Agar- a natural plant product that has unique gelling properties, obtained by extraction from red and brown algae Gracilaria and Gelidium. Delicious jellies, marshmallows, bird's milk, souffles, confiture, jam, confectionery and fillings, ice cream, puddings and marmalades are prepared with agar-agar. In Japan, very beautiful and tasty wagashi cakes with minimal sugar content are prepared from red beans, wheat, rice, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, various spices and herbal and agar-agar teas.

Varieties of agar differ in the strength of gelation. The gelling properties of agar depend on the type of algae from which it is produced, on the place and growing conditions of the extracted algae, as well as on the time of collection of the algae.

Agar-agar does not dissolve in cold water, it is soluble when boiled over very low heat.
Agar-agar has antibacterial and laxative properties, cleanses the intestines, removes accumulated toxins and waste from the body, lowers cholesterol and normalizes blood glucose levels, is a source of collagen and strengthens joints and ligaments. Nutritionists recommend adding to your menu dishes with agar-agar people who watch their figure, because... effective agar-agar for weight loss. Rapid weight loss was observed in people who regularly took warm berry jelly from agar.

Agar-agar is a rich source of magnesium and iron. In addition, this food product supplies our body with potassium, calcium, iodine, as well as useful macro and microelements, folic acid, which are important for human health.

On this photo agar-agar marmalade: I made orange marmalade from tangerine juice, dark burgundy from pomegranate juice, raspberry from raspberry jam, I made opaque white marmalade from dry coconut cream, dissolving in 100 ml. warm water 65 g packet of coconut cream, then bring the cream to a boil while stirring.

How to cook agar agar jelly. There are more 100 recipes for agar-agar jelly and marmalade, for the preparation of which you can use any berries: blueberries, blueberries, blackberries, lingonberries, cranberries, cherries, currants, gooseberries, etc. You can make marmalade or jelly based on milk, cream, or sweet coffee. You can quickly make jelly or marmalade from ready-made fruit syrups: agave, raspberry, rosehip, lemon, strawberry, lingonberry, cranberry and others. Or you can drain the syrup from any homemade jam; I always use only natural ingredients. It is convenient to use silicone molds or convenient glass or porcelain dishes to harden marmalade. Sometimes I like to fantasize and make unusual marmalade based on herbal decoctions and infusions, from linden flowers, lemon balm, mint, from lilac flowers, dandelions, or with the addition of oregano leaves, thyme, rosemary, basil, rose petals to fruit juices, you can add your favorite spices such as cardamom, or cinnamon, star anise, vanilla, anise, ginger. The main thing is to observe proportions of liquid and agar and when bringing to a boil, do not forget to stir, cook only over low heat for a minute and remove from the stove.

Products for a recipe for marmalade with agar-agar:

✔ water 400 ml
✔ agar-agar 2 heaped teaspoons

✔ Berries, cranberries or raspberries or any other 100 g
✔ sugar 6 - 7 teaspoons with top
✔ ground spices: a pinch: cardamom, or cinnamon, or star anise, or vanilla, or ginger - to taste. You don't have to add spices.

Instead of berries and water, you can take 400 ml. orange, apple, pineapple, grape, pomegranate or other juice.

Experimenting with cooking a variety of marmalade At first I made small portions, taking 200 ml. berry compotes or fruit juices so that I can try and discover my taste that suits my personal preferences. For example, coffee, cocoa, cinnamon give color and taste marmalade, changing it.

Cooking:

1. Crush the berries and add water, stir and strain, we will need liquid, and the berries can be eaten. Add agar-agar, stir and leave for 10 minutes. Then put on fire, add sugar and bring to a boil with constant stirring, cook for one or a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring. Then, remove the spoon and leave the liquid to cool. If you want, you can pour the liquid into molds and leave to cool and harden.

2. To remove marmalade from this 0.5 liter saucepan, you just need to run a knife around the perimeter of the saucepan and then turn it over onto a flat plate or board. All that remains is to cut marmalade made from berries or fruits with agar-agar into small portions and place them in a vase.

You can make this marmalade using dandelion or mint syrup. Take 300 ml. water and add flower syrup taste. Next, add agar-agar and cook as described above.

Nettle or white nettle marmalade: Pour 200 ml into a saucepan. water, put chopped young leaves of clasp or nettle, add sugar to taste - 5-6 teaspoons, 1 teaspoon with agar-agar on top. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil, simmer for 1 minute. Then pour the mixture into molds and leave to cool.

You can make striped marmalade or make bright marmalade by pouring multi-colored layers into molds. Below in the photo, I have already prepared jelly from 200 ml of orange juice, the finished jelly is poured into molds for hardening, and I am going to make the next layer from 200 ml. cranberry juice.

After waiting for the first layer of jelly to completely harden, I prepared red cranberry jelly, let the liquid cool slightly and poured it over the orange layer of jelly.

