# Fruit and Pastry glazes



## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Can anyone tell me if King Arthur Flour fruit and pastry glaze is the same as Oetker Clear Glaze for tarts and cakes. Are they used the same way? Is one better than the other? 

I've never used either product before and thought I'd try one of them to try to achieve a more professional look. I've been using warmed fruit jelly such as apricot or apple and am tired of trying to coax the glaze onto the fruit tarts I've been making.

Any advice on how to use either would be greatly appreciated


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

As no one has nibbled on your original query, I thought I'd ask why you have so much trouble with getting the glaze made from fruit jams onto your pies/tarts. Perhaps you're not thinning them down enough? I find I don't have any problem using them. I've never tried either glaze you mention. 

My experience has been that if you call KA during their regular hours, they are very happy to answer questions about their products.


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## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Alexia,

I must admit I'm a little disappointed I haven't gotten any replies from some of the experienced pastry chefs out there  I've been using melted jellies and I'm not happy with the consistency. When I thin them, they don't set up well on the tart and can even run when cooled. When I use them warm without thinning, they are a hassel to get down in the spaces between the fruits. Also, they do impart a flavor other than the fruits on the tart. Perhaps I'm trying to be too complicated for a simple problem. Thanks for the suggestion. I will call KA


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

I don't understand why you have so much trouble with the jelly glaze. I'm not a particularly experienced pastry chef, just a a home cook and I've never had problems. I like it to be just a thin glaze, not jelled.

First of all, use a very good quality preserve, apricot or red currant are good choices for most fruit. (I also like lemon or other citrus with certain fruits.) Heat it, strain in whichever order works best, add some liqueur, then reduce to a thick enough consistency so it will adhere to the fruit. As for introducing another flavor, that's bad?? I like the additional flavor element. I usually do up a larger batch than I need and keep the glaze in the fridge, just heating it enough so it will have a little flow to it.

It is also useful to use the glaze on the crust instead of eggwhite when you have a filling that may make the it soggy but are not prebaking it.


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Hey - I'm an inexperienced, very new, pastry chef! When I was taking classes, I tried using jams rather than buying a 5 gal bucket of glaze - my whole kitchen is about 5 gal size! And no matter how I blended or thinned the jams, they were sticky and, well, jammy. I wanted a professional taste/appearance, not smuckers on a slab!

Cooks Illustrated rated a modified food starch product: clear-jel, as tops in glzing strawberry pies. King Arthur sold (sells?) it in little packets, and I liked it. I put a package of frozen strawberries in the food processor, then beat in clear-jel/sugar. Not extremely shinny, but delicious. I foudn a place on the web that will sell the stuff by the pound, and I can send it to you. I also used it in Pierre Herme's glaze recipe (which I posted in another thread here somewhere) rather than the Oetker's he called for-again, delicious, but not glistening. I can't find Oetker's around here - but I think it's agar based. 

One other place to post a question about KA products is the KA baking circle website. It's company-run, but KA is a nice company, and I've seen posts about what dough relaxer really is!


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## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Annie

Thanks for your post. It's because of Herme's Dessert book that I started this thread to begin with. I couldn't find Oetker's anywhere where I live and would have to order it mail order. The same goes for KA glaze as well so it didn't matter which I did. I just wanted a product that would work well. 

You comments about melted fruit jellies is exactly what my experience has been. I've been using it til now and had the same experience with it as you've had. The stuff was gooey no matter how I thinned it and runny if I sthinned it too much.

Any info or comments on your experience with the glazes is appreciated. I'm a rank beginner to baking


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Hi homechef!
I did post a thread on glazes a while back, in Pastries and Baking General called "favorite glaze for mousse cakes" if you could search for it. Everyone seems to use the professional bucket of glaze. A company called the European Connection does sell a 1 kilo package - I should be calling them in the next week, adn will check the price.

The website for cleargel information is http://www.theingredientstore.com/ge...etails/310.htm
The company was lovely to do business with, and the price was much cheaper than KingArthur (also a very nice company!)

