Gelatin is first bloomed in cold water, then dissolved in warm liquid. Cold water lets the granules absorb water and soften; if this step is skipped, gelatin clumps in hot liquid and does not dissolve. It finishes melting at around 50-60°C / 120-140°F. There is no need to boil it, and doing so is harmful: boiling liquid reduces gelatin’s setting power, and the mixture will not reach the expected consistency.
Blooming is the half of working with gelatin that is most often skipped. Sprinkle powdered gelatin over cold water, leave it undisturbed for a few minutes, and let the granules absorb the water and swell; the mixture takes on a sponge-like texture. Dip sheet gelatin into plenty of cold water one sheet at a time, let it soften for a few minutes, then squeeze out the excess water in your palm. Do not use hot water for this step. The amount of water is measured, too; powdered gelatin is generally bloomed in water weighing several times as much as the gelatin.
Gelatin that has not been bloomed will not dissolve. When dry granules are added directly to hot liquid, their outer surfaces gel immediately and water cannot get inside; the result is clumps that do not melt. No matter how much you stir, these clumps will not break up and remain in the dessert like pieces of rubber. That is why the order is always the same: bloom in cold water first, then dissolve in warm liquid. A lumpy mixture can be partly rescued by passing it through a strainer, but some of the gelatin will remain in the strainer.
Gelatin melts at a warm temperature. Bloomed gelatin turns clear in a few seconds in liquid at around 50-60°C / 120-140°F. Warm milk, warm fruit juice, or a hot-water bath can be used as the heat source. If you melt bloomed gelatin in a separate bowl before adding it to the mixture, set the bowl over boiling water and stir. Stop heating as soon as the mixture turns clear. If using a microwave, heat in very short intervals and stir after each one, because localized overheating happens easily.
Boiling is a clear mistake. In boiling liquid, gelatin’s protein chains shorten and its setting power decreases; after the mixture cools, it does not reach the expected consistency or may not set at all. This loss cannot be reversed. For the same reason, do not add gelatin to a boiling mixture: remove the pan from the heat, wait a few minutes, and then stir in the gelatin. If you are unsure about the temperature, make sure the mixture has stopped boiling. For the same reason, if adding gelatin to a sauce or soup as a thickener, add it after turning off the heat.
The order of adding gelatin and chilling matters, too. If melted gelatin is poured directly into a cold mixture, it solidifies into threads right away. To prevent this, first add a few spoonfuls of the mixture to the gelatin to bring their temperatures closer, then combine everything. Chill the mixture in its mold in the refrigerator for a few hours, or for overnight for thick desserts. Do not use the freezer for this; ice crystals from frozen water damage the gel. If the mold is lightly moistened beforehand, the set dessert comes out in one piece when inverted.
Comments (4)
Serpip hemen karıştırdığım için topaklanıyormuş, karıştırmadan bekletme adımını atlıyordum.
Şişirme suyu da karışıma giriyor mu, yoksa süzülüp atılıyor mu?
Toz jelatinde su jelatinin içine giriyor, hepsi karışıma katılır. Yaprak jelatinde ise yaprak sudan çıkarılıp sıkılır, kalan su atılır.
Sıcak sıvıya doğrudan atılan jelatinin neden topaklandığını şimdi anladım, dışı anında jelleşiyormuş.
Elli altmış derece sınırını aşarsak ne oluyor? Bir kez kaynattığım oldu ve tatlı yine tuttu gibi geldi.
Kaynatılan jelatin tutma gücünün bir bölümünü kaybediyor; az miktarda kaynamada fark hissedilmeyebiliyor ama uzun kaynamada jel yumuşak kalıyor. Tuttu gibi gelmesi muhtemelen tarifin jelatini bol olmasından.