Thickening agent

Thickening agents, or thickeners, are substances which, when added to an aqueous mixture, increase its suspending action. Thickening agents are often food additives.

Food thickeners

Food thickeners are frequently based on xanthan gum.

Flour is often used for thickening gravies, gumbos, and stews. It must be cooked in thoroughly to avoid the taint of uncooked flour. jellies. Other thickeners used by cooks are nuts or glaces made of meat or fish.

For acidic foods, cornstarch, which loses thickening potency in acidic mixtures. At (acidic) pH levels below 4.5, guar gum has sharply reduced aqueous solubility, thus also reducing its thickening capability.

If the food is to be frozen, tapioca or arrowroot are preferable over cornstarch, which becomes spongy when frozen.

When using a thickening agent, care must be taken not to overcook the food. Some starches lose their thickening quality when cooked for too long or at too high a temperature, and thickened food may burn more easily during cooking. As an alternative to adding more thickener, recipes may call for reduction of the food's water content by lengthy simmering. When cooking, it is generally better to add thickener cautiously; if over-thickened, more water may be added but loss of flavour and texture may result.

Weapon use

Many fuels used in incendiary weapons require thickening for increased performance. Aluminium salts of polyisobutylene.

See also

Mucilage