Hi everyone

It's great to see an Aussie/NZ L/C community slowly growing - it's not as easy to get l/c products here as it is in other parts of the world.

I am wondering in anyone knows of a l/c thickening agent for casseroles and soups...

Thanks heaps and keep low carbing.

Nuttymum

i use soy flour, not much though as it does not taste to great and the flavor is strong!

Here's a couple of ideas/thoughts:

Cook your liquid down a bit to concentrate the flavours and then add some heavy whipping cream.

Soy flour thickens at first, then if you continue to cook it, it breaks down and goes "liquid" again.

Another experiement: Egg yolks make great thickener. Cool your liquid slightly and slowly add a beaten egg yolk, then reheat until thick.

If you can handle a small carb count, use unbleached stone ground flour (less processed than the bleached stuff), and do the count so you know how many carbs you're taking in.

Im in NZ & read a LC recipe for Maple syrup which used a thickening product called "Thick & Thin". I then noticed that the Local hospital sold it in their Pharmacy. Its very low in carbs. Hope this helps...

M B

i am in australia and i hope that it is avalible here!!!!!
who is it made by??

and did the l/c maple have mayple essence in it cos i cant find that here. I LOVE maple syrup!

did you buy the thickener?

Yes the recipe said Imitation Maple Syrup (no sugar kind). But I havent looked that hard to find it.
Actually it was called Thick & Easy (sorry) and its made by Hormel. I will buy it when I have the urge for pancakes and maple syrup.
Heres a link with some info...

http://www.hormelhealthlabs.com/dysphagia/

To thicken gravies and stews ect I use guar gum available from healt food shops and is carb free.
Regards Karni

Thanks heaps guys. You have been a great help, I will have a look around for the products you mentioned and say goodbye to watery stews.

Nuttymum

Just to let you know that I tried the Guar Gum. Was excited when I saw how it thickened, however it's overpowering taste and "gumminess" ruined the whole meal.

I won't be using it again.

I just wish we had a LC cornflour or similar here in Oz. Please let me know if anyone finds one somewhere.

Dianne

Dianne

Thanks so much for letting me know about the gum - I was going to try it as soon as I went to town (we live four hours from civilisation). I use arrowroot at the moment (9 carbs per tablespoon) which is better than corn flour but would love something more low in carbs.

Nuttymum

Hi All You Aussie and NZ Low Carbers!

I love guar gum! I buy a brand called "Benefibre" from Safeway/Woolworths. It has no flavour and I add it to my coffee each morning for its other "benefits" (LDL cholesterol lowering and assistance with "regularity")

I also use soy flour but add a small addition of cornflour to make white sauces, and eggs to make custard. The soy flour is great for cheese sauce as the cheese and the soy taste great together. I don't know how it would be in a sweet sauce.

I wondered if finely ground psyllium would be any good. Has anyone tried it? Might be a project for the weekend!

Gemma

I've used Guar Gum in the crock pot to thicken watery sauces towards the end of cooking time. A little goes a very long way. It gets thicker the longer it sits. To some broth or liquid, add a teaspoon or less depending on how much liquid you want to thicken. Then add to the pot. The first time I used it I used way too much and you get slime, but with a little experimentation you can have a nicely thickend sauce without the carbs.

Try using Xantha Gum, but the trick is to put it in a salt shaker and sprinkle it on... stir and give it 5 mins or so . then if its not thick enough add abit more..


It wont gum up that way