Blooming gelatine
Have you wondered what “Blooming gelatine” means when it is referred to in recipes containing Gelatine, or how to use gelatine correctly? If you have, then the following will help you:
Bloom strength
Gelatine is sold by its strength. This is known as “Bloom”, starting at about 90 Bloom (the weakest) to about 300 Bloom (the strongest). The powder sold in supermarkets on the other hand is usually about 120 Bloom.
Bloom is a test to measure the strength of gelatine. The test was originally developed and patented in 1925 by Oscar T Bloom. The test determines the weight in grams needed by a specified plunger (normally with a diameter of 0.5 inch). This is to depress the surface of the gel by 4 mm without breaking it at a specified temperature.
The number of grams is called the Bloom value, and most gelatines are between 30 and 300 g Bloom. The higher a Bloom value, the higher the melting and gelling points, and the shorter its gelling times.
Professional sweet makers etc use strengths between 220 – 250 bloom, while the 300 bloom (which we also sell) is generally used for special effects makeup, prosthetics and ballistics testing.
If you are thinking about the 240 bloom, try using between a half to a third less than supermarket powder. You will need to experiment with the quantity of gelatine but I would start with about half the amount that you normally use, and see if that is enough. There is no difference in taste.
Blooming gelatine
Gelatine is also affected by what you are trying to gel, for example a liquid such as Lemon juice will require more gelatine to set, than if you were using just water.
You will also need to “bloom” the gelatine before you use it, so this means soaking the gelatine for 30 mins or more in 3 to 4 times its own weight of water, or other liquid and then heating it up over some form of double boiler or the microwave, until it forms a clear liquid. Never allow gelatine to boil or use boiling water, as this affects the strength of the gelatine.