Tapioca Pudding

Brian Christiansen said:

Last night I made tapioca pudding using this
recipe:
http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/desserts/tapiocapearls.html,
It has been in the refrigerator since last night,
and it has not even started to set yet. I looked
around in what I had and the best I things I could
find in what I had to use as a double boiler was a
3 quart (I think) saucepan and a pyrex (not metal)
bowl.

The only thing I can figure is that since it takes
pyrex much longer to heat up than metal (I think),
I would have to cook it much longer than the 10
minutes that the recipe specifies.

It needs to be cooked until it starts to thicken, and that can take
15 minutes or more. I don't bother with the double boiler when I
make minute tapioca (25 minutes) but I use it for fish eyes and
glue. Between soaking it overnight and the long cooking time, it is
a labour of love, but well worth it.

Brian Christiansen said:

Last night I made tapioca pudding using this
recipe:
http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/desserts/tapiocapearls.html,
It has been in the refrigerator since last night,
and it has not even started to set yet. I looked
around in what I had and the best I things I could
find in what I had to use as a double boiler was a
3 quart (I think) saucepan and a pyrex (not metal)
bowl.

The only thing I can figure is that since it takes
pyrex much longer to heat up than metal (I think),
I would have to cook it much longer than the 10
minutes that the recipe specifies.

This is the shortest cooking time I've ever seen for tapioca. Most
recipes start up around an hour and some go for much longer.

Quoted message said:

I will try and find a metal bowl of the
appropriate size if necessary, but I would like to
get the pyrex bowl working if I could.

It's not the equipment.

Quoted message said:

I usually make instant tapioca because of the
difficulty of finding the pearl tapioca, but I
like the pearl tapioca better than the instant. At
least out here it is not sold in the regular
grocery stores and I finally found it in aa
oriental grocery store, and thought I would try
making it.

Also, the recipe does not specify, but would it be
better to wait until the mixture that you cook
(tapioca, sugar, egg yolks, etc) cools and starts
to thicken before folding in the eggwhites so they
eo not "melt" because of the hot mixture. The
recipe does not specify to do that, but I just was
wondering if it might be better.

I was also wondering if anyone has ever tried
brown sugar, or even molasses, instead of the
regular sugar. Don't worry, I won't try variations
until I get the regular recipe working, though.

I'm afraid you got a bad recipe. Yes, soak the pearls, but for maybe 6
hours or more. Overnight wouldn't be bad. Drain, combine with everything
*except the egg* and cook at very low heat for at least an hour. Then
make a liaison with the yolk (spoon some of the hot tapioca mixture into
the beaten egg to warm and dilute it) and add it back to the tapioca
mixture. I wouldn't bother with their suggestion to whip the white. Just
add the whole egg as described above. But you're right about waiting for
it to cool a good bit before adding the whites. Add too soon and they'll
cook into little bullets of egg white. But I still wouldn't do it.

For my tastes, tapioca pudding should be dense. Adding the whites would
lighten it. Dunno if I'd like that.

Pastorio

Brian Christiansen said:

Last night I made tapioca pudding using this
recipe:
http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/desserts/tapiocapearls.html,
It has been in the refrigerator since last night,
and it has not even started to set yet. I looked
around in what I had and the best I things I could
find in what I had to use as a double boiler was a
3 quart (I think) saucepan and a pyrex (not metal)
bowl.

The cooking time is way too short. And I wouldn't use a double boiler.

-Bob

Bob (this one) said:

Brian Christiansen said:

Last night I made tapioca pudding using this
recipe:
http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/desserts/tapiocapearls.html,
It has been in the refrigerator since last night,
and it has not even started to set yet. I looked
around in what I had and the best I things I could
find in what I had to use as a double boiler was a
3 quart (I think) saucepan and a pyrex (not metal)
bowl.

The only thing I can figure is that since it takes
pyrex much longer to heat up than metal (I think),
I would have to cook it much longer than the 10
minutes that the recipe specifies.

This is the shortest cooking time I've ever seen for tapioca. Most
recipes start up around an hour and some go for much longer.

Quoted message said:

I will try and find a metal bowl of the
appropriate size if necessary, but I would like to
get the pyrex bowl working if I could.

It's not the equipment.

Quoted message said:

I usually make instant tapioca because of the
difficulty of finding the pearl tapioca, but I
like the pearl tapioca better than the instant. At
least out here it is not sold in the regular
grocery stores and I finally found it in aa
oriental grocery store, and thought I would try
making it.

Also, the recipe does not specify, but would it be
better to wait until the mixture that you cook
(tapioca, sugar, egg yolks, etc) cools and starts
to thicken before folding in the eggwhites so they
eo not "melt" because of the hot mixture. The
recipe does not specify to do that, but I just was
wondering if it might be better.

I was also wondering if anyone has ever tried
brown sugar, or even molasses, instead of the
regular sugar. Don't worry, I won't try variations
until I get the regular recipe working, though.

I'm afraid you got a bad recipe. Yes, soak the pearls, but for maybe 6
hours or more. Overnight wouldn't be bad. Drain, combine with everything
*except the egg* and cook at very low heat for at least an hour. Then
make a liaison with the yolk (spoon some of the hot tapioca mixture into
the beaten egg to warm and dilute it) and add it back to the tapioca
mixture. I wouldn't bother with their suggestion to whip the white. Just
add the whole egg as described above. But you're right about waiting for
it to cool a good bit before adding the whites. Add too soon and they'll
cook into little bullets of egg white. But I still wouldn't do it.

For my tastes, tapioca pudding should be dense. Adding the whites would
lighten it. Dunno if I'd like that.

Pastorio

Do those proportions look right to you, or is that too much milk?

