Locust Bean Gum (Carob Bean Gum) – 4oz/114g | Natural Food Thickener for Ice Cream & Sauces

When using stabilizers, it is important to activate each stabilizer at the proper temperature. That is why I have this jar just of locust bean, or carob gum. I heat it to boiling point for a minute or so to activate it. Then I combine it with lambda carageenan while tempering the eggs, and guar gum as it cools. I us 4 parts locust bean gum, 2 parts guar gum, and one part lamda carageenan, for a home 1l batch I use a total of 1.5 grams, so that is 0.86 grams locust been gum, 0.43 g guar gum, and 0.2 grams lamda carageenan. Meaure carefully with an 8th tsp measuring spoon and a milligram scale. Don't use too much or it will taste bready, mushy, and the taste will linger too long, and will taste artificial. The best way to prevent clumping is to mix is with sugar and sift it together.

I tried out Locust Bean Gum Non-GMO Vegan Thickener (4 oz/114 g) and am happy to report that the powder works great to thicken liquid, in a different texture than the standard cornstarch and flour. This is my first time testing out locust bean thickener. I used 8g (looked to be about 1 tablespoon by volume) to 1 liter of coconut milk + water combo and it produced a smooth cream. It did not harden/solidify like the cornstarch, however. It is more viscous, so the pudding ran and was more 'stretchy'. From what I understand if I were to increase the powder to liquid ratio it will turn into solid gel (I've seen videos that made spaghetti-like dish made with this powder). I keep reading about this powder being used for ice cream to prevent large ice crystals from forming. I can see how it would work better for that than cornstarch or flour in the custard. It is a bit pricy, however, so am not sure if I will keep purchasing locust bean in general. But since a little goes a long way so this small bottle will last me a while.

It’s a “meh” for me, I noticed no difference in the thickness with or without adding this . Very well packaged and promptly delivered though.

This has a year shelf life which is good because a little goes along way. You will have a hard time going through the whole bottle unless you’re using a lot of it. I like to use this in my stir fry sauces instead to cornstarch. And since my sauce will be heated while cooking it thickens quickly. It incorporates easily and works well and fast. This is a good buy!

I was looking for some of this stuff because we make cream soups, cream sauces and sometimes ice cream products. This helps make them creamier and smoother.HOW THIS COMESThis comes in a nice thick plastic jar and the top seems to be pretty good too.HOW TO USEFind recipes that you like that use locust bean gum and see how much they call for in each one. Make a small partial recipe and experiment. See if you can find that spot you feel best at and go from there.WHAT WE USE IT INThis made a really nice cream soup creamier. It gives a smoothness without adding flavor. We didn't put very much in and it was just enough.THE BOTTOM LINEThis is handy to have around the house if you do a lot of recipes with cream in them. We do and I am excited to have this.MY RATINGFIVE STARS. This is expensive, but in our case, we use sparingly so it will last a long time. I know I will try to find many of those old recipes I put on hold because I really wanted the locust bean gum to add to them to make them just right. If you don't think you would use this a lot, it is a pretty big investment. If you like to make creamy things, then you might find that you like it too and I recommend based on my experience so far.I will update if anything changes.

I received this small jar of Locust Bean Gum and at first, I thought that the jar was small. But after using it, I discovered that a little goes a long way to thickening things. I tested this out in a gravy for some biscuits and it turned out very thick! The thickener doesn't have any real taste that would change the flavor so it should work out well in almost any cooked recipe.On the downside, the price of this thickener is currently at $35.99 for just 4oz. And for me, that is out of my normal budget when I could use a cheaper thickener instead. But, if it were on sale, I might give it a try.

This locust bean gum arrived quickly and well packaged with no leaks or spills in transit. It is a relatively small plastic jar that contains 4 ounces of the locust bean gum powder. It is an off white creamy color and a faint scent that reminds me of most thickeners. I did test it out so far in a gravy and in a soup, both of which turned out fantastic and took very little to reach my desired consistency. The thickener didn’t alter the flavors in any way. Something to note is that this does require heat to activate and the fact that a little goes such a long way you may want to do a few trial runs to find the sweet spot for how much to add in place of other thickeners. The price point is a bit costly but for the price per ounce, it is actually more affordable than competitive products. Overall, this is an easy to work with product that is incredibly effective and will not impact the flavor of what you are making. Would recommend.

I got this because my aunt has trouble swallowing items and it was suggested she get a thickener. I take care of her, and thought this would be perfect. It's easy to use-- you just add it to your liquids/foods, and it really thickens it up. For instance, add this to milk and it makes it very thick-- almost gel-like. Easy to mix. My aunt doesn't love the texture/taste (it isn't so much the taste because it's essentially tasteless but she said it "tastes" like a gel and will take time to get used to). Definitely aids in her swallowing better so she isn't choking on her foods or liquids anymore. Huge help and definitely recommend it. A little goes a long way.