Replacement for corn starch
Aquawave
Posts: 260 Member
I thought I cleaned out my kitchen and freezer of all evil carbs and just found a Sams Warehouse sized corn starch. Weighing the pros and cons, I am leaning on tossing it. Are their any reasonable replacements for it?
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I like to keep things super simple in the kitchen and haven't bothered playing with all of the low carb alternatives that you have to buy from a health food store or specialty grocer. I just boil down my sauces to thicken them and I puree some veg into my soup to thicken it.2
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Xanthan gum is often used as a thickener.3
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Shadowmf023 wrote: »Xanthan gum is often used as a thickener.
How were your results with it? Pudding? Chinese stir fry? Soups?0 -
I can't have any corn products due to allergy- most xantham gum is corn unfortunately. I use tapioca starch but if you have to be careful cos it can get boogery-lol
For sauces I cook down but I don't mind if the sauces are but watery.0 -
Shadowmf023 wrote: »Xanthan gum is often used as a thickener.
How were your results with it? Pudding? Chinese stir fry? Soups?
I would google a recipe and modify it though. I've used it in a soup and in a syrup recently. It thickened both up nicely. Although I'm unsure of the amounts you'd need in stir fries and puddings. I used only 1/4 teaspoon in each of my recipes.0 -
You have to be very careful with quantity and how you mix in Xantham Gum... I don't like it personally. Arrowroot is the "paleo" version, and it seems to do okay for most folks, though I haven't used it myself.
I still use cornstarch in really small doses, just because I know how it behaves, etc. I have GMO concerns, and I did by gluten free this time, but otherwise, I do still use it sometimes. I also still use flour once in a blue moon (literally 1-2 per quarter)...if a recipe specifies that.
Otherwise, if it is a sauce or something, just reducing, if you've the time, is generally good. In stir fries, I just use a little less liquid, and let the sauce simmer a bit longer to thicken up most times, but sometimes I use cornstarch. Even in a large portion, the carbs from cornstarch end up being somewhat negligible to me, personally.
Pudding - if you're cooking it, just reduce the cream or "milk"...or "whip."1 -
Thanks guys. For me, Xanthan is now out, I don't want to eat GMOs if I can avoid it (or anything that will cause an insulin response). I know I can make custard instead, and perhaps egg yolks will thicken the other recipes.1
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Shadowmf023 wrote: »Xanthan gum is often used as a thickener.
that's what I use. I also just bought Carbquick and it worked great!0 -
I use Thick It Up, easily available online. The ingredients are locust bean (and/or tara), guar, acacia, xanthan gums. There are 0 net carbs per 1/2 teaspoon. Recommended use is 1/2 teaspoon per cup of liquid.1
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I use corn starch. A don't see a tsp in a whole pot having much of a carb impact.2
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Tried Xanthan Gum here. Just a little tiny bit or it turns gloppy. And had to blend it with a blender. Could not stir it in. I'm with the others. The amount of corn starch is does not make a difference over a large dinner.0
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dasher602014 wrote: »Tried Xanthan Gum here. Just a little tiny bit or it turns gloppy. And had to blend it with a blender. Could not stir it in. I'm with the others. The amount of corn starch is does not make a difference over a large dinner.
I wanted to make pudding, I threw the corn starch away. Too much temptation, it is GMO, and will jump my insulin levels up. I'll make custard instead, reduce the liquids in my soups and change my gravies over to cheese and cream sauces.
Thanks for the input. Here's to a new life!!!3 -
dasher602014 wrote: »Tried Xanthan Gum here. Just a little tiny bit or it turns gloppy. And had to blend it with a blender. Could not stir it in. I'm with the others. The amount of corn starch is does not make a difference over a large dinner.
You have to sprinkle it on super slowly while stirring or it clumps together. It's usually on the instructions. Took me 2-3 times of screwing it up before I read it, though. Maybe do it like cornstarch - stir it into water until smooth, then add to the sauce??? @dasher6020140 -
tinywonder25 wrote: »I can't have any corn products due to allergy- most xantham gum is corn unfortunately. I use tapioca starch but if you have to be careful cos it can get boogery-lol
For sauces I cook down but I don't mind if the sauces are but watery.
I make chicken with gravy that's just chicken stock and arrowroot starch.
I started calling it chicken snot because of the consistency. Hubby has requested I go back to using more normal thickeners for gravy.2 -
I used powdered mushrooms for thickening sauces. (Use a coffee grinder or spice grinder to pulverized dried mushrooms. It makes a really fine powder-- leave the lid on for 10-15 minutes to let it settle, or you'll meet with a cloud of mushroom dust.)
When I use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch, I find I have to sprinkle it in very slowly to keep it from getting "boogery." I don't know that the carb count for them is any different than cornstarch though.
Powdered mashed potatoes work in a punch too-- again, probably not lower carb than cornstarch.1 -
Just thought of gelatin, too. I use it for pudding consistencies-- I wonder if smaller amounts sprinkled into a sauce would thicken it?
I've used coconut flour, too. Might be lower carb than cornstarch, I think it has a higher fat content than other flours. A little goes a long way, it really soaks up liquid.0
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