The market · Acids and agents

Gelatine

Gelatine (gelatin in the US): a setting agent from animal collagen that melts at body temperature. At the bar it's the slow, gentle clarifier, and the set in jelly shots.

neutral · wobbly · melts on the tongue

Kinds

Leaf
Sold by bloom grade (bronze to platinum); stick to one so recipes come out the same.
Powder
Easier to weigh; bloom it in cold water first.

If you can't find it

Baking aisles, as leaves or powder.

  1. 1Agar
    Far less, boiled for a minute
    You lose the wobble — agar sets firmer and more brittle. It's vegetarian.

Goes with

fruit juicesugarcreamlime juice

Knowing it

Where to buy
Leaf from a good supermarket or baking supplier; powder anywhere.
Worth knowing
Freeze-thaw clarification: dissolve just enough gelatine in the juice for a loose set — a few grams per litre — freeze it solid, then let it thaw in the fridge in a cloth-lined sieve over a bowl. The gelatine net holds the solids back and clear juice drips through. It takes a day or two but needs no kit, and only part of the juice is ever warmed.

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