Agar jelly hardens very quickly. It always turns out dense and pleasant to the taste. This is a very healthy natural dessert.

Options for preparing this healthy dessert from agar with juice there are countless different fruits.

Agar-agar an amazing product of plant origin, which is obtained from seaweed. When dissolved in water, it has a gelling effect. The raw materials for the production of agar-agar are brown and red algae that grow in the White Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The dried and crushed extract of these algae is agar-agar, the main suppliers of which are Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China. Agar-agar is most often offered on sale in the form of white powder, but in Vietnam I also bought it in the form of white dry algae.

The chemical composition of agar-agar is characterized by a high content of polysaccharides, which account for about 80% of the total volume of the substance. They contain various acids: glucuronic, pyruvic, as well as agaropectin, galactose and agarose, dietary fiber and mineral salts.

Agar-agar is a complete plant analogue of gelatin with many times better gelling properties.

A small amount of Agar-agar turns any juice or broth into a dense jelly. When heated strongly, the jelly completely turns into liquid, and when cooled, it hardens again. Unlike gelatin, agar jelly is thermoreversible - when reheated, the jelly again turns into a liquid, which again solidifies well when cooled. At room temperature, jelly or jelly will never become liquid or unappetizing.

Beneficial properties of agar-agar.
Due to its high content of coarse dietary fiber, agar-agar is very useful for people with digestive disorders. Even a small amount of Agar-agar acts as a mild laxative, gently cleanses the intestines, removing toxins and is non-addictive.
Agar is useful for the body in that it is able to cleanse the liver and gallbladder of excess bile accumulation, as well as dissolve heavy metal salts. Regular consumption of agar-agar in food normalizes intestinal microflora and is a good prevention of dysbacteriosis.
Application of Agar-agar. Agar-agar is used mainly in cooking and confectionery production, as a useful food additive and an excellent gelling product. The main use of agar-agar is the production of various marmalades; it is also added in the production of jams, pastilles, mousses and jelly. Since agar-agar is a completely plant-based product, it is therefore consumed by vegetarians and vegans.

Agar-agar is a product made from seaweed, i.e. Suitable for vegetarians and, in general, incomparably more useful in its composition than gelatin. Compared to gelatin, agar produces a jelly that is denser in consistency, which both hardens and does not melt in heat! Agar should be taken 2 times less than gelatin. The gelling ability of agar is sometimes indicated on the packaging: 600 – 900, i.e. The higher the marking, the less agar you need to add.

I like to make jelly from ready-made sweet syrups: store-bought healthy ones (agave, rosehip, lemon, cranberry, etc.) and from syrup that I strain from some homemade jam. It is convenient to pour the mixture to harden into silicone molds, as well as into almost any glass and porcelain dishes.

Prepare the ingredients:

First, dissolve the agar powder in water (the time is indicated on the package, but usually a matter of minutes).

The gelling properties of agar appear under the influence of temperatures, so bring the mixture to a boil while stirring, reduce the heat and simmer for about a minute.

Prepare sweet water using hot water and syrups of your choice.

Thoroughly mix the sweet water with the agar mass.

If you want a richly colored jelly, then use bright syrups: blueberry, like here, as well as cherry, cranberry jam, etc.

Pour the mixture into molds or rosettes.

Agar jelly can harden at any room temperature!
But you need to store it in the refrigerator...

Healthy agar jelly is ready.

Bon appetit!

I can’t add to the text, so I’m linking to our archive here - interesting things about agar-agar

AGAR-AGAR
Preparation.
To prepare a salad with agar-agar, the plates are soaked for 20–25 minutes in warm water, and then placed on a sieve and dried. The plates are separated from each other and cut into pieces. After this, agar-agar is mixed with other salad components.
For jelly, dissolve agar-agar powder or strips in water over very low heat (about 10 minutes). Separately, heat milk with sugar and flavorings, and then mix it with agar-agar solution. The resulting mixture is placed in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours. Usually take 300 ml of liquid per teaspoon of agar-agar powder.
When acidic agar-agar solutions are heated at high temperatures, hydrolytic degradation can occur. When citric acid is added correctly, acidity does not affect the gelation process. The mass prepared on agar-agar can be cooled to 60-70 g. C, and only then should you add acid and flavorings.
Agar-agar powder can be dissolved not only in water, but also in another liquid, for example, non-acidic fruit juice or broth. The mixture is allowed to swell, then the liquid is brought to a boil, stirring constantly, until the powder is completely dissolved. Then add the desired additives and finally cool the dish at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Agar-agar is an excellent gelling agent, especially popular among vegetarians who use it instead of gelatin.
The algae that produce agar-agar are unusually rich in iodine, calcium, iron and other valuable substances and trace elements.
The swelling substance of agar does not decompose in the intestines, as it passes through it very quickly. The action of agar has a slight laxative effect and is based on the fact that, when swelling, it significantly increases in volume, fills a large space in the intestine and thereby stimulates peristalsis. Agar owes its qualities to the high content of coarse fiber in it. Agar-agar removes toxins and waste from the body, removes harmful substances from the liver, improving its functioning.

