Aquafaba

lalalacroix

I've just been learning about this but haven't tried it. If you've used it what did you make and how did it taste? I'm mainly interested in this as an egg replacer in desserts.

BarbaraHelen2013

I’ve recently begun playing with this magical stuff! Out of curiousity, more than anything else, because I couldn’t quite believe that the water from a tin of chickpeas or from cooking dried chickpeas could do all the things I see on Pinterest.

From the things I’ve tried so far - meringue, chocolate mousse and macarons it does work and you’d never know it wasn’t egg white. You do have to have faith and follow the instructions pretty closely, but it’s definitely worth a try.

kemoon0915

I've made meringues with it before and they turned out just like the real thing!

lalalacroix

Thanks for the responses!

I'm in shock that you have both made meringue with this bean water and they worked. I've got to try this right away. (Although meringue can be finicky for me during 100 degree weather).

And what about taste @BarbaraHelen2013 and @kemoon0915? Was there any hint of bean flavor?

melodyvegan

I've used black bean aquafaba to make brownies - it gives brownie recipes a gooey/fudgy center, rather than cakey and crumbly and helps the tops of the brownies "crack" like the ones you'd get out of a premixed/store bought box. No hint of bean flavor whatsoever with all that sugar and chocolate. Good luck!

Unknown

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melodyvegan

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

There is no "always." Just like people who eat meat/dairy, vegans have options and can make decisions about what tastes good and works best for them. Some vegans prefer a lot of whole foods, no pre-made products. Others enjoy the convenience of having pre-made products and the nostalgia of eating foods they ate when they weren't vegan, especially if they are new to veganism and it makes cooking and transitioning easier. And then there are some who like a mix of both. It's a matter of preference/taste, convenience/time, and money.

The products are not "fake" food - they are literally made out of real food. When you don't consider other animals 'food,' you aren't sacrificing anything.

BarbaraHelen2013

lalalacroix wrote: »

Thanks for the responses!

I'm in shock that you have both made meringue with this bean water and they worked. I've got to try this right away. (Although meringue can be finicky for me during 100 degree weather).

And what about taste @BarbaraHelen2013 and @kemoon0915? Was there any hint of bean flavor?

No hint of bean flavour whatsoever! I would defy anyone to be able to tell it wasn’t exactly what they were used to if they weren’t told otherwise.

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

I’m not vegan, but I am vegetarian, and as I said originally, I played around with aquafaba more out of curiousity than ‘trying to find fake versions’. I’ve also made vegan cheese of various sorts, again curiousity, because as a vegetarian I’m happy eating both eggs and cheese. I’ve also made hot dogs with chickpea flour...not because I miss a regular hot dog, because I don’t and they were never something I ate, anyway. Oh and coconut bacon, carrot bacon...all sorts of things because I find it fascinating what a bit of ingenuity and imagination can do in the kitchen!

By the way, both vegans and vegetarians aren’t restricted to just vegetables! There is more in the world of food than just meat and vegetables!

kemoon0915

lalalacroix wrote: »

Thanks for the responses!

I'm in shock that you have both made meringue with this bean water and they worked. I've got to try this right away. (Although meringue can be finicky for me during 100 degree weather).

And what about taste @BarbaraHelen2013 and @kemoon0915? Was there any hint of bean flavor?

There really wasn't, the flavors of the sugar and vanilla extract really covered up any "beany-ness"

lemurcat2

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

It's not that unusual to like vegetables and brownies.

icemom011

melodyvegan wrote: »

I've used black bean aquafaba to make brownies - it gives brownie recipes a gooey/fudgy center, rather than cakey and crumbly and helps the tops of the brownies "crack" like the ones you'd get out of a premixed/store bought box. No hint of bean flavor whatsoever with all that sugar and chocolate. Good luck!

