Is there anyway to make agar less brittle, I have tried using locust bean gum and this did make the agar softer, but it was still quite brittle. Is there something I can add to the agar to get it as close to the properties as normal gelatin (soft, elasticity).

  • Agar is supposed to give you a firm gel. If you want something softer or more elastic, why not use an additive with those properties? – Aaronut Mar 13 '14 at 1:41
  • I've gotten a softer agar, but I suspect it was because I did something wrong. (perhaps I didn't use enough? it was also sickeningly sweet, so it might've been the amount of sugar in it) – Joe Mar 14 '14 at 16:05

It doesn't seem like you can get a soft, elastic gel using agar, Modernist Cuisine lists an elastic one but classifies it as firm(4-140):

Texture     Firmness    Gelling Agents       Scaling
Elastic     Firm        Locust Bean Gum      0.15%     
                        Agar                 0.10%
                        Xanthan Gum          0.20%

Although, they do have an elastic gel in the coating gels section that is classified as tender (4-151):

Texture     Firmness    Gelling Agents       Scaling
Elastic     Tender      Sorbitol             3.00%     
                        Agar                 0.60%
                        Xanthan Gum          0.25%
  • Thanks for your all of reply's, Stefano are they recipes for making different types agar gels. – James Carter Mar 14 '14 at 18:33
  • Stefano also where did you find those. Thanks – James Carter Mar 14 '14 at 22:19
  • Yeah, they're parametric recipes for making different gels; I got them from my copy of Modernist Cuisine: the page numbers are in brackets. – Stefano Mar 18 '14 at 12:05

I've tried adding gelatine, tapioca, corn starch to agar to make it less brittle. None of them work very well until they start to become the major component of the gel. Adding glycerin or sugar syrup is also fruitless.

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