Storage
Agar-agar, both in plates and in powder, is stored in a cool, dry place for almost an unlimited time.
The gelling properties of agar may vary, so it is better to check in practice how much of the agar you bought should be added. As you know, agar-agar hardens quickly, so before cooling the entire mixture, place a teaspoon with a small amount of the mixture in the freezer for half a minute. If the mixture has frozen, there is enough agar, if not, you need to add more: dissolve the powder in a small amount of liquid and add to the general mixture
If you're interested, I have a proven recipe for agar soufflé cake.

No jelly can be prepared without adding an ingredient such as gelatin. Do you love fruit, milk or any other jelly? Then we recommend preparing it not with the usual gelatin, but with agar-agar, that is, vegetable gelatin of marine origin.

Agar-agar is obtained by extraction from algae. It contains fiber, many vital microelements, folic acid, is characterized by antibacterial properties, removes toxins from the body, and promotes good liver function.

The uses of agar-agar are quite varied. It is widely used in making puddings, ice cream, marshmallows, cakes and jellies. Sold in the form of white, creamy powder, plates or cereals. For cooking, it is better to give preference to a powdered product.

Below we offer you several options for making jelly - which recipe to choose depends only on your taste preferences.

We offer a recipe for making a simple but very tasty cherry dessert.

Ingredients:

• cherry – 500 gr.
• sugar – 4 spoons
• water – 3 glasses
• agar-agar - a few spoons

Recipe:

Place the cherries in a deep container and pour boiling water over them. Then add granulated sugar and dissolve the agar, scattering it evenly throughout the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil without stopping stirring. As soon as it boils, remove from heat. And immediately pour the jelly into molds, as it hardens very quickly. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour. You can try! A simple recipe and very quick to prepare!

Milk jelly with agar-agar

Ingredients:

• milk – 500 ml
• agar-agar – 1 teaspoon
• brown sugar - 4-5 tablespoons
• round chocolate cookies with filling – 7-8 pieces

Recipe:

1. Soak the agar in water for a couple of hours to dissolve quickly in boiling water. Combine milk with granulated sugar and heat on the stove. As soon as the milk becomes warm, mix with gelatin and boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until completely dissolved.
2. While the milk is heating and the natural gelatin is boiling, separate the cookie halves. Place the part that is greased with cream into the molds with the cream facing up. Place the half without cream in cellophane and crush with a rolling pin.
3. Remove milk from oven and let cool. After this, beat with a whisk or mixer until foam forms. Then add the crushed cookies and mix everything well. Jelly prepared with agar-agar hardens very quickly even in warm conditions, so it is important to take this into account.
4. After distributing the jelly into the molds, place in a cool place to completely harden. The jelly will harden after just five minutes.

Strawberry jelly with agar-agar

If you love fresh berries, then we offer you a very tasty recipe with strawberries. Although instead of strawberries you can put absolutely any berries there.

Ingredients:

• agar-agar – 6 gr.
• granulated sugar – 60-70 gr.
• water – 500 ml
• lemon zest
• lemon juice – 100 ml
• strawberries – 400-500 gr.

Recipe:

1. Add lemon zest and granulated sugar to 400 ml of purified water and place the resulting mixture on the fire. Boil for a few minutes, then remove the zest, pour in the mashed strawberries and lemon juice, stir and cover with a lid.
2. Pour 100 ml of water into another container, add agar-agar and stir the mixture with a whisk and bring to a boil. It is necessary to bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture boils, combine the strawberry puree with agar. Bring to a strong boil, stirring constantly, removing from the stove after a minute.
3. It is advisable to use a tall pan, as the liquid rises during the boiling process. Stir the mixture with a spoon to remove foam and pour into glass glasses. This jelly cannot be poured into silicone molds due to its delicate structure. You can add not only whole strawberries to the finished dessert, but also other delicious berries.
4. Leave the jelly to harden, and after half an hour place it in a cool place.

Grape jelly with agar-agar

You will need a bunch of grapes. Prepare compote from berries and 400 ml of water. You will also need sugar, its proportions are added to taste. Pour a glass of the finished chilled compote and combine with one tablespoon of agar-agar, leaving it to swell.

Strain the remaining cooled compote and add swollen agar to it. Boil and cook for 3-5 minutes. It is important that the agar-agar dissolves. Distribute grape berries into glass molds and fill with boiled agar. After cooling, place the finished jelly in a cold place to completely harden.

These are the recipes for agar-agar jelly that we offer. All of them have different consistencies, but are united by unsurpassed taste and ease of preparation! Which recipe to choose is up to you!

Enjoy your meal!

Video recipe for making agar-agar jelly