Sodium alginate is a naturally occurring chemical compound consisting of alginic acid and sodium salt extracted from the cell walls of large algae originating from the colder North Atlantic oceans. Widely used in the pharmaceutical field, due to its natural viscosity it finds use as an additive (E401) in the food industry, both in industrial products and in traditional and molecular cooking, and it also has wide use in the cosmetics industry. Sodium Alginate is widely used in the food industry and in cooking as added to liquid solutions increases their volume and viscosity proving particularly useful as an emulsifier and stabilizer in the production of processed cheeses, syrups, sauces, milk products, beverages and gels. Gluten-free.
Dosage of Sodium Alginate: as a thickener: 0.1-0.5% - For spherification: 0.4% to 1.5%.
Size: 50gr, 100gr, 200gr, 500gr
Fields of use: traditional cooking, molecular cooking, cream ice creams, vegan ice creams, and dermocosmetics.
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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Sodium Alginate gel is very stable and has the ability to retain a huge amount of water. When dissolved in an aqueous solution, it thickens the preparation and increases its viscosity. It is a natural polyanionic polymer capable of changing the consistency of liquids by increasing their viscosity. The ideal pH of Sodium Alginate is between 5 and 7. pHs that are too acidic or too alkaline can disassemble the gel. When dissolved in an aqueous solution, it thickens the preparation and increases its viscosity. When it comes in contact with a calcium solution, it forms a gel. (This is why sodium alginate is widely used.)
ICE CREAM: In ice cream, Sodium Alginate, is used both as a thickener, structuring agent and fat-replacer, as well as being a good stabilizer and anti-settling agent. With a dosage of 0.1-0.5 percent it gives a smooth and airy texture to ice cream, good stability to the product, going to avoid the formation of the detestable ice crystals. In industrial ice cream it is widely used as a thickener.
TRADITIONAL CUISINE: Sodium Alginate is used as a thickener in creams, spoon desserts, jams and jellies.
MOLECULAR COOKING: Sodium Alginate is combined with the liquid you want to spherify and after mixing or whisking the mixture and letting it sit, it is dripped through the use of a syringe inside the calcium solution. The result is the typical small, colorful caviar-like spheres that once ingested burst in the mouth in an explosion of flavor.
CURIOSITY: It is also widely used in cosmetics for the preparation of creams, gels and face masks because it gives texture to products.
Article on molecular spherification with a SaporePuro recipe: https://saporepuro.com/blogs/ricette/sferificazione-molecolare-con-alginato-di-sodio-e-lattato-di-calcio-ricetta-facile-online