Sugar Gum Paste
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the gum
Soak the gum tragacanth in water for 24 hours, stirring frequently until dissolved.
Squeeze the mixture through a coarse cloth, twisting at each end to extract all liquid.
Make the paste
In a mortar, combine the dissolved gum with the fine-sifted sugar and work until fully incorporated and white.
Transfer the paste to a glazed earthen pan and cover with a wet cloth to keep it moist.
When ready to use, knead in more fine-sifted sugar until the paste is soft and not sticky.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Gum tragacanth
- Swells in water to form a stiff, elastic gel that gives the paste its body and strength.
- Fine-sifted sugar
- Adds sweetness and bulk, and stiffens the gum into a workable paste as it is kneaded in.
- Water
- Hydrates the gum so it dissolves into a gel that binds the sugar.
The step that matters
Kneading in the extra sugar. Gum paste becomes sticky if too little sugar is worked in, and it can dry out or crack if too much is added. Adding sugar gradually while kneading lets the gluten-free gum network firm up to a soft, pliable dough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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