# Help using gelatin sheets



## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

I have a few questions on using gelatin (sheets) in desserts.

I'm not all good in making desserts, but I tempted to make this rhubarb mousse without a recipe, which turned out more or less as expected. I made a compote of just rhubarb and sugar, setting a small part aside to be used as a sauce. This means you can see in the picture how the consistency of the rhubarb compote was. To the hot rest I added gelatin sheets soaked in cold water. I used 4 sheets for around 500 grams of compote. Let the whole thing cool, then added whipped cream and folded that in.

The sheets I used are a french brand called "Vahiné", sold in a package of 9 sheets weighing 17 grams in total or 1,8 gram per sheet. I also have "Dr. Oetker" sheets in a package of 12 sheets weighing 20 gram or 1,6 gram per sheet. My understanding is that normally the content of one whole package will be enough for 1 liter (around 1000 gram) of liquid to gelify. I used 500 gram fresh rhubarb in total.

My questions are;

1. how do you determine the amount of gelatin needed in preparations like this mousse base or any other base? I aimed at the fact that most fruit is 90% water or so, and went from there without weighing exactly. I used a package of 500 gram fresh rhubarb.

2. If I wanted to make a bavarois (bavarian?), what would be a nice ratio rhubarb compote, whipped cream, beaten eggwhite? Also, do you sugar the eggwhite?

3. If I wanted to make a semifreddo aka parfait out of this, can I just use and freeze a bavarois mixture or do I need another ratio?





  








rabarberMousse4.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Jun 24, 2013


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## olmoelisa (Sep 11, 2011)

To make a fruit bavarian, I usually use half a liter of whipped cream (with sugar) and half a liter of very fluid fruit compote (sugared or not, depending on the sweetness of the fruit).

No eggwhite at all.

I use 12 sheets of gelatin, the brand I use are all 12 sheets for a liter, but check on your gelatin instructions.

I know vahinè and it's OK, 12 sheets per liter.

Usually I do with strawberry coulisse ot orange juice, but I've also tried with a banana/pineapple juice compote, not very liquid, and it worked OK with the same recipe.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks olmoelisa, in my preparation I used far too little cream when I read your comment. It makes sense as I expected a lot more air bubbles to form a lighter mousse. As I understand it, you take both the fruit mass plus the cream mass to calculate how much gelatine you needed.

I ignored the cream I added (not even 200 ml), so that was another mistake. Thanks again!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I use a Danish sheet gel and it will gel 1 pint  about the same as an envelope of Knox brand powder.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

For me a "barvaroise" or Barvarian is made with a creme anglaise or custard.

I make most fruit mousses with the following ratio:

1sheet gelatine to 100 gr whipped cream and 100 gr fruit puree.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

foodpump said:


> For me a "barvaroise" or Barvarian is made with a creme anglaise or custard.
> 
> I make most fruit mousses with the following ratio:
> 
> 1sheet gelatine to 100 gr whipped cream and 100 gr fruit puree.


If I'm correct, this is about half the gelatine olmoelisa uses. I have to admit that a very light "wobbly" result would be what I'm after. So I'm gonna try both.

I'm gonna note your suggestion as an easy to remember standard ratio; 1 sheet + 100 gr cream + 100 gr fruit.

(as long as around 10 sheets gelatine are fit for 1 liter)

Thanks! Do you have experience with making semifreddo/parfait? Could I use the same recipe and freeze it??


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

A good mousse should melt when it touches your tongue ,like butter at about 98 degrees. More firm then that is not ideal.


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