How to dilute gelatin for jelly correctly – proportions and step-by-step recipes

The content of the article

• What is gelatin?
• When to add jelly gelatin
• Breeding methods
• How to cook jellied meat with gelatin
• Correct proportions
• Useful tips for experienced cooks

Homemade jellied meat, aspic or jelly are traditional Russian dishes that are often prepared on holidays, for example, on New Year’s Eve, or served on weekdays. Various types of meat are used for cooking: pork, beef, chicken. Some housewives make jellied fish. A distinctive feature of the dishes is a jelly-like structure with the addition of pieces of meat, vegetables and spices.

What is gelatin?

To obtain a jelly-like mass of jellied meat, cartilages, bones, and skin are used. For this, shanks, pork heads, hooves and other bony parts of animals are taken. They contain sticky substances that have an important property. They help the broth, when cooled, turn into a dense, elastic jelly. If there are few or no such parts, then jelly can be cooked from gelatin and meat pulp.

Gelatin is made from different parts of animals by collagen denaturation. The technological method was discovered by Peter Cooper in the 18th century. In the production, those parts are taken that are used by the cook, preparing natural jelly. These are bones, cartilage, tendons of cattle and fish. A protein extract from them is called gelatin. Note to vegetarians: desserts on this basis are not for you, take herbal analogues, such as agar agar or pectin.

Dishes based on this substance of animal origin must be included in the diet for those who have tendon and cartilage diseases. It is used not only in cooking. Gelatin is used by pharmacological companies in the manufacture of drugs, where capsules and bases for drugs are made from it. In cosmetology, it is actively used as a component of masks, creams, lotions. Collagen plays the role of a rejuvenating substance.

Edible gelatin is sold in two forms:

1. Granulated. Outwardly, it is small balls up to 1-2 mm in diameter from light yellow to brownish.
2. Plates. Sold as thin tan plates.

When to add jelly gelatin

Instant gelatin in the manufacture of jellied meat is added at the end. First you need to cook the meat, it takes an hour and a half. During this time, you need to add vegetables: onions, carrots, herbs. After the expiration of time, the meat is removed from the broth and divided into small parts. The broth needs to be filtered – fragments from bones can remain. Gelatin powder is added to the strained yushka. With the resulting base, you need to pour the meat decomposed in portions, and only then remove it in the cold to solidify.

Breeding methods

There are several ways to dilute the powder:

1. In cold water. Take 1 cup of water, soak the granules. When the mass swells, put it in the microwave at minimum power. It should turn into a uniform, colorless liquid. Check that there are no grains. Once everything has dissolved, pour the liquid into the broth and mix thoroughly. Instead of a microwave, you can use a water bath.
2. In the broth. Here gelatin is bred in the broth itself. Take a glass of liquid, cool, pour out the powder and wait an hour until completely dissolved. Pour the mixture thinly into the remaining broth and mix.

How to cook jellied meat with gelatin

The gelatin recipe on gelatin is simple. You will need:

• meat (beef, pork, chicken) – 1.5 kg;
• onion – 3 pcs.;
• carrots – 2 pcs.;
• spices – to choose from;
• salt to taste;
• gelatin – 20-60 grams per liter of broth (depending on the desired strength).

Cooking:

• Pour meat with 3.5 liters of water in an enamel pan.
• When the water boils, drain it and fill it with a new one..
• Salt, add spices.
• After an hour, add the onion, cut in half and the carrots, chopped at random..
• Leave to simmer one hour. Do not forget to descale with a slotted spoon.
• Put the meat, strain the broth through cheesecloth.
• Brew gelatin in one glass of hot water. Wait for the moment of swelling. Mix with the rest of the broth.
• Cut the meat. Lay out on the forms. For containers, you can take plastic or metal trays, pans, bowls, silicone molds. Add boiled carrots, if desired, put some greens.
• Pour in the broth the contents of the forms.
• Put in the refrigerator, wait until it freezes.

Correct proportions

If you want to know how much gelatin to add to the jelly, then remember the correct proportions:

• “Shivering” jelly. If you want to make a “weak” jelly that will shake on a spoon, then the amount of cooking powder per liter of liquid will be 20 grams.
• Medium elasticity. If your goal is the classic version of the dish, then you will need more gelatin. Put 40 grams of dry matter per liter of broth.
• Hard jellied meat. Such a jelly is poured into molds, and after hardening it is taken out and laid upside down on a flat plate. A dish can be beautifully cut with a knife, like a cake. If you pour jellied meat into silicone molds or use cupcake tins for this, you can get a portioned dish. The amount of gelatin per liter of broth will be 60 grams.

Useful tips for experienced cooks

The following tips from cooks come in handy for those who decide to cook a delicious and healthy jelly with the addition of gelatin:

1. Once the meat boils, drain the first broth and draw in new water. The first broth is dirty, very greasy and not at all dietary. It collects harmful substances that come out of meat first.
2. If you decide to buy gelatin, pay attention to the expiration date, which is indicated on the package. Expired gelatin can give the dish an unpleasant taste, or the jelly on it does not thicken at all.
3. Do not boil liquid with diluted gelatin. Boiling spoil the dish.
4. Cooling the jelly should be carried out in the refrigerator – do not use a freezer, otherwise the composition will crystallize.