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.
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.
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.
