Acid decreases the thickening power of
starch solutions if the two are cooked to¬
gether. When starch is boiled in the presence
of an acid some of the starch is hydrolized to
dextrin, which has no thickening power. In
this case more satisfactory results are ob¬
tained if the starch and liquid mixture are
cooked before the acid is added.
Preventing Lumps. When dry starch is
added directly to hot water or milk, the
grains on the outside cook first, inclosing raw
starch grains in the interior and forming
lumps difficult to combine smoothly. These
lumps may be prevented by adding some
other ingredient to the starch to separate the
individual grains before combining it with
the hot liquid. Sugar, fat, or cold liquid may
be used for this purpose. These separate the
starch grains and allow them to gelatinize
separately, and so prevent the formation of
lumps. Lumps are unsightly and unpalat¬
able. Not only should the starch be added
carefully, but also the mixture should be
stirred until the starch is cooked smoothly.
Forms to Use. Starches are found on the
market for household use, both as foods and
for laundry purposes. The differences in
starches are more apparent in laundry use
than in cooking. For laundry use, stiffness
and flexibility are both important and some¬
times are obtained by special pretreatment
of the starch. In cookery the thickening
value is of chief importance. For thickening
sauces, gravies, and soups, flour, almost always
present in the household, may be used as the
[62]
source of starch. For puddings and for
thickening fruit juices a specially packaged
starch may give a better product. This is
usually cornstarch.
TYPICAL STARCH DISHES
A starch pudding is the simplest place to
begin in working out starch proportions. In
a pudding the proportion of starch to liquid
should be such that the cooked gel has a con¬
sistency which will mold or hold its shape
when cold. A good way to determine and fix
in mind the comparative thickening powers
of the different starches is to use them in
making molds of pudding consistency. The
starch most generally available is cornstarch.
Potato starch can be prepared in class if sup¬
plies are not available on the market.
Approximately 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
to a cup of liquid will give a pudding of suit¬
able consistency for molding. If gels are
made using the same proportion of all
starches available, cooked in an identical
manner, the resulting molds will demonstrate
the comparative thickening value of the
different starches used. Flour has about half
the thickening value of cornstarch. Three
to four tablespoons of flour to each cup of
liquid will yield a gel that will mold.
When starches are cooked in milk, with
the addition of sugar and flavoring, their
thickening value or gel strength is shown, but
the mixtures are opaque and the comparative
clearness of the different gels is hidden. To
show clearness as well as stiffness, these
starches should be cooked in water without
sugar or flavoring. When cooked in water,
the root starches, in general, give clearer gels
than the cereal starches. This is important
only in thickening juices, as in fruit pudding
and fruit pie fillings. ✪ Pudding
Page 57 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Acid decreases the thickening power of starch solutions if the two are cooked to¬ gether. When starch is boiled in the presence of an acid some of the starch is hydrolized to dextrin, which has no thickening power. In this case more satisfactory results are ob¬ tained if the starch and liquid mixture are cooked before the acid is added.
Preventing Lumps. When dry starch is added directly to hot water or milk, the grains on the outside cook first, enclosing raw starch grains in the interior and forming lumps difficult to combine smoothly. These lumps may be prevented by adding some other ingredient to the starch to separate the individual grains before combining it with the hot liquid. Sugar, fat, or cold liquid may be used for this purpose. These separate the starch grains and allow them to gelatinize separately, and so prevent the formation of lumps. Lumps are unsightly and unpalat¬ able. Not only should the starch be added carefully, but also the mixture should be stirred until the starch is cooked smoothly.
Forms to Use. Starches are found on the market for household use, both as foods and for laundry purposes. The differences in starches are more apparent in laundry use than in cooking. For laundry use, stiffness and flexibility are both important and some¬ times are obtained by special pretreatment of the starch. In cookery the thickening value is of chief importance. For thickening sauces, gravies, and soups, flour, almost always present in the household, may be used as the
[62]
source of starch. For puddings and for thickening fruit juices a specially packaged starch may give a better product. This is usually cornstarch.
TYPICAL STARCH DISHES
A starch pudding is the simplest place to begin in working out starch proportions. In a pudding the proportion of starch to liquid should be such that the cooked gel has a con¬ sistency which will mold or hold its shape when cold. A good way to determine and fix in mind the comparative thickening powers of the different starches is to use them in making molds of pudding consistency. The starch most generally available is cornstarch. Potato starch can be prepared in class if sup¬ plies are not available on the market.
Approximately 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to a cup of liquid will give a pudding of suit¬ able consistency for molding. If gels are made using the same proportion of all starches available, cooked in an identical manner, the resulting molds will demonstrate the comparative thickening value of the different starches used. Flour has about half the thickening value of cornstarch. Three to four tablespoons of flour to each cup of liquid will yield a gel that will mold.
When starches are cooked in milk, with the addition of sugar and flavoring, their thickening value or gel strength is shown, but the mixtures are opaque and the comparative clearness of the different gels is hidden. To show clearness as well as stiffness, these starches should be cooked in water without sugar or flavoring. When cooked in water,
the root starches, in general, give clearer gels than the cereal starches. This is important only in thickening juices, as in fruit pudding and fruit pie fillings.
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Pudding