Reverse Spherification is the process of cooking a liquid in a Sodium Alginate bath. This is opposed to Spherification in which the liquid being cooked contains Sodium Alginate and gets cooked in a bath of Calcium Chloride or Calcium Lactate. The word "cook" used in this context is referring to the reaction which occurs between the Sodium Alginate and Calcium without the application of heat. The presence
of the Calcium causes the Soldium Alginate to gel and form a thin membrane around the liquid being cooked.
Calcium Lactate Gluconate (also known as Calcium Gluconolactate or Gluconate) is used with Reverse Spherification because it will impart no flavor when added to the liquid being made into spheres.
The Process
To prepare the liquid which will be made into spheres, use a ratio of 5 grams Calcium
Lactate Gluconate to 200 grams of liquid (or 2.5% Calcium Lactate
Gluconate). Depending on the size and exact shape desired a thickener may be needed. Xanthan gum is typically used in a ratio of ~0.3 to ~0.5 percent, but exact amounts should be included with the recipe. Use an immersion blender (or counter top blender if immersion is unavailable) to incorporate all the Calcium Lactate Gluconate into a third or so of the liquid. Then integrate the remaining liquid by hand. The immersion blender will incorporate a lot of undesired air into the liquid, mixing the liquid in this two step process will help reduce the amount of air. This air will be visible in the resulting spheres so an extended period of rest or a trip though a vacuum will be needed. Exact times will vary based on the mixture of the liquid, but expect a wait two to twelve hours.
To prepare the Sodium Alginate bath, use a ratio of 1 gram sodium alginate to 200 grams of water (or 0.5% Sodium Alginate). Incorporate the Sodium Alginate and water the same way as above. This mixture should rest for at least two hours to let the air bubbles escape, up to twelve hours would be better.
The size of the bath should be determined by the amount and size of spheres being made.
After both mixtures have rested and contain no air bubbles, drop the Calcium Lactate Gluconate fortified liquid into the Sodium Alginate bath by using a syringe (to form caviar like spheres) or a spoon (to make larger spheres). Allow a cooking period of one to three minutes depending on the size of the spheres. Extract the spheres using a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer and rinse the spheres with water.
Tips for spherification
- Do not use tap water. Tap water varies greatly based on the area it is coming from. Calcium levels vary and can affect your Sodium Alginate bath. Instead always use bottled or filtered water.
- Use a digital scale with at least 0.1 gram accuracy, also be sure it is calibrated properly. A scale similar to the My Weigh Durascale 100
would be ideal.
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