Is there a vegetarian alternative to gelatin? Does anyone have recipes that use it?
Angela L from Sault Ste Marie, ON
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Pectin. Tapioca.
Check out your local health food store, they'll be able to help you with other vegetarian thickeners.
There was an article about agar here on Thriftyfun, maybe last week? I want to try that for my vegetarian daughter!
Yes, there is. Depending on what you need the gelatin for. I don't know if you need it to thicken up foods, make a "Jell-O" type of product, make "Jello Shots" or for strengthening your fingernails & hair. If it's for making a "Jell-O" type product, I'd use Agar-Agar (from seaweed) Agar-Agar is closely related to Pectin. Another vegetarian alternative to gelatin is carrageen. This alternative sets more firmly than agar, and is often used in kosher and halaal cooking. Though it, too, is a type of seaweed, it tends not to have an unpleasant smell during cooking as agar sometimes does. Tapioca flour is another alternative. You can also use Sweet Rice flour. (You can buy these thickeners at any "Ethnic" or Asian grocery store for super cheap, or Health food stores) For thickening it depends on WHAT you are making, but any of the above will work, as will plain old corn starch... Always remember to add any of those thickeners I described above to COLD water first, then slowly heat them up (they will turn clear) & a little goes a long way!
Try these sites for more info:
www.divorcekit.com/
www.vegcooking.com/
GOURMET VEGAN JELL-O SHOTS: (very cool photo & article)
www.latimes.com/
PS. For those who eat fish: Try "Kosher Gelatin" it's made from Fish Bones, not Cow Hides.
There is actually vegetarian "jello" in fruit flavors available at health food stores.
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