Aquafaba

[hazelrah]

Hey Jeff,

I've been developing an aquafaba bug of late (making a few hummus batches I guess). As I work with it I keep wondering what creates its aspic quality. Is that the fat extracted from the chickpeas? or some other kind of emulsifier in them? Can you give some guidance on the value of the stuff in our diets?

Thanks. Hope you are doing well.

Mark

[JeffN]

I don't know. However, my culinary background and its similarity to egg whites, leads me to think it is the protein that is contributing to is properties.

My concern is that most all of the recipes I see for it or that use it, would not meet the guidelines and recommendations.

In Health
Jeff

[hazelrah]

My concern is that most all of the recipes I see for it or that use it, would not meet the guidelines and recommendations.

In Health
Jeff

They do seem to put a lot of garbage in them. I guess I didn't think of the protein as a thickener. I always thought that aspics congealed because of the fat in meat, but I guess that is what makes egg whites so mucilaginous. There is so much to do with chick peas and it seems a shame to waste the aquafaba if there is some use for it. My wife used it instead of ener-G as an egg replacer this morning. Worked out OK, but of course there was a bunch of refined flour in the recipe. I've been thinking of using it as a binder in the burgers.

I was hoping to get it to kind of bake into a meringue after whipping, but the oven made it disintegrate. Not going to give up on it yet as the chickpeas are really good and it gives me an excuse to use the Instant Pot. I'm messing with an Arbol spiced baked garbanzo and the liquid is still on the bean for that, so I shouldn't run out soon. I hope people into this style of eating start to play with it a bit more. It's a corner of plant based I haven't entered.

Thanks for your response.

Mark