What do you need for reverse spherification?

To produce Reverse Spherification, you need a bath solution with 0.5% sodium alginate (0.5 g per 100 g of flavored liquid). Sodium Alginate, like most hydrocolloids, needs to be dispersed in the liquid and hydrated before it can gel in presence of calcium ions.

What is reverse spherification?

Reverse spherification is a method of molecular gastronomy. This method is similar to spherification, different in that it is used to enclose liquid containing alcohol content, as well as liquid with calcium content such as milk and yogurt.

How do you use alginate in food?

Add to Wishlist Sodium Alginate (E401) is extracted from brown seaweed. It is used as a stabilizer for ice cream, yogurt, cream, and cheese. It acts as a thickener and emulsifier for salad, pudding, jam, tomato juice, and canned products. It is a hydration agent for noodles, bread, cool and frozen products.

What causes spherification?

Spherification relies on the ability of calcium to cause alginate to gel. Excess calcium can prevent hydration and cause the liquid to gel prematurely. For direct spherification, calcium is often naturally present in flavorful liquids. The solution is to add a sequestrant.

How long does reverse spherification last?

Unlike the caviar obtained with the basic spherification, the interior of the sphere will remain liquid.So you can keep the spheres in their juice for up to 12 hours or you can macerate the spheres in any liquid to change the flavor or color.

What is the difference between spherification and reverse spherification?

The main difference between reverse spherification and direct spherification is where the gelling agent is put. For reverse spherification gelling agents are added to the setting bath, while in direct spherification you put it in the base.

Why is it called reverse spherification?

So why is it called reverse spherification? Because it’s the opposite of direct spherification, in which the alginate is hydrated in flavorful liquid, then dropped into a setting bath containing a calcium salt. That turns out to be a more limiting approach.

What can I use instead of sodium alginate?

Natural rubber, such as hexane, or other natural gums, such as gaur gum or xantham gum, can be substituted for sodium alginate. Starch thickeners may also be substituted, but they may react to the dye and change the color results.

What is alginate used for in food?

In the food industry, alginate has been used to coat fruits and vegetables, as a microbial and viral protection product, and as a gelling, thickening, stabilizing or emulsifying agent.

What happens during spherification?

In spherification, liquid food is encased in a thin polysaccharide membrane that, when consumed, pops open to release a burst of flavor—whether it’s juice, olive oil, pureed peas, or some other edible delight.

Is Agar Agar the same as sodium alginate?

The answer to the question above technically is yes. But the spheres made from agar are only similar to the spheres made with sodium alginate in that they are spherical. Cold oil spherification is where you take a gelling agent (most commonly agar) and add it to your flavorful liquid.

How does reverse spherification work?

When you pour a spoonful of the flavorful liquid into the spherification bath, the liquid draws itself into a nearly spherical shape. As the sphere sinks, calcium ions at its surface cause a membrane of alginate to gel, encapsulating the sphere of flavorful liquid. So why is it called reverse spherification?

What do you add to sodium alginate bath for reverse spherification?

Instead of mixing your “stuff” with sodium alginate and adding to a calcium chloride bath, you add your “stuff” to a sodium alginate bath (thus reverse spherification).

What kind of food can you spherify with sodium alginate?

When doing spherification with food, the food is typically a liquid or has a liquid-like consistency (such as fruit juice, soda, pudding, soup, or pureed fruit). The food is mixed with sodium alginate in a blender to make a smooth solution.

How is milk and alcohol used in reverse spherification?

In reverse spherification, alcohol and milk are fitting liquids. It uses calcium lactate, as it is found in dairy products, added with calcium chloride and dumped in a sodium alginate bath to form the covering around the liquid food. Unlike the direct version, the gelling stops and does not continue into the liquid orb.

How does reverse spherification work in the food industry?

This means that if the alginate is dissolved in the water bath, the gel layer will form around the ingredients. This is called reverse spherification. If, on the other hand, the alginate sits in your product (e.g. the pineapple juice), it will form a gel within the pineapple juice.