Methylcellulose
A thickener from plant cellulose that does the opposite of gelatin: it sets as it heats and melts as it cools. It's the trick behind hot 'ice cream', and the binder that holds veggie burgers and fritters together in the pan.
neutral · sets hot · melts cold
Kinds
- Gelling grades
- Set firm when hot, for binding and hot gels. Strength and setting temperature differ from grade to grade.
- Foaming grades (F50)
- Whip into a stable, meringue-like foam with no egg.
Goes with
vegetablefruit puréeplant-based mincebatter
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Modernist suppliers; the grade is on the label, and matters.
- Worth knowing
- Disperse it in hot liquid, where it won't dissolve, then chill: it hydrates and thickens as it cools, over a few hours or overnight. Around 1–2% is a common starting point for a gel, but grades differ — start from the supplier's figure.