1/4 c tapioca
1 Egg separated
3 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

What about soaking overnight in cold milk, and using that milk for cooking?

Best regards,
Bob

On Sun 30 Oct 2005 01:09:40p, zxcvbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Bob (this one) said:

Brian Christiansen said:

Last night I made tapioca pudding using this recipe:
http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/desserts/tapiocapearls.html, It has
been in the refrigerator since last night, and it has not even started
to set yet. I looked around in what I had and the best I things I could
find in what I had to use as a double boiler was a
3 quart (I think) saucepan and a pyrex (not metal)
bowl.

The only thing I can figure is that since it takes
pyrex much longer to heat up than metal (I think),
I would have to cook it much longer than the 10 minutes that the recipe
specifies.

This is the shortest cooking time I've ever seen for tapioca. Most
recipes start up around an hour and some go for much longer.

Quoted message said:

I will try and find a metal bowl of the
appropriate size if necessary, but I would like to get the pyrex bowl
working if I could.

It's not the equipment.

Quoted message said:

I usually make instant tapioca because of the
difficulty of finding the pearl tapioca, but I
like the pearl tapioca better than the instant. At
least out here it is not sold in the regular
grocery stores and I finally found it in aa
oriental grocery store, and thought I would try
making it.

Also, the recipe does not specify, but would it be
better to wait until the mixture that you cook
(tapioca, sugar, egg yolks, etc) cools and starts
to thicken before folding in the eggwhites so they
eo not "melt" because of the hot mixture. The
recipe does not specify to do that, but I just was
wondering if it might be better.

I was also wondering if anyone has ever tried
brown sugar, or even molasses, instead of the
regular sugar. Don't worry, I won't try variations until I get the
regular recipe working, though.

I'm afraid you got a bad recipe. Yes, soak the pearls, but for maybe 6
hours or more. Overnight wouldn't be bad. Drain, combine with everything
*except the egg* and cook at very low heat for at least an hour. Then
make a liaison with the yolk (spoon some of the hot tapioca mixture into
the beaten egg to warm and dilute it) and add it back to the tapioca
mixture. I wouldn't bother with their suggestion to whip the white. Just
add the whole egg as described above. But you're right about waiting for
it to cool a good bit before adding the whites. Add too soon and they'll
cook into little bullets of egg white. But I still wouldn't do it.

For my tastes, tapioca pudding should be dense. Adding the whites would
lighten it. Dunno if I'd like that.

Pastorio

Do those proportions look right to you, or is that too much milk?

1/4 c tapioca
1 Egg separated
3 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

What about soaking overnight in cold milk, and using that milk for

cooking?

Quoted message said:

Best regards,
Bob

For 3 cups of milk, I use 1/2 cup tapioca and 2 eggs. I soak the tapioca
in half the milk in the refrigerate overnight. Next day, add remaining
milk, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook about
20 minutes. I don't separate the eggs. Next I combine eggs, sugar, salt
and vanilla, mixing well. Add small amounts of the milk mixture to the
eggs mixture to temper them. Then stir egg mixture into the milk mixture
and continue cooking for an additiional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/eikz78.jpg

Meet Mr. Bailey

Bob (this one) said:

I'm afraid you got a bad recipe. Yes, soak the pearls, but for maybe 6
hours or more. Overnight wouldn't be bad.

You're right. I didn't follow the link to the recipe earlier. I am amazed
that the soaking time is only one hour. I had a failure with tapioca some
time ago when I tried to shorten the soaking time to 6 hours. The next time
I made it I soaked it overnight.

Quoted message said:

For my tastes, tapioca pudding should be dense. Adding the whites would
lighten it. Dunno if I'd like that.

Adding the egg white gives it a very nice texture.

I used to love it when tapioca was served at home or summer camp. Since so
many people don't like it there was more for me :-) I never did understand
why anyone would dislike it. Maybe it was because we called it fish eyes and
glue.

zxcvbob said:

Do those proportions look right to you, or is that too much milk?

1/4 c tapioca
1 Egg separated
3 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

Variation in milk quantity will affect final density. More milk, softer
finish.

Quoted message said:

What about soaking overnight in cold milk, and using that milk for cooking?

Fine idea. Add a splash of Frangelico for a quiet hazelnut background
flavor. Or white creme do cacao. Or...

Pastorio

Bob (this one) said:

zxcvbob said:

Do those proportions look right to you, or is that too much milk?

1/4 c tapioca
1 Egg separated
3 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

Variation in milk quantity will affect final density. More milk, softer
finish.

Quoted message said:

What about soaking overnight in cold milk, and using that milk for
cooking?

Fine idea. Add a splash of Frangelico for a quiet hazelnut background
flavor. Or white creme do cacao. Or...

Pastorio

My family likes it with the addition of 1 tsp of instant coffee
granules while it's cooking, OR some drained canned pineapple as it is
beginning to cool.

gloria p

On Sun 30 Oct 2005 03:25:06p, Puester wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Bob (this one) said:

zxcvbob said:

Do those proportions look right to you, or is that too much milk?

1/4 c tapioca
1 Egg separated
3 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

Variation in milk quantity will affect final density. More milk, softer
finish.

Quoted message said:

What about soaking overnight in cold milk, and using that milk for
cooking?

Fine idea. Add a splash of Frangelico for a quiet hazelnut background
flavor. Or white creme do cacao. Or...

Pastorio

My family likes it with the addition of 1 tsp of instant coffee
granules while it's cooking, OR some drained canned pineapple as it is
beginning to cool.

gloria p

Both sound good, Gloria. I've had it with pineapple, but would never have
thought of the coffee. I have sometimes added a square of baking chocolate
while it was cooking.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/eikz78.jpg

Meet Mr. Bailey