The Secret of Emulsifiers in Dressings

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WTF Salad Dressings: Picking the Right Emulsifier

A great salad dressing is all about creating a perfect flow and then keeping that dressing blended over time. Whether you prefer the viscosity to be watery, thick, or somewhere in between, what we all want is a salad dressing that won’t separate quickly. Scott and Janie share recipes for 3 summer salads and dressings, and show you how to get to that elusive emulsified state using many of our most popular emulsifiers and thickeners, including some you may already have in your pantry… on this week’s WTF.

Product Links:
Polysorbate 80
Soy Lecithin Powder
Perfected Xanthan Gum
Perfected Guar Gum
210S
Acacia Gum
Soy Lecithin Powder

Recipe Link:
Black Cherry and Tomato Salad
Fennel Salad
Plum and Goat Cheese Salad

References and Other Links you Might Like!
WTF – Polysorbate 80
WTF – Soy Lecithin Powder
WTF – Acacia Gum
WTF – Guar Gum
WTF – Xanthan Gum

Usage Chart

. optimal emulstion ratio Solubility PH Shear Mouthfeel Additional usage
Arabic/Acacia Gum 5-10% Cold 3-9 Blender Sticky, smooth Viscosity decreases with pH ; optimal at pH 4
210s 0.5-1.5% Cold 3-9 Blender Sticky, smooth Good for dilution, will not separate if liquid is added. at higher ratios it can overly thicken the emulsion
Soy lecithin powder 2-3% Cold 3-9 Blender Clean Great for thinner viniagrettes will not thicken.
Liquid Soy lecithin 1-4% Cold, oil only 3-9 Blender Clean Must be mixed into oil before emulsifying.
Organic sunflower lecithin 2-3% Cold 3-9 Blender Clean Good alternative to soy lecithin. Can be used as a 1:1 replacement for soy lecithin
Polysorbate 80 0.5-0.75% Cold 2-10 Blender Clean great for all emulsions, higher ratios can create thicker/creamier emulsions.
Guar Gum 0.1-1.5% Cold 4-10 Blender Slick tolerates salts; high stability and particle suspension; moderate
so lubility alcohol tolerance. Blend well before making emulsion
Perfected Guar Gum 0.1-1.5% Cold, more rapidly than traditional 4-10 Blender Slick tolerates salts; high stability and particle suspension; moderate
so lubility alcohol tolerance. Blend well before making emulsion
Xanthan Gum 0.05-0.35% Cold 1-13 Blender Sticky, Slick tolerates salts; shearing decreases viscosity; tolerates 50%-60%
alcohol. Higher ratios will bee too thick.
Perfect Xanthan Gum 0.05-0.35% Cold, more rapidly than traditional 1-13 Blender Sticky, Slick tolerates salts; shearing decreases viscosity; tolerates 50%-60%
alcohol

 

About ‘We Transform Food’
We Transform Food is a weekly series from Modernist Pantry exploring cool ingredients and gadgets that can help any chef transform food into more memorable experiences.

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