(from the Argo site)
My recipe using corn starch seemed perfectly thickened when it was just cooked, but thinned and was watery after it cooled. What happened?
Corn starch mixtures that don't thicken at all, or thicken during cooking, then thin out during cooling are disappointing. One or more of the following may have caused the problem.
* Too Little Liquid: If there is not enough liquid (water, milk, juice) in the mixture, the corn starch granules will not fully swell and remain thickened when the mixture cools. Adding a little more liquid (not more corn starch) is likely to solve the problem.
* Too Much Sugar: A higher proportion of sugar than liquid (water, milk, juice) in a mixture can interfere with the swelling of the corn starch granules and prevent thickening during cooking and/or cause thinning during cooling. Adding more liquid (not more corn starch) will often solve the problem.
* Too Much Fat: An excessively high proportion of fat or egg yolks in a mixture can interfere with the swelling of the corn starch granules and prevent thickening during cooking and/or cause thinning during cooling. Adding more liquid (not more corn starch) will usually solve the problem.
* Too Much Acid: Acid ingredients such as lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar will reduce the thickening ability of the starch or prevent the mixture from thickening. Increase the starch level slightly or stir acid ingredients in after cooking.
* Too Much Stirring: Excessive or rough stirring with a wire whisk or even a spoon may break the starch cells and cause the mixture to thin out.
* Excessive Cooking: Simmering or boiling a corn starch thickened mixture for an extended period of time may cause the starch cells to rupture and the mixture to thin.
* Tasting: The digestive enzymes in a person's mouth will cause a properly thickened mixture to thin dramatically in just a few minutes. Be sure to use a clean spoon when tasting a corn starch thickened mixture to correct the seasoning.
* Freezing: Freezing corn-starch thickened mixtures will rupture the starch cells and cause the mixture to thin out.
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I'm definitely guilty of "too much stirring after 1 minute" and "tasting from the same spoon" especially when making pudding with varying chocolate percentages. Who knew??
(well, probably, now that I think about it, the majority of you already knew this. But I didn't. And now I hope someone else who has run into this problem while sitting at home alone watching a rerun of Elementary because Moriarity is brilliant and eating a pot of home-made chocolate pudding for dinner "just because I can!" will realize what they did wrong. Or not.)
http://www.argostarch.com/faq_text.html
My recipe using corn starch seemed perfectly thickened when it was just cooked, but thinned and was watery after it cooled. What happened?
Corn starch mixtures that don't thicken at all, or thicken during cooking, then thin out during cooling are disappointing. One or more of the following may have caused the problem.
* Too Little Liquid: If there is not enough liquid (water, milk, juice) in the mixture, the corn starch granules will not fully swell and remain thickened when the mixture cools. Adding a little more liquid (not more corn starch) is likely to solve the problem.
* Too Much Sugar: A higher proportion of sugar than liquid (water, milk, juice) in a mixture can interfere with the swelling of the corn starch granules and prevent thickening during cooking and/or cause thinning during cooling. Adding more liquid (not more corn starch) will often solve the problem.
* Too Much Fat: An excessively high proportion of fat or egg yolks in a mixture can interfere with the swelling of the corn starch granules and prevent thickening during cooking and/or cause thinning during cooling. Adding more liquid (not more corn starch) will usually solve the problem.
* Too Much Acid: Acid ingredients such as lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar will reduce the thickening ability of the starch or prevent the mixture from thickening. Increase the starch level slightly or stir acid ingredients in after cooking.
* Too Much Stirring: Excessive or rough stirring with a wire whisk or even a spoon may break the starch cells and cause the mixture to thin out.
* Excessive Cooking: Simmering or boiling a corn starch thickened mixture for an extended period of time may cause the starch cells to rupture and the mixture to thin.
* Tasting: The digestive enzymes in a person's mouth will cause a properly thickened mixture to thin dramatically in just a few minutes. Be sure to use a clean spoon when tasting a corn starch thickened mixture to correct the seasoning.
* Freezing: Freezing corn-starch thickened mixtures will rupture the starch cells and cause the mixture to thin out.
********************
I'm definitely guilty of "too much stirring after 1 minute" and "tasting from the same spoon" especially when making pudding with varying chocolate percentages. Who knew??
(well, probably, now that I think about it, the majority of you already knew this. But I didn't. And now I hope someone else who has run into this problem while sitting at home alone watching a rerun of Elementary because Moriarity is brilliant and eating a pot of home-made chocolate pudding for dinner "just because I can!" will realize what they did wrong. Or not.)
http://www.argostarch.com/faq_text.html