Spherification?

Anybody have any favorite (reverse) spherification recipes?

I'm particularly interested in alcohol and savory recipes....and at least 1-2 that are well-suited to someone trying this for the first time.

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Also, I understand that I'll need to get a much more accurate scale than my standard kitchen scale? Are recommendations, or should I just hit Modernist Pantry?

Same question for the calcium/sodium products. I see that calcium lactate ($49.99/lb) and sodium alginate ($69.99/lb)....I assume these are adequate?

I remember this got posted somewhere a few months ago:[video=youtube;SYGmwMWNkdk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYGmwMWNkdk[/video]

Ketchup and mustard spheres for your burger!cool:

Interesting. So it looks like this is reverse spherification? the hydrocolloid is in the ketchup/mustard....and the veg oil supplies the calcium (did I miss them adding it, or is it naturally occuring)?

Castalia said:

I remember this got posted somewhere a few months ago:[video=youtube;SYGmwMWNkdk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYGmwMWNkdk[/video]

Ketchup and mustard spheres for your burger!cool:

Click to expand...

The calcium is mixed in the liquid while the water bath is made from the alginate. For reverse spheres that is.

I'm not a chemist and I have not eaten this recipe, but they just added a bit of water and agar to each of the condiments, warmed it and then rapidly cooled it in cold oil to set the structure of the agar and to keep the spheres from sticking to each other. No calcium lactate or sodium alginate (another hydrocolloid like agar) was used.

Now that I have been fortified by reading the wikipedia article, it looks like that video does not show reverse spherification which involves a calcium containing substance plopped into an alginate bath to form a thin gel membrane around a liquid. These may just be firm gelatin like blobs of ketchup and mustard, not gel spheres containing liquid condiment. But I guess the best way to find out would be to bite one.

In any case I appreciate the thread and the opportunity to learn a bit about molecular food science. Good luck on your quest to create gels filled with liquid.

:bonappetit:

Watch what recipes you use for R.S , I know the reverse works alot better with calcium lactate gluconate

Here is the better video:

[video=youtube;YQaBfdfAGvk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQaBfdfAGvk[/video]


You will probably need to use distilled water for the alginate bath, because tap water has dissolved calcium.

Tell us how it goes.


:hungry3:

Check out chemistry/medical sites for your equipment and supplies, it's been a while so I don't have a current sites I could recommend. If I stumble on something I'll let you know.

the burger vid isnt reverse spher. it's just agar balls. they're set agar jellies and wont pop. there's no calcium/alginates involved. because the oil is cold, the agar sets quickly. since the oil is hydrophobic, it keeps the ketchup/mustard in a sphere.

kpnv said:

the burger vid isnt reverse spher. it's just agar balls. they're set agar jellies and wont pop. there's no calcium/alginates involved. because the oil is cold, the agar sets quickly. since the oil is hydrophobic, it keeps the ketchup/mustard in a sphere.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the detailed explanation!

If spherification is the question.

Caviar is the answer :cool2:

Ha! Seriously this is one of the "modern" techniques that I dismissed as being a bit over the top. But I'm willing to learn more. Hope you'll keep sharing as you explore it.

At least initially, it's going to be a "because I want to" thing. I'm hoping I'll see a way to integrate it into food that I know how to make.

My initial thought would be some sort of rum concoction for homemade ice cream.

But my research has informed that these can also be served warm....so that opens doors.

If you need a taste tester, look no further. My only experience with this was at The Bizarre in LA and that was confounding and inspirational. Looking foward to what you discover down the rabbit hole, pics or it didn't happen.

Heh...,there will absolutely be pics!

I've been to the Bazzar in LA...Jon, of JKI, recommended it. Fabulous meal on so many levels.

We've done quite a bit at the club. I'm honestly not a huge fan. You're often left with a condom like casing on your plate, rubber bouncy balls, flavorless concoctions, etc...in the name of wow factor. Not a win for me.

I keep to setting things like custards, pave, etc...caviars and sphered blobs actually turn me off.

Also, something about the texture of agar can be rather oft putting to me.