How to Use Agar
Agar, also know as agar agar, is a nearly tasteless sea vegetable that is used for gelling liquids. It is a healthy addition to your diet, providing iodine, calcium and iron. Because it has no distinct taste of its own, agar mixes well with sweet and savory foods. Read on to learn more.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Make a simple kanten, or gelled liquid, that can be eaten as a refreshing dessert or snack. Mix together 2 cups liquid and ¼ cup agar flakes in a small saucepan. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, until the agar is entirely dissolved. Pour into a mold, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. It will remind you of a gelatin dessert.
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2
Add fruits and nuts to a kanten. After the agar has dissolved, stir in raw or cooked fruits and nuts. To create layers, pour some of the liquid into a mold and let it set up briefly. Add a layer of fruit or nuts, then a layer of liquid and let it set briefly again. Alternate until you use all of the liquid. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
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3
Create a mousse or pudding by adding tofu or yogurt-or both. Dissolve the agar in liquid. Blend together tofu, yogurt, sweetener and any flavors or additions you would like, such as almond extract, vanilla extract or lemon juice. Add the agar liquid and blend until well-incorporated. Chill until ready to eat.
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4
Cook up a savory mousse or sliceable vegan cheese. Dissolve agar in soy milk or broth. Replace sweet ingredients with such ingredients as nutritional yeast, tahini, pimentos, ground cashews and lemon juice to create the base for a savory mousse. Add up to three more tablespoons of agar to create something you can slice. "The Uncheese Cookbook" by Joanne Stepaniak contains a number of "cheese" recipes thickened with agar.
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5
Experiment with traditional aspics. Rather than gelling a sweet liquid, use agar to gel your favorite vegetable broth. Add diced, cooked vegetables or your choice of cooked protein to the gel. Served on a bed of greens, an aspic is a refreshing summer entrée.
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6
Garnish a dish with kanten. For an unusual garnish for salads or vegetables, make a kanten with vegetable juice and chill it in a large pan so the kanten is no more than ½ inch thick. Dice the kanten and toss it on as a garnish.
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Tips & Warnings
Gelatin can be replaced with agar powder or flakes in a one-to-one ratio. You might achieve a different texture than you are used to, though, so it may take experimentation to arrive at the perfect proportion of agar.
Stir constantly as the agar dissolves so it is incorporated fully into the liquid.
Agar will not gel liquids containing vinegar or foods that contain high levels of oxalic acid, such as chocolate.
