Gelatinisation

• Gelatinisation aids the thickening of liquids e.g in:

  • gravy
  • custard
  • soups
• when starch is heated in a liquid, it gelatinises
• when starch granules are put into cold water, they sink to the bottom of the pan
• At 60 degrees celcius, the starch granules absorb the water around them
• It's important to stir during gelatinisation so the starch granules don't sink to the bottom and stick together to form a lumpy texture
• At around 80 degrees celcius, the starch granules are so swollen that they burst and release starch molecules into the surrounding liquid
• At boiling point ( 100 degrees celcius ), the sauce completely thickens
• Stirring a flour based sauce helps during gelatinisation as it helps the starch granules to not stick together and burn when sinking to the bottom of the pan. This helps them properly undergo gelatinisation