Does anyone know any replacements for emulsifiers like carrageenan?

nessie7918

I wanted to make some sorbet that would be really creamy… like the stuff you get at Cold Stone. The problem is I have a crappy ice cream maker!

I heard that emulsifiers that keep it creamy, like xanthan gum and carrageenan, are really bad for you.. Does anyone know of any emulsifiers that are unprocessed? Or at least some tips to give my sorbet a better texture?

Thanks!

germin8

Ummm, that would be Irish Moss. Carrageenan is Irish Moss. You can find it Purely Joy Planet. David Wolfe sells it on his website to… but, I don’t know what it is.

The mango cheesecake recipe from Cheflandria uses Irish Moss for the mango glaze. But, I use agar instead.

RawKidChef

Some emulsifiers are bad, yes, but others are excellent. These include, well, yes, Irish moss, but there are more. Lecithin is one, and guar gum isn’t bad. I really love the lecithin, though it is soy, but you don’t need much, just a teaspoon or so. The problem with Irish moss is that it gives things a more jelly-like consistency, instead of creamy. It’s also expensive.

queenfluff

I got a whole pound of irish moss powder for $9 (well, i ordered a bunch of stuff so I got a bulk discount so I really only paid $8. I bought thru Mountain Rose Herbs. I also have the stuff from David Wolfes site and it is in flake form. The only thing I don’t like about the flakes is that it doesn’t always completely blend well – I tried to grind it into a powder in my coffee grinder and it didn’t work -which is why I got the powder. The powder has a slight brownish color too it though.

Irish moss – how “gel-like” it gets depends on how much you use actually. I used a tablespoon once to make a raw mayo and it got really thick instantly. it is a slight gel like in consistancy.

If you are making nut milk for your ice cream try making it really thick (more nuts less water) and add a little bit of the Irish moss. Add more as needed. If you buy the plant form you are supposed to soak it over night in water and the water will become gellike. Once you blend it into the ice cream you probably won’t notice it.

sweetpea

i used to make jellies using soaked kombu which worked well and I use psyllium alot to thicken up puddings and desserts.

 

RawKidChef

Psyllium drys out the bowels and is bloating.

kevin7197

I’m wondering how ground chia seeds would do. I’ve only recently discovered their versatility but they are a great replacement for what I used to use eggs for in recipes. Since conventional ice cream uses eggs I would assume chia seeds would yield similar results?

germin8

I didn’t know psyllium was bloating! Guess I never noticed.

sweetpea

I think if you overdid psyllium you might get constipated but I only ever need to use about a teaspoon.