Questions about Xanthan Gum

In the Modernist Ingredients and Equipment Forum
Hi there. I'm a culinary student that's taking a course in modernist cuisine and as a part of my final project, I have to use xanthan gum. I bought the book and tried recreating the balsamic vinegar syrup in it with a one percent of weight amount of the xanthan gum. I whisked it and everything was fine. Thirty minutes later though, the mixture was snotty like mucus. I'm unsure what I did wrong with the mix? Any help would be appreciated.


5 Replies So Far

Yeah, the mucus texture is something to worry about with xanthan gum. In general, I keep my xanthan gum use around 0.5% at the top, if the sauce will be eaten by itself. I used the vinegar sauce in the book on ribs, so the texture didn't stand out as much, but now I usually start with 0.2% and increase it until it's the thickness I like. Hope that helps some.

Thanks and happy cooking!
Thanks for the help. What do you think could have caused the syrup to go from smooth to mucus? Should I have refrigerated it first or use a blender instead of a whisk?
A blender generally works better than a whisk, but if it was evenly mucus-y (not something you read every day) then it probably was mixed in fine. Xanthan gum just can take on that texture when used in larger quantities, that's why I generally use less these days than I used to.
Thanks this will really help me with my final! Last question. Should I blend the sauce and xanthan mixture on low to prevent foaming of the sauce?
No problem at all! I generally blend it with my immersion blender, which only has one speed and that works well. If you want a completely air-less sauce then you may want to let it sit for a few minutes before serving.


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