@melodyvegan , could you please share your recipe? It sounds amazing, we've made merengue with aquafaba, but i would love a vegan brownie recipe with black bean aquafaba ( i didn't even know you could use it in baking too!). Also, can i sub it instead of eggs in a store bought brownie mixes, and how would i do that? Thanks!

melodyvegan

@icemom011 this is the recipe I used: https://www.frieddandelions.com/perfect-brownies/

It's the first one that pops up on a Google search, but there are others! Some people like to use the black beans themselves and the aquafaba/brine. The recipe I used just uses the aquafaba.

I'm pretty sure you can substitute the aquafaba for eggs in a store bought brownie mix. I've never done it, but aquafaba acts as a binder just like all other substitutes (flax meal, applesauce, bananas, potato and tapioca starch). I don't see why it wouldn't work. I think 3 or 4 tablespoons of aquafaba would replace 1 large egg. 😊

lynn_glenmont

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

People can like veggies and still want to be able to eat desserts and other baked goods that normally require eggs (which is the main use for aquafaba).

apullum

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

What's "fake" about the water that beans were packed in?

It has various proteins that it absorbed from the beans. Egg whites also happen to be mostly water with some protein. The chemical structure is similar enough that aquafaba and egg whites can be used in similar ways in baking.

Aquafaba can be used by anyone who cannot or chooses not to eat eggs. I eat eggs, but I use aquafaba sometimes when I don't have any eggs, or when I want to reduce the calories in a dish.

No one is claiming that it's anything other than that.

corinasue1143

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

Guess I have preconceptions about vegans, too. When I google recipes for vegetables, 90% of the time I will choose a recipe from a vegan or vegetarian website, cause they just seem to have better recipes for veggies.

JessAndreia

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

The amount of times vegans and vegetarians have heard this question and answered it, and still keep being told this over and over... Jesus Christ... Don't even get why this bothers some people.

I'm an ethical vegan. The main thing I care about is that it doesn't come from an animal. If I can still have desserts and faux meats and add more variety to my diet, why limit myself to only vegetables?

lalalacroix

dodea48 wrote: »

does vegan always mean "trying to find fake versions of the stuff I am giving up" or are there vegans that like vegetables

Just because someone knows about or uses aquafaba does not mean they are vegan. I'm actually not a vegan. You are making an assumption based on someone not using eggs.

For the record, vegans do eat foods other than vegetables.

durhammfp

I'm an omnivore but I love me some vegan recipes from time to time. I think whipped aquafaba feels more like meringue than whipped cream, though some folks use it for the latter. One thing to watch with whipped aquafaba: my experience is that it does not last long in the whipped raw state so cook with it immediately or, if you store it in the fridge for a while, be ready to whip it up again.

lalalacroix

durhammfp wrote: »

I'm an omnivore but I love me some vegan recipes from time to time. I think whipped aquafaba feels more like meringue than whipped cream, though some folks use it for the latter. One thing to watch with whipped aquafaba: my experience is that it does not last long in the whipped raw state so cook with it immediately or, if you store it in the fridge for a while, be ready to whip it up again.

Thank you. 🙂

springlering62

I’ve made meringues several times. Mine have a slightly unusual taste but that’s because I experiment with lowering the sugar to see how little I can get away with. It’s fascinating to see how that little bit of liquid whips up enough to fill a gallon zip lock (and then some!). I cut the bag tip off to pipe them into kisses.

I took a plate to bunco and a cookie exchange, and the ladies were chowing down on them when I told them I’d calculated them at about 8 calories apiece, but both groups shoved them away and made toddler faces when I told them what they were made of, lol.

They actually taste better when they are a day or two old. Richer. Like cotton candy.

I gave some to a friend who has Crone’s and whose husband is a severe Type1 diabetic and they loved them.

I tried adding cocoa but they collapsed. Hmmmm. Might be time to experiment with a low cal lemon base of some kind for a pie.

lalalacroix

I whipped up some from cannellini beans. Realized I was out of vanilla so I used some cream cheese flavor. It tasted awful.

I'm gonna make some beans today so I will save some water, boil it down and try again with vanilla.