Grainlady, I've been using Ultra Gel

11 years ago

You mentioned it in a post a while ago, so I thought I'd give it a try. In the past I've experimented with xanthan and guar gum but have been turned off by either the texture or off taste. I've been using the Ultra Gel with salad dressings. My husband only likes blue cheese or thousand island, and he likes well-dressed salads. I've fixed homemade low sodium blue cheese dressing in the past. Unfortunately I make salads on an inconsistent basis. So if I make just enough for one serving, that means a chunk of blue cheese sitting in the fridge until the next time I fix a salad. The cheese will either go bad or, worse, be so tempting that it becomes a salty midnight snack for my husband. The only way to get around this is to keep a bottle of his favorite, Bob's Blue Cheese Dressing, in the fridge.

However, it's thick & salty. So when I make salads, I always combine the 2 tbsp. serving with equal parts sour cream (only 15 mg sodium) and water. That makes a lower sodium, creamy, and thinner dressing. But lately I've been using only 1 tbsp sour cream & 3 tbsp. water but with adding enough Ultra Gel to create a creamy texture. Works great!

I've done the same with my favorite balsamic/olive oil vinaigrette dressing. I use equal parts vinegar, oil, and now water. Add a bit of Ultra Gel and I've got a lower calorie but still tasty salad dressing. It also serves as an emulsifier, so I can make a larger quantity and keep it in the fridge in a small bowl. Just a quick stir before spooning on the lettuce.

I especially like the fact that Ultra Gel does not turn into thick strands of "snot" the way some other thickeners do. And it has no off flavors.

I've also used it in gravies or sauces that come out a bit too thin. I've even used it with prepared dips. (One of the vendors at our farmers market is a sweetie and often gives me free artichoke/garlic dip. It's tasty, and I won't insult him by refusing it. So I just lower the sodium content with a combination of sour cream & Ultra Gel w/water.) I bought the accompanying cookbook and know there are other applications. But so far, even with my limited usage, I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultra Gel

This post was edited by shambo on Wed, Oct 30, 13 at 14:30

Sort by:Oldest