Agar-Agar

 

 

          Agar-agar, sometimes called Japanese or vegetable gelatin for just plain agar), comes from a type of seaweed. It is widely used as a thickener and emulsifier by the food processing industry (and among its many other uses finds great service in laboratories as a culture medium). Vegetarians use it to replace common gelatin, which is made from animal protein.

          Agar-agar will jell salads and dessert gelatins and thicken soaps. When agar-agar is used, fruit and vegetable juices can be jelled merely by warming rather than by boiling, and therefore, more of their health value is retained. Jellies and jams made with agar-agar rather than commercial pectin do not need nearly as much sugar or honey (pectin products are very sour, and the large amounts of sugar called for are needed more to compensate for this sourness than for that of the fruit). Agar-agar is also useful in cases of constipation, for it swells to many times its bulk when it reaches the intestines and increases peristaltic action without cause painful griping.

          Agar-agar comes in flake, granulated, and bar form. These are the basic proportions to use: 3½ cups liquid to 2 tablespoons flakes; 3½ cups liquid to 1 tablespoon granulated; 3½ cups liquid to approximately 7 inches bar form. In all instances, soak the agar-agar in 1 cup of liquid for 10 minutes, then warm on stove until dissolved; add rest of liquid, which should be at room temperature. Refrigerate if desired, but this will jell without refrigeration.