Not all jellies need to be made with gelatine (an animal byproduct for the uninitiated). I’ve had fun making my own vegetarian-friendly version made from an extract of red seaweed called ‘agar’.
Come summer, jellies are refreshingly tempting. Whether sweet or savoury, making your own jelly concoction is easy even for vegetarians (or pescatarians like me).
A novice to agar but with a good imagination, this week I had fun creating my own take on a Classic Gin & Tonic (not for the faint-hearted and not to be driving anywhere immediately after consumption), a Tropical Punch and a Lite Raspberry Friendly Jelly.
Throw away the jelly crystals! Agar powder is really interesting to use. Agar doesn’t need refrigeration to help the setting process and, if it’s too runny or too firm, you can melt it down and adjust the levels. Clever thing this seaweed extract!
I would liken my experience with agar jellies to a panna cotta – a firm-set but creamy texture when compared to wobbly jelly you may have grown to know with gelatine.
There are a few rules when using agar power:
- for firm set jelly: 1 level teaspoon agar powder per cup of liquid
- soft set (like a creamy custard): 3/4 teaspoon of agar powder per cup of liquid
- spreadable (jam-like): 1/3-1/2 teaspoon of agar powder per cup of liquid
- runny (dressing-like): 1/4 teaspoon of agar powder per cup of liquid
The ‘bloom and heat’ stage: agar needs to be allowed to bloom or rehydrate in cold or room temperature liquid for around 10 minutes then gently brought to a simmer while stirring regularly until it dissolves so not to thicken at the bottom of the pan. At a simmer the natural thickening agent in the agar is activated. Keep it there for around 5 minutes and the job is done. Prolonged boiling may loose its gelling ability. Between 85-90ºC is a good simmer temperature. If you have a candy thermometer I would recommend you use it.
The ‘ready, set, go’ stage: Just like testing jam to see if it’s ready to set, after simmering for approx 5 minutes, test a small amount of hot liquid on a cold saucer straight from the fridge; within 20-30 seconds it should set. If it doesn’t you need a tad more agar powder (just a sprinkling or it may over set, no pressure) or if too firm add more liquid. It can get a little tricky working out the measures. Activated agar liquid will set at room temperature and will continue to harden over a couple of hours.
Put in the fridge by all means to keep it cold, but just remember it’s not necessary for setting.
Know the rules before breaking them: similar to gelatine, agar will not set if exposed to enzymes in certain raw fruits such as kiwifruit, papaya, pineapple, peaches, mango, guava and figs. These fruit can still be used but you’ll need to cook them first. Trial and error perhaps? I had several tries using fresh mandarin and it was slightly underset (although I did dabble with a dash of vodka which could have pushed the liquid levels vs agar powder out of balance).
Agar powder can be used for puddings (panna cotta, sweet jellies, slices) savoury jellies, jams and marmalades, dressings, fruit purees and yoghurts. I’ve found a New Zealand brand called Pacific Harvest who have a range of really interesting seaweed and salt products and many recipes to point you in the right direction. Check out their website for recipe inspiration and stockists (although available online).
