Xanthum+Gum

While it may seem expensive at about $10-$12 for 8 ounces, a very small amount goes a long way! To use xanthan gum in your dairy-free recipes, use about 1/8 t. per cup of liquid and combine these in a blender, not by hand, as it will "gum" almost instantly and form clumps if not constantly in motion while it is incorporated into the liquid. For sauces, blending the xanthan gum first with a bit of oil before adding the soymilk or rice milk produces the best taste and texture, as this gives the sauce richness and depth that would normally be achieved by cream, butter or eggs. []  Use xanthan gum as an emulsifier in salad dressing. Use 1/8 tsp. of xanthan gum per 1/2 cup of vinegar. Whisk the xanthan gum into the vinegar, dissolving it completely, before adding oil. With the addition of xanthan gum, less oil may be required. The xanthan gum holds the oil and vinegar together. Added seasonings and herbs should remain suspended within the salad dressing due to xanthan gum's ability to increase viscosity.  2 Add 3/4 tsp. per cup of flour mix to make gluten-free bread. Gluten-free breads and [|baked goods]  require a mix of wheat-free flours in certain proportions. For these recipes, 3/4 tsp. per cup is standard. Use one tsp. per cup if you live in a higher-altitude region. For [|cakes] , use 1/2 tsp. per cup of flour mix. For cookies, use 1/4 tsp. per cup of flour mix.  3 Add additional emulsifying agents, such as egg white or dry milk powder, to wheat-free bread dough. Xanthan gum provides elasticity to wheat-free dough but the addition of emulsifiers creates additional binding, necessary in the absence of gluten.  4 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Use xanthan gum to stabilize sauces. Pan gravies or any sauce in which you use a fat or butter base can be stabilized with xanthan gums. These sauces tend to separate as they cool. Adding the xanthan gum delays that separation and gives the sauce a smoother flow. Add only a pinch of xanthan gum to the recipe, or the sauce will become too thick and have a bitter aftertaste. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;"> <span class="stepnumber2" style="color: black; font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">5 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Add xanthan gum to frozen fruit smoothies and homemade ice cream. Xanthan gum adds texture to the frozen concoctions. Use 1/8 tsp. for every 20 to 24 oz. of frozen smoothie. Use 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum for every 3 cups of ice cream. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Add the xanthan gum to the smoothies with the liquid and blend well before adding fruits. For ice cream, add when blending all ingredients and before putting the mixture into the ice cream maker. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Read more: <span style="color: #003399; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">[|How to Cook With Xanthan Gum | eHow.com] <span style="color: #003399; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">[|http://www.ehow.com/how_5810575_cook-xanthan-gum.html#ixzz1mvuCSOkJ]
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Definition: **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Xanthan Gum **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;"> is a //microbial polysaccharide// derived from the bacterium //Xanthomonas campestris// that is typically found in commercial salad dressings, ice creams and other suspensions or liquid products that require an emulsifier, but it can be bought for home use and is a great way to thicken and stabilize soymilk-based rice milk-based <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">[|sauces] <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">, <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">[|dairy-free soups] <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;"> and non-dairy ice creams. Produced primarily from cellulose from corn or cabbage, **xanthan gum** functions similarly to gelatin in recipes with regards to stabilizing suspensions, but it is completely vegan and great for cooking and baking for persons with food allergies and restrictions, especially for those who are omitting dairy, eggs and soy from their diet.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Also Known As: **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">xanthan, xanthan gum

<span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Xanthan not only comes in handy for playing Scrabble (racking up a respectable 17 points without any bonus squares), it’s a great tool for developing products from a ready-to-use adobo sauce that clings to a chicken breast to a freeze/thaw stable zabaglione. Xanthan gum’s unique rheological and gel-forming properties make it a valuable ingredient. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">This high-molecular-weight polysaccharide results from carbohydrate fermentation by a naturally occurring bacterium, //Xanthomonas campestris//. Different strains or fermentation conditions create differing degrees of acetylation and pyruvylation, which affects functionality. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Like all gums, its structure dictates functionality. The molecule has a helical form, with a backbone of ß-1, 4-linked D-glucose residues. Side chains containing one glucuronic acid unit between two mannose units are linked to every other glucose unit. These side chains provide some protection to the molecule, so it is relatively stable to acids, alkalis and enzymes. The number of side units per unit length of the monosaccharide chain affects solubility. Increasing substitution holds the chains apart from each other and prevents them from forming hydrogen bonds, so, as is the case with xanthan gum, they hydrate more quickly. