Agar-agar is a seaweed that does not contain any calories, but it gives the body a feeling of fullness, thanks to swelling in the intestines. In cooking, algae agar-agar powder is used as a thickener. This product is a natural vegetable substitute for gelatin. Therefore, if agar-agar is finished it can be replaced with gelatin.
What can replace agar-agar?
This substance has pronounced gelling properties. It quickly thickens, does not contain calories, has neither taste nor smell. But this product can not always be at hand. Talking about how to replace agar-agar in cooking, then instead of algae agar-agar often use gelatin or pectin. It is cheaper and absolutely affordable products for thickening.
Replacing agar with gelatin
Gelatin has a meat base, it is made of tendons and bones. According to the recipe, 1 gram of agar-agar is equivalent to 8 grams of gelatin. This is due to the fact that the gelling properties of gelatin are slightly lower than the agar-agar. It is worth considering that not all products can be replaced with agar-agar gelatin. For example, making a dessert "Bird's Milk" you can use only agar-agar. This is due to the fact that gelatin can make this dessert more stringent and give it a barely noticeable taste of meat. Agar-agar is airier and more tender than gelatin. Due to the fact that this product has no smell and taste, it preserves the originality of the taste and smell of the original ingredients of the dish where it is used.
Substitution of agar with pectin
Pectin has a fruit base. It is made from various fruits. According to the recipe, 1 gram of agar-agar, like gelatin, corresponds to 8 grams of pectin. Pectin gives a more loose structure of the finished product than agar-agar.