Many gluten free recipes call for the ingredients Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum. These ingredients are included in the recipe because they act as a thickener and stabilizer to help keep your ingredients mixed together instead of separating. In non-gluten free recipes the wheat, rye, flour, etc. act as the thickener and emulsifier. If a recipe calls for Guar Gum you can substitute this with Xanthan Gum and the reverse is also true.
The names sound unfamiliar so many people assume these are unnatural ingredients. This is not true. These products come from natural ingredients and are no less natural than vinegar or yeast.
Here are some of the differences between these two products:
Xanthan Gum
- Made by a micro organism called Xanthomonas Campestris which basically means it is created through fermentation
- Helps your ingredients (particularly starches) combine to trap air which will help make your baked items light and fluffy
- Good for baked goods and for yeasted breads
- Better than Guar Gum for foods with a high acid content
- Excellent in pastry fillings
- Good option for those who are omitting dairy, eggs and soy from their diet when used in sauces as a substitute for cream, butter or eggs
Guar Gum
- Comes from the seed of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba which is native to Asia
- Better than Xanthan at helping keep the ingredients stay fully mixed.
- Good for cold foods such as ice cream, cake, and cheese
- Eight times as powerful as cornstarch for thickening applications
- For the kids it makes great slime just mixing a little with water!!!
