The other week a friend told me she was having trouble converting from gelatine sachets to leaf gelatine. I have only used the leaves for many years as I think they give a better end result with no risk of undissoved gelatine in the end dish. It is also odourless, flavourless and not cloudy. A little research revealed the gelatine sachets are hard to buy, replaced by packets of loose gelatine powder. So I thought if she was asking there might be others who don’t know. So for this week’s tip here are few simple gelatine facts.
Gelatine Equivalents
1 teaspoon gelatine Powder = 3.3gm
1 Gold Leaf = 2.2gm
1 Titanium Leaf = 5gm
As a simple rule: 1 leaf titanium gelatine = 3 leaves gold gelatine = 2 teaspoons (6.6g) powdered gelatine and will set one cup of liquid to a firm jelly.
So in old terms 2 teaspoons of powdered gelatine is nearly 7g but sachets were usually 10g in Australia, (but 7g in the USA). So if you used a whole packet or 10g you will need an extra sheet of leaf gelatine.
So in old terms 2 teaspoons of powdered gelatine is nearly 7g but sachets were usually 10g in Australia, (but 7g in the USA). So if you used a whole packet or 10g you will need an extra sheet of leaf gelatine.
How to soak gelatine leaves
Soak leaves in COLD water for 5 minutes. Squeeze the cold water out, then dissolve the soft leaf/leaves by stirring them into warm liquid in the recipe. Otherwise allow 2 tablespoons warm water for 2 titanium leaves or 5 gold leaves. Stir to dissolve thoroughly.
Tips when using gelatine
The thickness and viscosity of any liquid you are setting may need different levels of gelatine for the right texture in the end result. e.g. a mousse will require less gelatine than a jelly.
For a moulded mixture or during very hot weather use a little extra gelatine.
Don’t boil things made with gelatine. That can make the gelatin lose its efficacy.
Keep gelatine in a well-sealed, cool, dry place.
Pineapple, kiwifruit and other (mostly tropical) fruits contain enzymes that can prevent gelatine from setting. These enzymes are destroyed when the fruits are cooked.
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All grades of gelatine have the same setting power. The bloom number measures the clarity of the set gel. So if the recipe calls for 1 sheet of gold, that’s just one sheet of any other type of leaf gelatine. Only when the recipe calls for the gelatine weight is when you need to convert
It is indeed the bloom which determines the leaf’s gelling strength. The lower the bloom, the more gelatine is needed in the leaf. Although some manufacturers claim their leaves have the same setting strength, regardless of weight because the bloom is different for each grade of leave, I have not found this to be the case. Stephanie Alexander in her excellent book Cook’s Companion, goes into this in depth. So 2g or a heaped half teaspoon will gel the same as 1 leaf of gold but is not as strong as titanium.
I have Dr Oetker gelatine sheets, the recipe I am following says 10grams sheet gelatine. How much granular gelatine would I use to replace 10 g sheet gelatine please.?
I always prefer to use leaf gelatine because it dissolves easily with no residue and is not cloudy. However, if you are using powdered a rough conversion (because each brand is slightly different) a heaped half teaspoon (2 g) has the same gelling strength as most gold leaves. So try 10 g powdered gelatine (1 sachet or 3 teaspoons). That will set 1 cup liquid to a very firm jelly or 2 cups liquid to a firm, but not so very firm jelly.
My Recipe for a caramel mirror glaze says 8 Gelatine sheets or 40gms so how much of gelatin powder do i need to use instead ?
Well if it says 40g then that is how much you need. So look at the weight of the individual packets and choose enough to add up to 40g. Or 2 teaspoons = 7g so that would be 5.71 teaspoons. that seems like rather a lot so what volume are you making?