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WTF – Xanthan Gum? By Your Side Through Thin and Thick
It’s the Goldilocks of additives – not too much, not too little. When used just right, Xanthan Gum will add an enviable stability and thickness to your saucing, dressings, etc. Find out how to master Xanthan Gum on this week’s WTF
Product Links:
Xanthan Gum
Perfected Xanthan Gum
Recipe Link:
Refreshing Pickle Relish
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.
Comments (19)
October 18, 2018 12:09 pm
Love the tips you put in the videos.
October 18, 2018 1:51 pm
Thanks!
October 29, 2018 10:44 am
What is the difference between Xanthan Gum and Perfected Xanthan Gum?
October 29, 2018 10:49 am
Hi Sylvia, Perfected Xanthan is a prehydrated version of xanthan gum that is less dusty, easier dispersion, and shorter hydration times.
October 29, 2018 1:40 pm
My understanding from the video is that you’ll generally use .01-.05 gram of Xanthan to every 1000 grams of liquid.
Is this correct?
October 29, 2018 2:13 pm
It’s 0.5g per 1000g of liquid for 0.05% usage.
August 8, 2019 7:32 am
I made mustard bean/carrot pickle tried thickening it with xanthan humans it curdled/separated.
What is the best ingredient to thicken my beetroot / curry bean preserves.
I used to use corn flour but over time it ‘cracks’ in bottle and does not look appealing.
A great cook suggested xanthan gum.
Your video helped but its difficult having veggies in the vinegar sauce and trying to thicken it in one pot.
Any suggestions will help.
August 8, 2019 4:34 pm
Xanthan gum is the correct choice, we would suggest thickening the liquid prior to the pickling process.
October 16, 2019 11:40 am
So how do you mix it into the water?
October 16, 2019 11:42 am
We prefer an immersion blender. Perfected Xanthan you can use a whisk and whisk vigorously.
October 16, 2019 11:52 am
Thanks for the prompt response. Do you mix the full amounts of each or a little water with the gum in it?
February 3, 2020 11:42 pm
Is Xanthan gum the best liaison for giving a slightly loose demi-glace a tighter spoon coat? What ration would you give xanthan to tighten a demi-glace? Say the demi glace is modernist, without roux, a reduction of perhaps 20-25% the original volume of a veal stock. As well, would combining xanthan with Ultra-sperse M, give the xanthan better stand up to being heated and reheated?
February 4, 2020 4:03 pm
We would recommend the addition of beef gelatin to help boost the natural tackiness and nappe of the demi-glace. If gelatin is out of the question for some reason, try Ultrasperse M in a ratio of 1% to the total weight of the demi-glace. Xanthan gum could work in a very low ratio but it also has the tendency to mute the flavors of the demi-glace.
February 23, 2021 8:00 pm
hi, I am trying to make a jelly using both Xanthan Gum, gellan gum and locust bean gum, I kindly ask you please can you help me to advise about how much to use of each gum when using together?
February 23, 2021 9:35 pm
You’ll need to R&D this – since blending gums have infinite combinations we can’t just provide a quick answer for this.
August 4, 2021 12:39 pm
How can I stabilize egg whites in meringue so it’s more stable but still has the same taste (mouth feel)?
August 4, 2021 2:25 pm
We like to add egg white powder, which increases the protein content and makes it more stable. You could also use an ingredient called Versawhip that we carry. Versawhip is added at 1% of the total weight of the recipe, in this case the egg whites for your meringue. Good luck!
November 15, 2021 8:24 am
What is the difference between your pure xanthan gum and your perfected xanthan gum.
November 15, 2021 10:48 am
perfected xanthan gum is partially hydrated which makes it easier to mix into water with less clumping, reducing the hydration time needed compared to regular xanthan gum.