It is used to refer to spheres 6 mm to 30 mm / ¼” to 1” wide with a still liquid center. The smaller spheres burst like caviar when bitten and the larger ones release their liquid similar to an over easy egg yolk. When done right, if you serve these to guests who have never had them before they will be the most talked about part of the meal.HOW SPHERIFICATION WORKSAt it’s most basic, spherification is controlled gelling. Some ingredients gel in any liquid, such as agar, so if it is hydrated it will set right away. However, some ingredients only gel in the presence of certain ions, such as calcium or potassium. These gelling agents are used in spherification.You can mix the gelling agent in a flavored, neutral liquid, one lacking the ions required to gel, called a “base”. If you drip this base into a “setting bath” that contains the ions, the outside of the base will begin to gel as the gelling agent interacts with the ions. If you remove it before it solidifies you will have a gel sphere, called a membrane, with a liquid center.So using these specific ingredients in various ways allows you to control the gelling so it only occurs on the outside of the base, and only to a thickness that you prefer.GELLING AGENTS, IONS, AND SEQUESTRANTSThere are a few things needed to achieve spherification.Gelling AgentsThere are many gelling agents that can be used for spherification.
What do You think about Modernist Cooking Made Easy?
