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GelatinGelatin (also gelatine) is a translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, which is created by prolonged boiling of animal skin, connective tissue or bones. It has many uses in food, medicine, and manufacturing. Substances that contain or resemble gelatin are called gelatinous. Gelatin is also known as E number E441. Gelatin is a protein product produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments, etc. The natural molecular bonds between individual collagen strands are broken down into a form that rearranges more easily. Gelatin melts when heated and solidifies when cooled again. Together with water it forms a semi-solid colloidal gel. On a commercial scale, gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry, mainly pork skins, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides. Contrary to popular belief, horns and hooves are not commonly used. The raw materials are prepared by different curing, acid, and alkali processes which are employed to extract the dried collagen hydrolysate and which may take several weeks. The worldwide production amounts to 250,000 tons per year. (roughly 500 million lbs) As for home cooking, boiling certain cartilagenous cuts of meat, or bones, will result in gelatin being dissolved into the water. Depending on the concentration, the resulting broth, when cooled, will naturally form a jelly. This process may for instance be used for the pot-au-feu dish. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules or as a powder. Instant types can be added to the food as is; others need to be soaked in water beforehand. Special kinds of gelatin are made only from certain animals or from fish in order to comply with Jewish kashrut or Muslim halal laws. Vegetarians and vegans may substitute similar gelling agents such as agar, pectin, or konnyaku sometimes referred to as "vegetable gelatins" although there is no chemical relationship; they are carbohydrates, not proteins. The name "gelatin" is colloquially applied to all types of gels and jellies, but properly used, it currently refers solely to the animal protein product. There is no vegetable source for gelatin. Probably best known as a gelling agent in cooking, different types and grades of gelatin are used in a wide range of food and non-food products: Common examples of foods that contain gelatin are gelatin desserts or jelly, trifles, aspic, marshmallows and confectioneries such as Peeps and gummy bears. Gelatin may be used as a stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in foods such as ice cream, jams, yogurt, cream cheese, margarine; it is used, as well, in fat-reduced foods to simulate the mouth feel of fat and to create volume without adding calories. Gelatin is used for the clarification of juices, such as apple juice, and of vinegar. Isinglass, from the swim bladders of fish, is still in use as a fining agent for wine and beer. Beside hartshorn jelly, from deer antlers, isinglass was one of the oldest sources of gelatin. Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Gelatin":
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