Juicy Spheres Snack - Easy Kitchen Science

Intro: Juicy Spheres Snack - Easy Kitchen Science

This is an easy, fun way to play with your food! If you have picky kids, you could do some juicing of fruits and veggies and then create these "caviar" jellies out of it.

This only involves two ingredients! ...and a cup of oil!

If you've never heard of molecular gastronomy, it involves food science & modern innovative methods of transforming everyday ingredients. These transformations involve a variety of methods and sometimes specialized equipment and special ingredients that will trigger a physical or chemical change.

In this Instructable, we will be doing a very easy and simplified method involving spherification. Spherification will allow us to change the shape and makeup of our liquid into perfectly round little spheres. There are a variety of methods used for this one technique, and the outcomes will vary greatly. This method of spherification, being simplified, will involve transforming a liquid into these perfectly round flavorful jellies!

Other common methods, if you really enjoy experimenting with Molecular Gastronomy, will involve other gelling agents: sodium alginate and calcium lactate as well as others. Those are not at all required for our Instructable. If you've never done anything like this before and you love what you make through this Instructable, you may want to buy some other ingredients and try some more advanced techniques later on. With this method, it creates spheres with a texture similar to jellied cranberries - a bit soft but jelled. In a more advanced technique, requiring some other ingredients, you can do a spherification process that creates similar looking spheres, with a thin outer membrane, and full liquid contained within it. This Instructable isn't for that method, but this is a great introductory lesson into some food science!

STEP 1: Cold Oil Spherification - Super Easy Molecular Gastronomy Spheres

Ingredients Needed:

• Agar Agar - 1/4 teaspoon
• Liquid - 1/3 C + 1 1/2 teaspoons (I used a caffeinated V8 Energy Drink!)
• Oil - I used Vegetable

Equipment & Tools:

• Measuring cups & spoons
• A tall glass
• Candy thermometer
• A dropper or syringe type tool
• Sieve & Bowl

Substitution: Although I've currently only used Agar Agar to create these spheres, I have found a tutorial online that is similar to mine, except she used Gelatin. Here is a link to the tutorial - as the ratios are different than mine. So, if you really want to try this out and don't have Agar Agar, you could try using Gelatin. I read on a Molecular Gastronomy site that it would not work. Yet, this other blogger made beautiful coffee caviar and it turned out great! Also, I purchased my Agar Agar from an Asian grocery store.Update Regarding Substitution with Gelatin: I attempted to make spheres using Gelatin (about 1/2 a teaspoon) and it did not work for me. The next time I try to do it, I will try it out using the ratios from the recipe I linked to above, since it worked for her.

Notes about Liquid: Feel free to use any type of liquid you like, from coffee, wine, whiskey, soda or super healthy juiced fruits and veggies. When you see my photos and notice I have some yellow spheres, it was from an experiment with a thicker liquid - a purée of mangoes. I do not recommend a thick liquid at all because it won't form the perfectly round spheres like the thinner liquids. It will create odd-shaped spheres, a bit of an odd texture and the only way I found to fix it is to add water. Adding water dilutes the flavor of it, so it would be better to use a thinner liquid. It's ok to simmer your liquid down to let some water evaporate and condense its flavor, just be sure you have the right amounts needed when you're ready to do this project.

Holly Mann is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

STEP 2: First Step to Cold Oil Spherification - Simple Prep

This step if very simple. Fill a tall glass with some oil. I used vegetable oil. Place that glass in your freezer for 30 minutes to one hour. Check on it after about 30 minutes, as you don't want it to freeze all the way through. You just need it to be really cold when it's time for you to create these spheres.

Next, measure out your liquid and you can place it in a saucepan. Then, measure out your Agar Agar. Now that you are ready to go, you just need to wait a tiny bit longer until your oil is nice and cold. Once it is cold and its been in there at least 30 minutes, you can begin.

STEP 3: DIY Molecular Gastronomy Simple Spheres

If you want to add any sugar or sweetener to your liquid, feel free to do that. Then measure out the liquid and pour it into the saucepan. Then pour in the Agar Agar and whisk briskly. Turn the heat up on the saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking until then.

Once it is brought up to a boil, you can turn the heat off and take it off of that burner. Put your thermometer in the saucepan to monitor the temperature of the liquid. It may take a few minutes or more to lower the temperature enough. You will want it to be lowered to around 120-130 deg. F (50-53 deg. C). Now, take your cup of oil out of the freezer.

STEP 4: Transforming Liquid Into Spheres

Once the temperature of the liquid is lowered enough, be sure to have the cold cup of oil and dropper or syringe nearby. Take the dropper and hold it up above the cup at least a few inches - and drop away. You can do this surprisingly fast with just squeezing the liquid out of the dropper - they form so perfectly. If they are all floating near the top, you should try to hold your dropper up even higher so the force of the drop will help the spheres to fall to the bottom of the cup. It's ok if some of them float on the top - sometimes that happens with smaller spheres or when you first start dropping them in.

Try to work fast because things might change if the oil warms too much or the liquid cools too much. I didn't intent on making so many mini spheres but that happened as a result of changing temperatures. If you have kids around, this is the really fun part. If you're just an adult who gets a kick out of kitchen experimentation (like I do) then do this yourself!

