A Guide to Gums  

The Struggle:

Gums are probably one of the most widely used ingredients in all of modern cooking. Gums help with just about any recipe. Need help with vinaigrettes, doughs, ice cream or even soda? Well you could probably use a gum. But here is the real struggle, there are many different gum types. To the everyday person words like xanthan and konjac might as well be in a different language. So how are you supposed to know what gum to use in what recipe? So I’ve put together a little chart to help you understand what each gum does and how you can use them to your advantage.

“What gum should I use?” 

Something to Chew On. 

People often ask us what gum they should use. While there are certain recommendations we make, the reality is that your recipe will be the decider. And gum can be added to any recipe but the results will drastically vary depending on the type you choose. While something like guar and acacia are both gums, the properties of each gum are very different. The usage ratios, viscosity, and mouthfeel are completely different. No gum is created equal, they are all their own unique ingredient. Another benefit of using gums is they are very synergistic, This means they like to play nice. Many gums when used together will create something greater than the sum of its parts. For instance xanthan and guar gum are both thickeners but when combined they create a gel. The same goes for locust bean gum, while commonly a thickener it can create a gel when mixed with other ingredients and heated. The synergies go further than just other gums, gums are commonly used with gelling agents to improve viscosity of gel strength. Look at your recipe and see what outcome you are looking to achieve, then use our chart to choose 1, 2, or even 3 gums that could give you the best result.