Fruit Glue
Fruit Glue
While the idea of gluing fruit together may sound novel, it was pointed out that the process is nothing more than an extrapolation of a fruit terrine. Still, we find that the ability to layer fruits and vegetables together is really exciting. Especially when we look beyond using just gelatin, which is the traditional bonding agent in fruit terrines and only effective at cold temperatures. Instead, we were inspired by the synergy of hydrocolloids. The first combination of ingredients we played with utilized the gel which occurs when alginate is introduced to a calcium. The product, which acted as the catalyst for our ideas, was designed for gluing meat pieces into uniform blocks, cylinders and whole new structures. The product consists of two components, one a sodium alginate and one a calcium lactate. While the idea of using these two ingredients to bind proteins was interesting we were more excited by its other possibilities: binding fruits and vegetables.
We tested the theory of using the combination of these two ingredients to glue planks of melon together. The adhesive worked and the results were a beautiful terrine. Then, we heated the melon terrine. It held, the glue kept the pieces of melon together through the cooking process. As it turns out the reaction between alginate and calcium is thermo-irreversible. (In fact, we already knew this, though we did not pay it much attention in the beginning. Remember to pay attention to all the details throughout the process of any experiment, as it will only save you time and effort.) We were thrilled with the results and equally full of dismay. The dismay was generated because at that moment we were reliant on a proprietary blend of alginate and calcium to create our bonds. Obviously the next step would have to be to create our own blend. While we began thinking about the alginate-calcium reaction it dawned on me that we should try using LM pectin and calcium. We know the reaction
While the idea of gluing fruit together may sound novel, it was pointed out that the process is nothing more than an extrapolation of a fruit terrine. Still, we find that the ability to layer fruits and vegetables together is really exciting. Especially when we look beyond using just gelatin, which is the traditional bonding agent in fruit terrines and only effective at cold temperatures. Instead, we were inspired by the synergy of hydrocolloids. The first combination of ingredients we played with utilized the gel which occurs when alginate is introduced to a calcium. The product, which acted as the catalyst for our ideas, was designed for gluing meat pieces into uniform blocks, cylinders and whole new structures. The product consists of two components, one a sodium alginate and one a calcium lactate. While the idea of using these two ingredients to bind proteins was interesting we were more excited by its other possibilities: binding fruits and vegetables.
We tested the theory of using the combination of these two ingredients to glue planks of melon together. The adhesive worked and the results were a beautiful terrine. Then, we heated the melon terrine. It held, the glue kept the pieces of melon together through the cooking process. As it turns out the reaction between alginate and calcium is thermo-irreversible. (In fact, we already knew this, though we did not pay it much attention in the beginning. Remember to pay attention to all the details throughout the process of any experiment, as it will only save you time and effort.) We were thrilled with the results and equally full of dismay. The dismay was generated because at that moment we were reliant on a proprietary blend of alginate and calcium to create our bonds. Obviously the next step would have to be to create our own blend. While we began thinking about the alginate-calcium reaction it dawned on me that we should try using LM pectin and calcium. We know the reaction