STEP 5: Rinse the Spheres or Juicy Caviar & Discard or Save the Oil

Now place a bowl in the sink and take a sieve and place it above the bowl. Gently pour the spheres and oil into the bowl. Some people pour the spheres into a bowl of water to rinse them, but these are stable enough to be rinsed with a sprayer from the sink. Either way is fine. If you want, you could save the oil you used for when you feel like doing this fun project again - just put it in a mason jar.

Your juicy caviar snacks are all done! You can enjoy them immediately or store them in the fridge, covered. If you want the texture of them to be more dense, just add more Agar Agar and experiment.

STEP 6: Enjoy Your Gorgeous Spherical Creation - Juicy Caviar

Enjoy your creation!

Here are some ideas for using these yummy caviar spheres:

• Pour them over some yogurt - yum!
• As a topping on Ice Cream
• In a coconut water drink (that reminds me of those old bottled drinks with spheres in them - remember?)
• On any type of dessert that involves whipped cream
• Use to pair up with a pudding
• You could make honey pearls, which could be a fancy way to sweeten pretty much anything
• Savory - you can make them out of sauces or vinegar for savory options

Comments

[srp99]

This is amazing and I can't wait to try it. I have read that for alcohol, I must do a 'reverse spherification' method which requires all kinds of other chemically sounding ingredients...but it sounds like you are saying I can use alcohol and the method you describe? can you please confirm before I go wasting a bunch of whiskey or rose-water-milk :-)

[brownelenav]

oh rimind me of Caviaroli

[chris.a.rakoczy]

Has anyone tried with alcoholic liquids? I have found that alcohol interferes with gelatin's ability to set. I'm wondering if the same holds for agar, or if you simply need more of it for high-proof spheres.

These could make awesome citrus and cranberry garnishes in cocktails :-)

[satosi]

I'm late to this instructable but wanted to comment anyways because someone may want to try out xanthan gum & let others know if it works for them.

I've had great success 'gelling' alcohol using xanthan gum, but for a completely different end product. Not so sure how well it would work for making these little balls however as xanthan gum is more of a thickener, not really a gelling agent like agar or gelatin.

I'm very curious to find out if xanthan gum might work for this & may have to give this a try myself.

[CreativeChloe]

I've never tried mixing alcohol with agar agar, but I have also never had a problem getting gelatin to set when mixed with alcohol. I make Jello shooters quite often. Perhaps some adjustments to your process could make a difference??

[Dr. D]

I think you'd like Jelly Test Shot Kitchen

[HollyMann]

Thank you so much Dr. D. :) LOVE IT! :)

[MarcB88]

Yes, agar tolerates alcohol. It doesn't like tannins though. And indeed, gelatin doesn't work with high alcohol concentrations. Source: a free PDF document out there called "Hydrocolloid recipe collection" - fire up Google and search for it. You'll wonder how you ever did without.

[HollyMann]

Thank you - I didn't have a chance to try it yet.

[HollyMann]

I will try this soon to test it out for you. I did find this article and tutorial:

http://barelynormal.co.za/cold-oil-spherification-jack-n-lime/ where the guy used alcohol and the cold oil spherification method to make the alcoholic spheres...seems it worked for him. I need to try it out - and especially with gelatin. I will try to do it today! It doesn't take long..I will update later!

[OlenS]

It's obvious why your experiment using gelatin, rather than agar-agar, didn't work: your ratio of 1/2 tsp gelatin to a bit over 1/3 cup of liquid is completely different than the ratio used in Ms. Baird's recipe you linked to (...about 2 full tsp of gelatin to about 7 oz of liquid). You merely doubled the amount of gelatin, compared to agar-agar...but you needed to almost quadruple it.

[GemmaC23]

Hi all, how much does this recipe make please?

[chefnelson]

Very nice Thanks

[KyleR146]

I tried this with fruit juice and followed the recipe exactly. First try they didn't stay spheres and morphed together in the bottom. Second time they looked great until I went to strain them. Any suggestions?

[SherylinRM]

This is about the simplest way I have seen of doing this.

Thanks for this :)

[PitStoP]

Heyy..

This is so cool Holly. I can't believe it only takes two ingredients and oil to do this. I have to try this someday. This is super cool... =)) I would definitely vote if this if this was in a contest.. I like how you keep bringing new things here.

Will this work with any drink or do I have to stick to any particular ones? I will love to try this with coconut juice.. Yumm... I sound like a little kid now lol..

Keep it up Holly... =)

[HollyMann]

Thanks so much for the comment - sorry for such a late reply! You're too kind! I think this does work with almost any liquid...I thought it worked with ANYTHING (including alcohol) but I've been warned that alcohol doesn't work ...so I'm not sure..but most drinks do work! Coconut juice pearls or spheres and pineapple ones together - yum!

[PitStoP]

Yummy I love pineapple and with coconut even better.. Glad to see you're back =))

[RosaleenC]

What is the refrigerator life after making them. The other link said to store them in a jar with oil? What have been your experiences ? Thanks ?

[HollyMann]

Sorry for the late reply! I had surgery and was off here for a while. I ended up storing mine just covered in a small bowl with plastic wrap in the fridge and they stayed the same. I originally read to store them in liquid - water or oil - and that did not work at all for me...the colors faded and flavor did too.