When\u00a0my daughter was\u00a0diagnosed with celiac disease,\u00a0I\u00a0became good at reading\u00a0labels.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I also learned\u00a0which ingredients with strange names are gluten free – like guar gum and xanthan gum.<\/p>\n
For a long time, I simply accepted that these were gluten “replacements” but as I\u00a0bake and cook more gluten free recipes, I wanted more answers.\u00a0\u00a0 What are these ingredients and where do they come from?<\/p>\n
Xanthan (ZAN thun) gum and guar (gwar) gum are used to bind, thicken and emulsify in gluten free cooking. \u00a0\u00a0Using the proper amount of one of these gums can help prevent\u00a0gluten free baked goods from deflating after rising or being too crumbly.<\/p>\n
Xanthan Gum<\/strong><\/p>\n Xanthan gum is a corn-based, fermented polysaccharide. \u00a0It’s made by fermenting corn sugar with a microbial called “Xanthomonas campestris.” Xanthomonas campestris is the same bacteria responsible for causing rot to form on leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, lettuce and cauliflower.\u00a0\u00a0 The bacteria form a slimy substance which acts as a natural stabilizer or thickener. \u00a0The sugars in Xanthan Gum are present in corn sugar, a derivative of the more familiar corn syrup.<\/p>\n Xanthan gum is commonly used in the food and cosmetic industries to thicken and stabilize. \u00a0It is used widely in commercial baked products and prepared foods, both gluten free and gluten laden versions.\u00a0 Xanthan gum is also used in dairy products and salad dressings.\u00a0 It prevents ice crystals from forming in ice creams and helps with the consistency and texture in low or no-fat dairy products.\u00a0 \u00a0It also helps keep water in fillings to keep pie and pastry crusts crisp. \u00a0A small amount of Xanthan gum in cream-based cosmetic products keeps the ingredients from separating.\u00a0 It can also add a gel like quality to otherwise \u201cliquid\u201d ingredients.\u00a0\u00a0 A lesser known use of both xanthan and guar gums is in the oil industry.\u00a0 The gums are added to water to keep well parts lubricated and used as part of many fracking solutions.<\/p>\n Xanthan gum can really make a difference in gluten free cooking, particularly baking.\u00a0\u00a0 It helps gluten free dough rise and hold after baking, so you don\u2019t end up with flat muffins or sunken bread loaves or cakes.\u00a0\u00a0 However, if you use too much xanthan gum in a recipe the result can be a heavy, gummy or even slimy texture.\u00a0\u00a0 So until you are comfortable with using it, measure carefully and follow \u201ctested\u201d recipes.<\/p>\n Guar Gum<\/strong><\/p>\n Guar gum, also called guaran, comes from the seed of bean-like (legume) Guar plant.\u00a0 The Guar plant sometimes is referred to as the Indian tree. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum.\u00a0 It is typically produced as an off-white, coarse to fine ground powder. \u00a0It is high in soluble fiber and generally has more thickening ability than cornstarch.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Since it can be produced at cheaply it has made guar gum a popular additive in a number on industries besides food including textiles (finishing, printing, tablet binding), paper (improved sheet formation, density for folding and printing), explosives, pharmaceuticals (binder, disintegrator, laxative), cosmetics (thickener, emollient) and mining.<\/p>\n While folks new to baking or the gluten free diet may see guar gum and xanthan gum as strange new additives, these gums as well as other thickners like carageenan and locust bean gum are what make many store bought ice creams, puddings and sauces edible because they keep the ingredient together, allow the products to maintain mouth pleasing consistencies and help prevent the formation of ice crystals.<\/p>\n Like Xanthan gum, measure carefully when using guar gum in gluten free recipes or you may end up with heavy, stringy baked goods.<\/p>\n General Tips for Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten Free Cooking<\/strong><\/p>\n Both gums can be bought at most grocery stores and in bulk at the majority of health food stores or online.\u00a0\u00a0 As a little goes a long way, you won\u2019t need much to do plenty of GF baking!<\/p>\n Both gums should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some bakers recommend storing in the fridge but this is probably not necessary in most climates.<\/p>\n I\u00a0have found that\u00a0I usually will use the recommended amount the first time\u00a0I make a recipe but often reduce the amount in subsequent recipes and\/or with different gluten free flour mixes as\u00a0I become more familiar with how each flour mix bakes.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u00a0often use less (between \u00bc and \u00bd) of what a recipes calls for and the product still turns out nicely.\u00a0\u00a0 This takes some experimentation though.<\/p>\n Remember to always check your flour mix or even \u201csingle\u201d gluten free flour to make sure neither gum or other binders, such as corn starch, tapioca starch\/flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking soda or baking powder, have already been added.<\/p>\n A Word of Caution<\/strong><\/p>\n There are people who are allergic and\/or sensitive to both xanthan gum and guar gum.\u00a0 People with allergies or sensitivity to corn may want to discuss with their physician whether they need to avoid xanthan gum.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I have also heard\/read that xanthan gum can be made from wheat or soy, but have not been able to verify that or if there is detectable gluten in any xanthan gum.\u00a0\u00a0 Inhaling xanthan gum \u201cdust\u201d, or getting it in your eyes, can cause irritation. \u00a0Guar gum has been associated with gastrointestinal upset in some people. Additionally, guar gum was used as an ingredient in non-prescription diet aids until it was banned for such uses in the early 1990s by the FDA.\u00a0\u00a0 The guar gum would bind with liquids in the stomach and swell, causing a feeling of fullness.\u00a0 However, this swollen mass would also cause dangerous intestinal blockage.\u00a0 Guar gum has been declared safe in small amounts as a food thickener and binder.<\/p>\n So if you have a reaction to something that contains no other suspicious ingredient, it is possible it could be the one of these gums.\u00a0\u00a0 If\u00a0I learn more about these allergies\/sensitives, we will provide an update.\u00a0 Some non gum or starch alternatives that work in some recipes are applesauce, chia or flax seeds.\u00a0 A good article entitled “Could Xanthan Gum Sensitivity be Compliacating your Celiac Disease Recovery” <\/a>can be\u00a0 Celiac.com<\/p>\n Sources used and with additional information:<\/p>\n When\u00a0my daughter was\u00a0diagnosed with celiac disease,\u00a0I\u00a0became good at reading\u00a0labels.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I also learned\u00a0which ingredients with strange names are gluten free – like guar gum and xanthan gum. For a long time, I simply accepted that these were gluten “replacements” but as I\u00a0bake and cook more gluten free recipes, I wanted more answers.\u00a0\u00a0 What are these ingredients and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[44],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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