The Secret of Agar & Alginate Spherification

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WTF Agar & Alginate Spherification: Have It Your Way

Spherification is broadly broken up into 2 techniques – Alginate + Calcium or cold oil agar spherification. Both techniques turn flavorful liquids into delightfully unexpected edible spheres, but one produces a popping caviar and the other a flavorful solid boba. Scott and Janie review the ingredients, techniques, and equipment that are key to both techniques, the similarities and differences between them, as well as tips and tricks for getting success every time with spherification. We serve a spruced up carrot cake with ginger and carrot spheres… on this week’s WTF.

Product Links:
Spherificator
Super Agar
Perfected Sodium Alginate
Calcium Chloride
Sodium Citrate
Citric Acid
Spherification Spoon

Recipe Link:
Carrot & Ginger Spherification
Crave It Carrot Cake

References and Other Links you Might Like!
WTF – Calcium Salts
WTF – Spherificator
WTF – Super Agar
WTF – Cocktail Pods
WTF – Sodium Citrate
WTF – Sodium Citrate & Sodium Hexametaphosphate
WTF – Culinary Acids
WTF – Shelf Life Extension (carrot cake recipe)

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.

44 Comments.

  • Glen Fabian
    May 6, 2021 10:53 am

    It would be fun to spherify concentrated olive juice for a martini as well as ginger syrup for a Moscow Mule

  • Kim Jamieson
    May 6, 2021 11:32 am

    I’m so excited to try different recipes with the spherication. I hadn’t realized until I watched your video that there were so many options. I’ve only done balsamic pearls so far and hope I win. Thank you for sharing!

  • Chris Cykoski
    May 6, 2021 11:33 am

    Would like sperifi a raspberry coulis for a lemon cake.

  • Wesley T Matsui
    May 6, 2021 12:32 pm

    Shoga spheres (pickled ginger)

  • Matt James
    May 6, 2021 1:08 pm

    Cocktails like Margaritas would be wonderful to spherify.

  • Sue Conatser
    May 6, 2021 1:11 pm

    I am so glad you did this video. I have tried the reverse spherification, but not direct. I am going to try mango spheres to top a tropical cheesecake. Wish me luck!

  • Suzanne M. Andrews
    May 6, 2021 4:45 pm

    cucumber infused spheres on vadouvan curried shrimp

  • Peter MacKichan
    May 6, 2021 5:53 pm

    I would like to make vermouth spheres for a martini. Combined with olive juice spheres it would be great
    .

  • Peter MacKichan
    May 6, 2021 5:57 pm

    As well as the olive juice spheres, I would also like to combine them with vermouth spheres.

  • David Cherry
    May 6, 2021 6:16 pm

    Sphere mango essence to dress Key Lime pie! How South Florida!

  • I’d like to spherify fruit juice to add to lemonade.

  • Roderick Sprague
    May 7, 2021 12:28 am

    I am wondering if it would be possible to to add a layer of different flavor and texture by dropping the still damp with calcium chloride alginate bubbles into another alginate bath.

  • I love it! I would like to spherifi EVERYTHING! First thing I would like to spherifi is celery, beet and carrot juice (or any thing I stick in my juicer) to add a little healthy burst to salads!

    • That’s a great idea! Maybe a good way to get kids to eat their vegetables!

  • I’d like to spherifi basil, peppers and tomatoes to add a flavor burst to pizza

  • Molly Drozda
    May 8, 2021 10:27 am

    Grape juice for open-faced popping PB&J sandwiches! I have the Modernist ingredients, but didn’t spring for the tools because I wasn’t sure if I would keep doing it (too many kitchen gadgets already). I really need the strainer spoon, but winning the Spherificator would be amazing.

  • Cheryl Dunham
    May 8, 2021 6:03 pm

    That looks like fun. I used your jarred raspberry spheres on some cheesecake and they were delicious, but I think it would be fun to be able to make them myself.

  • I’d like to try basil or saffron or a Sriracha with scallops or even do a molasses with ginger or a tangerine or blood orange on a chocolate martini, oh! Grand Marnier atop chocolate mousse. My mind is agog!

  • Basil, Sriracha, lime on scallops. Ginger, molasses, blood orange or a Grand Marnier atop a chocolate mousse. My mind is agog!

  • Faye Schmidt
    May 12, 2021 5:05 pm

    Maple syrup sphere on a beet and feta salad

  • Patricia Preikschat
    May 21, 2021 1:51 pm

    I’d like to have sauce spheres in my noodles. I imagine this fun to eat.

  • I would like to know if it is possible to spherify alcohol with the direct method and then include these spheres into a mousse. In that case how long could it last liquid?

  • Can’t wait to try this, it’s gonna be so much fun. Thanks

Comments are closed.