The Essential Guide to Gelatin in Pastry

 Gelatin is part of a pastry chef’s life as much as sugar, chocolate or vanilla are, especially when you’re making entremets or creams that require a stabilizer. Gelatin is used in many confectionary products, from the very simple marshmallows to jelly bears, gum paste, mousse, cremeux or stabilized whipped cream. It can also be found in many other products, as a food additive – E441 is its code on a product’s label. Yogurt, sour cream or sorbet are just a few of the products that often use gelatin as a way of making the consistency smoother, creamier.

What is Gelatin?

Gelatin is a hydrocolloid, meaning that it can suspend or trap molecules and it is derived from the collagen found in animal connective tissues, particularly skin and bones, meaning that it is not suitable for vegans. It is translucent, comes in a dried form and it doesn’t have a particular color or odour. The process of making gelatin is not that complex, but it can take up to a few weeks, depending on the strength of the final product – pork and cattle bones are processed to extract collagen, but this also means that vegans or vegetarians can’t eat gelatin. They have a few alternatives, such as: agar agar which is derived from a seaweed, pectin, extracted from apples or citrus, or guar gums, derived from various beans. It is used in pastry due to its gelling properties – it can set desserts so they hold their shape well, but still be creamy and smooth when eaten.

Types of Gelatin

1. Powdered Gelatin – comes in granulated form, commonly found in grocery stores. It needs to be scaled before use and also bloomed in cold water.

2. Sheet Gelatin – also known as leaf gelatin, this type is often preferred by professional chefs for its consistency and ease of use. However, my opinion is that is slightly overrated, because it is more expensive, but does exactly the same job as powdered gelatin. Usually a sheet weighs 2g, but it is best to scale it as well.

How To Classify Gelatin

Gelatin is classified by its bloom or better said its gelling power. Gelatin bloom ranges between 125 and 265 and it is being set by a scientific test called simply bloom. The higher the bloom of a gelatin, the higher its gelling power – in other words, the higher the bloom, the smaller the quantity needed to set your product, but the higher the quantity of water needed. The Bloom is crucial in professional kitchens, not so much in households – for that reason, the gelatin packages found in supermarkets don’t have any information on how high the bloom is, but rumors has it that this kind of gelatin has between 200 and 250 bloom power.

Taking the bloom into consideration, gelatin is classified into:

• Bronze gelatin – with a bloom of 125-155
• Silver gelatin – with a bloom of 160
• Gold gelatin – with a bloom of 190-220
• Platinum gelatin – with a bloom of 220-265

However, the strength of gelatin in pastry depends on brand. For instance, Knox brand has a bloom of 225, while  Dr. Oetker has a bloom of 220 or 250.

How to Use Gelatin

1. Blooming – is the process of rehydrating gelatin in order to be able to use it.

   – Powdered Gelatin: Sprinkle over cold water (usually a ratio of 1 part gelatin to 5 or 6 parts water) and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it absorbs the water and swells. Usually professional recipes mention either what type of gelatin is being used or with what quantity of water you need to bloom it, thus indicating what bloom the gelatin has.

   – Sheet Gelatin: Soak the sheets in cold water for about 5-10 minutes until they soften. Make sure the water is cold so the sheets don’t melt before you get the chance to use them.

2. Melting – after blooming, gelatin needs to be melted. Heat the bloomed gelatin gently until it completely melts. This can be done by adding it to a warm liquid or part of your recipe or by heating it directly in a microwave or on a stovetop.

3. Incorporation into recipes – add the melted gelatin to your main mixture. Make sure the mixture is warm enough to prevent the gelatin from setting too quickly but not too hot as this can degrade the gelatin’s setting properties.

Applications in Pastry

1. Mousses and Creams – gelatin helps mousses and creams to hold their shape, providing a light and airy texture.

2. Panna Cotta  – this classic Italian dessert relies on gelatin for its smooth, creamy, and yet set texture.

3. Fruit Gelees – gelatin is used to create stable fruit gelees that can be used as fillings or decorative element, as well as inserts.

4. Stabilizing Whipped Cream – gelatin can stabilize whipped cream, so it is easier to pipe and holds its shape better.

Myths and Truths

– Myth: Gelatin cannot set with acidic ingredients.

  – Truth: Gelatin can set with acidic ingredients, though higher amounts might be required for very acidic mixtures.

– Myth: Boiling gelatin destroys its gelling ability.

  – Truth: Boiling gelatin has no impact on its gelling ability unless you warm it up on the stove and forget it there and it burns.

Sensitivity to Active Ingredients

Some ingredients like fresh pineapple, kiwi, and papaya contain enzymes that can break down gelatin and prevent it from setting. Cooking these fruits beforehand can deactivate the enzymes. Even so, some elements with these fruits may require more gelatin.

Gelatin is reversible

Interesting enough, gelatin is reversible – once it has set, the gelatin can be heated back up slightly until it melts then placed back in a cold environment to set. This process can be done several times if the product you are re-heating allows it. Also, gelatin is said to never spoil – certain manufacturers claim that the expiration date found on packages it has to do with the degradation of the package and not the gelatin found inside.

How gelatin sets

Gelatin is a slow setting gelling agent which sets at around 15C and needs to be kept in a cold storing place for at least 6-10 hours before solidifying. But it finishes the setting process completely 24 hours later.

The pH of the product you are trying to set is very important as well. Gelatin does not work well in low pH environments, the best option being a pH of 4-10. This becomes a problem for acidic gels which have low pH and set less or not at all. So keep that in mind when using gelatin in acidic products.

How much gelatin to use in desserts

When it comes to gelatin in pastry, I’ve always said that less is more, therefore I avoid adding too much gelatin to desserts simply because I don’t like the texture of a mousse if it’s set too much or a cremeux that become a jelly. The rule of thumb for liquids is to add between 0.6 up to 1.7% of the liquid’s weight, depending on the texture you are trying to achieve. Thus, if you have 1000g of liquid, you will use 10g of gelatin for a medium body gel.

Converting different blooms

Converting between different blooms of gelatin in pastry is not that straight forward. There’s a few formulas used in the industry, but the final texture of a certain product depends on other factors as well, so at the end of the day you just have to test and see. One of these formulas state: weight of the known  gelatin x square root (known  gelatin bloom/unknown gelatin bloom) = weight of unknown gelatin. Let’s say the recipe calls for 10g of gelatin 200, but we only have gelatin 150. So the formula will be: 10x (200/150)=13.3. So the answer is 13.3g of gelatin 150bloom.

Gelatin is an essential ingredient in pastry, offering versatility and stability to a wide range of desserts. Understanding how to properly bloom, dissolve, and incorporate gelatin in your desserts can elevate your baking and pastry skills, allowing you to create beautifully set and textured desserts. Whether you are making a light mousse, a delicate panna cotta, or stabilizing whipped cream, gelatin is a key component that can make your culinary creations stand out. And being such an important ingredient in pastry, you need to know how to use it properly so you take advantage of all its properties.