spherification the membrane will be made of the flavored base so it will have a more pure flavor.
In reverse spherification the membrane is made up of the setting bath. Often times sugar is adding to the setting bath to make it sweeter.
S PHERIFICATION V ARIABLES
There are several things to keep in mind when using spherification.
Thickness of Flavored Base
If you are not freezing the base before using it then you may want to thicken it slightly with xanthan gum. A thicker base will hold together better and keep its shape in the setting bath. Usually 0.1% to 0.4% xanthan gum will be enough to do the job.
Thickness of Setting Bath
Another variable is the thickness of the setting bath. If the flavored base is denser than the setting bath the spheres may sink to the bottom and form in non-round shapes. Thickening the setting bath to the same thickness of the flavored base will cause them to float, suspended, in the setting bath.
Acidity
Some gelling agents, like sodium alginate, do not work as well with acidic ingredients. This is more of an issue in direct spherification and is something to be aware of if you are trying to make acidic spheres.
Hot or Cold
Many gelling agents can be heated before they melt, and this means that spheres made from them can be heated as well. If you are planning on serving the spheres in a soup or on a hot dish be sure to pick a gelling agent that works well with it.
Please be careful serving spheres that are at high temperatures because they can cause severe burns since many people expect them to be cooler.
R EVERSE S PHERIFICATION P ROCESS
I like to start with reverse spherification because I find it much easier to do. In reverse spherification you combine a calcium salt, typically calcium lactate [14] with the flavored base you want to turn into a sphere. You then freeze this liquid in hemispherical or spherical molds, about 25 mm / 1” in diameter.
Technically, you don’t have to freeze the liquid to make the spheres, it just makes the process much easier. When frozen, the spheres have no chance to break apart. It also allows you to create spheres of a uniform size more easily.
Once the base is frozen you make the setting bath. This is done by combining water with the gelling agent and sometimes some sugar. In reverse spherification I prefer using sodium alginate.
The frozen spheres of base are then placed into the bath for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the membrane you want. Make sure the spheres are not touching or they will fuse together.
I recommend starting with one sphere at a time to test out some different setting times. That way you can see which one works best for your specific purpose. In general I’ve found these times work well:
Small Spheres - 2 minutes
Medium Spheres - 4 minutes
Large Spheres - 5 minutes
Thin membrane - 1 minute
Medium Membrane - 3 minutes
Thick Membrane - 5 minutes
Once the membranes have set the spheres are removed and rinsed in a water bath. This bath can be warm or cold, depending on the temperature you would like to serve the spheres. At this point the spheres are ready to be served.
Storing the Spheres
The spheres can be stored for several hours or even overnight in liquid. However, the liquid can leech out some of the flavor so they shouldn’t be left in plain water for more than 15 to 30 minutes. If you know you will be storing them for an extended period of time I recommend setting aside some of the liquid used in the base, before the calcium is added, and storing the spheres in it.
Carbonated Spheres
You can also place the finished spheres into a whipping siphon, with some reserved calcium-free liquid, charge it, and let it sit for several hours to carbonate the spheres.
Reverse Spherification Ratios
For the flavored base a ratio of 1.0% to 3.0% calcium lactate is typically used with a setting bath of 0.4-0.5% sodium alginate.
P OMEGRANATE C OSMO S PHERES
My wife and many of her friends enjoy
In reverse spherification the membrane is made up of the setting bath. Often times sugar is adding to the setting bath to make it sweeter.
S PHERIFICATION V ARIABLES
There are several things to keep in mind when using spherification.
Thickness of Flavored Base
If you are not freezing the base before using it then you may want to thicken it slightly with xanthan gum. A thicker base will hold together better and keep its shape in the setting bath. Usually 0.1% to 0.4% xanthan gum will be enough to do the job.
Thickness of Setting Bath
Another variable is the thickness of the setting bath. If the flavored base is denser than the setting bath the spheres may sink to the bottom and form in non-round shapes. Thickening the setting bath to the same thickness of the flavored base will cause them to float, suspended, in the setting bath.
Acidity
Some gelling agents, like sodium alginate, do not work as well with acidic ingredients. This is more of an issue in direct spherification and is something to be aware of if you are trying to make acidic spheres.
Hot or Cold
Many gelling agents can be heated before they melt, and this means that spheres made from them can be heated as well. If you are planning on serving the spheres in a soup or on a hot dish be sure to pick a gelling agent that works well with it.
Please be careful serving spheres that are at high temperatures because they can cause severe burns since many people expect them to be cooler.
R EVERSE S PHERIFICATION P ROCESS
I like to start with reverse spherification because I find it much easier to do. In reverse spherification you combine a calcium salt, typically calcium lactate [14] with the flavored base you want to turn into a sphere. You then freeze this liquid in hemispherical or spherical molds, about 25 mm / 1” in diameter.
Technically, you don’t have to freeze the liquid to make the spheres, it just makes the process much easier. When frozen, the spheres have no chance to break apart. It also allows you to create spheres of a uniform size more easily.
Once the base is frozen you make the setting bath. This is done by combining water with the gelling agent and sometimes some sugar. In reverse spherification I prefer using sodium alginate.
The frozen spheres of base are then placed into the bath for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the membrane you want. Make sure the spheres are not touching or they will fuse together.
I recommend starting with one sphere at a time to test out some different setting times. That way you can see which one works best for your specific purpose. In general I’ve found these times work well:
Small Spheres - 2 minutes
Medium Spheres - 4 minutes
Large Spheres - 5 minutes
Thin membrane - 1 minute
Medium Membrane - 3 minutes
Thick Membrane - 5 minutes
Once the membranes have set the spheres are removed and rinsed in a water bath. This bath can be warm or cold, depending on the temperature you would like to serve the spheres. At this point the spheres are ready to be served.
Storing the Spheres
The spheres can be stored for several hours or even overnight in liquid. However, the liquid can leech out some of the flavor so they shouldn’t be left in plain water for more than 15 to 30 minutes. If you know you will be storing them for an extended period of time I recommend setting aside some of the liquid used in the base, before the calcium is added, and storing the spheres in it.
Carbonated Spheres
You can also place the finished spheres into a whipping siphon, with some reserved calcium-free liquid, charge it, and let it sit for several hours to carbonate the spheres.
Reverse Spherification Ratios
For the flavored base a ratio of 1.0% to 3.0% calcium lactate is typically used with a setting bath of 0.4-0.5% sodium alginate.
P OMEGRANATE C OSMO S PHERES
My wife and many of her friends enjoy
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