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">One of the reasons for xanthan’s value to the food industry is its versatility: It’s cold-water and hot-water soluble. Plus, according to Aida Prenzno, laboratory director, Gum Technology Corporation, Tucson, AZ: “Xanthan gum is stable in a wide range of pH. It can be used in a pH range from 2 to 10 where its viscosity, texture and functionality are not affected.” Plus, it will dissolve in highly acidic solutions, as well as those with a high pH. At low concentrations, xanthan-gum solutions provide a high degree of viscosity compared to other polysaccharide solutions. The viscosity remains virtually unchanged in temperatures from freezing to boiling. Xanthan is also stable in the presence of most salts. Adding electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium chloride, increases viscosity and stability, and calcium or magnesium salts also increase viscosity. Salt concentrations above 0.1% provide optimum viscosity. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">The gum is highly pseudoplastic (shear-thinning), allowing it to be blended easily during mixing, and pumped or poured easily once the yield value (the initial force to initiate flow) is reached. When shear is removed, it goes back to its original viscosity. The same rheology contributes to good mouthfeel and flavor release. Xanthan provides 0.6 kcal per gram, making it suitable for fat-replacement systems. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Xanthan can even provide some emulsification. “Xanthan provides viscosity, suspension and keeps the emulsion together,” says Prenzno. “Although xanthan is not a true emulsifier, it can be used to replace expensive products such as tragacanth in highoil- content dressings if it is used in conjunction with gum arabic or propylene glycol alginate.” <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">One of xanthan’s unique properties is synergism with certain other gums. Synergism occurs when the viscosity or gel strength of a hydrocolloid combination is greater than would be predicted by adding the properties of the individual ingredients. Xanthan, konjac and ê-carrageenan or xanthan and guar show viscosity synergies. Xanthan and locust bean gum (LBG) form a synergistic gel (a molecular network due to chemical bonding or crosslinking), and at levels upwards of 0.2%, solutions of xanthan gum and LBG form a thermally reversible gel when heated to 85°C and higher, and then cooled. The greatest gel strength occurs at a 50:50 ratio of xanthan gum to LBG, but can be influenced by the product matrix. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">“Xanthan gum is synergistic with galactomannans, because their backbone structure is similar, and there is an electrostatic attraction between the molecules,” explains Yvonne M. Stuchell, senior research food scientist, specialty food ingredients division, ADM, Decatur, IL. “Galactomannans with fewer galactose side chains and more unsubstituted regions will react more strongly with xanthan gum than those with higher levels of side chains and more evenly substituted regions. This interaction is strongest in distilled water, and may be inhibited by ions and acidic conditions in foods.” The synergistic interactions are best-suited to products with higher pH and lower salt levels, and those with a shorter shelf life, she says. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">As with most gums, proper dispersion of xanthan is key. A high-shear mix is a must to prevent lumps, due to the rapid hydration rate. Preblending with dry ingredients or suspending it in oil or alcohol aids hydration by separating the particles. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Using an agglomerated version aids dispersal. Agglomeration “changes the solubility and hydration characteristics,” says Frances Bowman, marketing manager, TIC Gums, Inc., Belcamp, MD. “Agglomerating the xanthan separates the gum particles and makes them easier to disperse. This creates more surface area to come into contact with the water and dramatically improves hydration rates, which can help speed up processing times. In the finished application, agglomerated xanthan gum provides the same functionality as powdered xanthan.” <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Once the gum has been dispersed, it’s ready to stabilize any number of foods and beverages, from meats to baked goods to sauces, and many more. “Typical xanthan gum use levels in most foods are below 0.75%, and usually between 0.10% and 0.40%,” says Stuchell. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">“Salad dressing is the application that first comes to mind when you mention xanthan gum, because it’s frequently used to thicken the dressing and suspend spices and other particulates,” says Bowman. Depending on the formulation, 0.1% to 0.5% results in a salad dressing that balances easy pourability and good cling. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Baked goods tend to require a low use level, approximately 0.02% to 0.10%, according to Stuchell, “because blends of ingredients are usually used, and products can become too gummy if the use level is high.” In beverages, often less than 0.10% xanthan is required, or else the mouthfeel becomes too thick. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">“In most foods, using too much xanthan gum results in unacceptable flow behavior— gloppy or stringy,” and a mouthfeel that’s too slippery or slick, Stuchell warns. However, the right level is priceless for just about any application that requires smooth body and viscosity, freeze/thaw and emulsion stability, and syneresis control. <span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/2007/06/x-is-for-xanthan-gum.aspx
 * //<span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Function follows form //**
 * //<span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Energizing synergy //**
 * //<span style="color: #464646; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Application whiz //**