extracted from another root.
Pandora

Any root extract is going to be starch.

It won't be low carb.

Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?

Yes...
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

> Any root extract is going to be starch.

Ohhhhh! It's true, I'm sorry for you. At this point, I don't know how to
help you.

It's ok. :-)
Thanks for trying...
Unless you really study the nutritional contents of foods, (carb's, fat
and protein contents), you may not know what foods contain what... I'm
looking for non-caloric or protein based thickeners. Whippe egg works
somewhat for soups.

Quoted message said:

>
> It won't be low carb.

> Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an agricultural
> pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.

Oh! It's a fortune! It is an health herbs, I've seen!
Cheers
Pandora

Heh! Tell that to the farmers that are trying to eliminate it!
It's very invasive and hard to get rid of once it takes over. I saw
literally miles of it and it took over entire fields, and climbed over
trees and structures. It shades out and kills everything in it's path.

Those farmers should build a "Kuzu factory". Have you seen how much it costs
(a pot of pillows)?

No, I've not every really investigated it, except as a ground cover and
decided against it. <G>

What is a pot of pillows?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I suppose it'd be ok in a controlled setting, but I've never had the
nerve to import it. My wild grapes are bad enough! :-)

🙂
Pandora

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Pandora" <[email hidden]> wrote:

> > Any root extract is going to be starch.
>
> Ohhhhh! It's true, I'm sorry for you. At this point, I don't know how
> to
> help you.

It's ok. :-)
Thanks for trying...
Unless you really study the nutritional contents of foods, (carb's, fat
and protein contents), you may not know what foods contain what... I'm
looking for non-caloric or protein based thickeners. Whippe egg works
somewhat for soups.

> >
> > It won't be low carb.
>
> > Kudzu is supposed to have a lot of uses, but it's also an
> > agricultural
> > pest in the mid-west! I've seen fields of it driving thru Tennesse.
>
> Oh! It's a fortune! It is an health herbs, I've seen!
> Cheers
> Pandora

Heh! Tell that to the farmers that are trying to eliminate it!
It's very invasive and hard to get rid of once it takes over. I saw
literally miles of it and it took over entire fields, and climbed over
trees and structures. It shades out and kills everything in it's path.

Those farmers should build a "Kuzu factory". Have you seen how much it
costs
(a pot of pillows)?

No, I've not every really investigated it, except as a ground cover and
decided against it. <G>

If you search "KUZU" on google you will find...

Quoted message said:

What is a pot of pillows?

Excuse me! Sometimes I don't look at vocabulary! I meant *tiny bottle of
pills*.
We say: pills= pillole, so, for me , "Pillows" could be a possible
translation 🙂)))))
Sorry!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I suppose it'd be ok in a controlled setting, but I've never had the
nerve to import it. My wild grapes are bad enough! :-)

🙂
Pandora

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack
Nicholson

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?

If you want to lose weight...you gotta stay low in the carbs. The idea is
to stay well under 20g carbs a meal. The 5 or 6g in say a cup of sauce
might push you over your limit. So if you can find or make a lower carb
version of gravy...you can eat it.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"Mr Libido Incognito" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?

If you want to lose weight...you gotta stay low in the carbs. The idea is
to stay well under 20g carbs a meal. The 5 or 6g in say a cup of sauce
might push you over your limit. So if you can find or make a lower carb
version of gravy...you can eat it.

Thank you Michael🙂 I can understand that now🙂

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

"Mr Libido Incognito" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?

If you want to lose weight...you gotta stay low in the carbs. The
idea is to stay well under 20g carbs a meal. The 5 or 6g in say a
cup of sauce might push you over your limit. So if you can find or
make a lower carb version of gravy...you can eat it.

Thank you Michael🙂 I can understand that now🙂

I posted that...I'm not a Micheal, nor do I play one on TV.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"Mr Libido Incognito" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

"Mr Libido Incognito" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ophelia wrote on 02 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> Given the small amount used in thickening, does it matter much?
>

If you want to lose weight...you gotta stay low in the carbs. The
idea is to stay well under 20g carbs a meal. The 5 or 6g in say a
cup of sauce might push you over your limit. So if you can find or
make a lower carb version of gravy...you can eat it.

Thank you Michael🙂 I can understand that now🙂

I posted that...I'm not a Micheal, nor do I play one on TV.

Oh heck🙁 sorry🙁( Well thank YOU anyway🙂))))

Ophelia who seems to believe everyone is called Michael🙂)

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

I bought some powdered Agar agar from the asian market a couple of
weeks ago. Appears to be fairly carb free. ;-)

It is pure carbohydrate. However, it is an indigestible form
hence calorie-free.