I'm disillusioned about clearjel though - it's hard to make without lumps. It tastes pasty and uncooked - although in pureed strawberries neither is a factor. I would never eat instant pudding - one of clear-jel's uses! So, Cooks illustrated was on the right track - a strong fruit flavor stays fresh, but otherwise....

Good luck!


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

A strawberry tart I recently bought had a clear, basically tasteless glaze on it that was delicately soft and seemed pretty tasteless. When I went back yesterday, I asked what sort of glaze it was and was told the baker "makes it, using pectin."

Can someone explain what that means to me?


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## jock (Dec 4, 2001)

Fruit pectin is a natural thickener found to some degree in may fruits. When you cook your cranberry sause for turkey day, it's the pectin in the cranberries that gives the sauce its gel like consistency. You can buy fruit pectin to uses as a thickener or, as this baker did, a glaze. 
Commercially the glaze provides a seal to protect the filling on tarts and arguably enhances the appearance of the product. IMHO it looks "fake" and does nothing for the tart's appearance.

Jock


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## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Thanks Annie for your info. It sounds like the cleargel can be unappetizing if it tastes pasty. As far as that favorite glaze for mousse cake. hmmmmm Sounds interesting. 

I must admit, it was travelling in France that I saw these beautiful cakes and pastries, all glazed that kinda set me on this path. I'd love my universally acclaimed fruit tarts to have that look 

Until than though, I'm still using melted jellies and jams as Alexia does. The results are very tasty and definitely not pasty


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

homechef, one of the advantages of the preserves is that you can use different flavors, depending on the filling. For example, cassis and blueberries is one of my favorite combinations. So I can take a black currant (or even red), reduce it, then thin a bit with the cassis. Another advantage is that you can use the same glaze on the bottom crust before you fill it.

And btw, currant jam is a very good alternative to apricot, anyway. I think that citrus preserves work well, too, in some cases.

Also, for a home made tart, I don't think it's important to get the glaze down into all the crevices. We don't have to worry about protecting the fruit from the air the way a commercial baker does. I often just hit the high points to give the fruit (and some on the crust too) a little glisten.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

There is instant clear-gel and regular clear-gel. Both are a modified corn starch, I believe. The instant is used in a cold thickening process, and the regular in a heat thickening process. Just like carn starch, mix with sugar to prevent lumping.
The key to glazing IMHO is to seal the perishable product from air. Prevent oxidation.If you can achieve this without altering the flavor, Great. If not the use something to enhance or complime3nt the flavor. Reducing sugars combined with fruits is a good application. Apple jelly is also good.


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

For the most part I don't use glazes much and definately not on my fruit. My personal opinion is....that's what the grocery stores do with their tarts and it's grossly heavy handedly applied. It's meant to preserve the fruit so it looks good longer and I want people to know mine is fresh and "real". 

The only times I use glazes might be ontop of a joconde wrapped fruit mousse torte. But then I'll use the puree or a sauce thickened with gelatin and lightly coat the top. But I'm not opposed to using preserves....it a quick great way....but you can't thin them down and expect them to set.


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## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Can you tell me what your proportions are for your puree and gelatin glaze for your fruit mousse torte W.DeBord? Do you use it on tarts and tartlets too or do you prefer the natural look


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Good morning, homechef: I have some Patisfrance GelStar apricot glaze I could send you. You could contact me through a private message, adn we'll get in touch.

I don't know about W. DeBord, but when I use fruit purees, I take a couple of cups and try it out. I had some very thick mango puree, that had a nice texture with 1 gelatin sheet/ 2 cups puree. I started with 2 sheets/2cups and got rubbery jello. It's one of those feel things, where with more experience I can look at the puree, and add exactly to the molecule, the right amount of gelatin. Happy baking!


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## homechef777 (Jan 4, 2002)

Annie thanks for the kind offer but I decided to bite the bullet and order the KA glaze as other posters have mentioned. Until then, I'll just go on using the fruit jellies as Alexia does. I'll let you all know how it goes


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

When you get the glaze, would you post what the ingredients are? I'd be interested, and was thinking of ordering some myself!

Thanks, Ann


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