Functional Properties of Ingredients Flashcards
Functional Properties of Eggs
What is Coagulation?
Examples?
What other properties can it enable?
When eggs are heated, the protein in the egg coagulates turning the liquid egg into a solid.
Examples are; Boiled, fried, poached or scrambled eggs. Or baked products such as cake.
Coagulation also enables Binding and Glazing.
Functional Properties of Eggs
What is Binding?
Examples?
Eggs can be added to bind ingredients together. When cooked the egg coagulates, keeping the ingredients together.
Examples are; Burgers, fish cakes and biscuits.
Functional Properties of Eggs
What is Glazing?
Examples?
Beaten eggs can be brushed onto foods products which when heated will coagulate, colouring the food product.
Examples are; Scones and pastry.
Functional Properties of Eggs
What is Aeration?
Examples?
When eggs are whisked they trap air, this air will then expand when heated, causing baked goods to rise.
Examples are; Meringues (egg whites whisked) or Whisked Sponge (egg and sugar whisked together).
Functional Properties of Eggs
What is Emulsifying?
Examples?
When egg yolk is added to oil and vinegar the lecithin found in the yolk allows the ingredients to mix without separating.
Examples are; Mayonnaise.
Functional Properties of Sugar
What is Crystallisation?
Examples?
When sugar and water are boiled the water is driven off, leaving a thick syrup. Crystals will form as the liquid cools.
Examples are; Boiled sweets, fudge and tablet.
Functional Properties of Sugar
What is Caramelisation?
Examples?
When sugar is heated to a high temperature it will turn brown and taste like toffee.
Examples are; Confectionery products such as cakes.
Functional Properties of Sugar
Difference between TOO MUCH and NOT ENOUGH sugar.
TOO MUCH
• Dark Colour
• Sweeter product
• The cakes will have a hard crust
NOT ENOUGH
• Pale Colour
• Less Flavour
• The cake will not rise well
Functional Properties of Fat
What is Shortening?
Examples?
When fat (butter or margarine) is rubbed into flour the fat coats the flour (waterproofing it), preventing the flour from absorbing water. This stops the dough becoming elastic and gives a short (hence the name) crumbly texture.
Examples are; Shortbread, biscuits and shortcrust pastry.
Functional Properties of Fat
What is Aeration?
Methods?
Examples?
When fat (butter or margarine) is creamed or rubbed in, air can become trapped, causing foods to rise.
Two different methods are Creaming and Rubbing In.
Examples are; Creamed sponge cakes and scones.
Functional Properties of Fat
What is Creaming and Rubbing In?
CREAMING
When butter or margarine and castor sugar are creamed together with either an electric whisk or wooden spoon, the mixture will contain tiny bubbles of air.
RUBBING IN
When fat is rubbed into flour and hands are raised, air is trapped as the mixture falls back into the bowl.
Functional Properties of Fat
What is Glazing?
Examples?
When fat (butter or margarine) is added to cooked vegetables it will melt, giving a shiny glazed finish.
When fat (butter or margarine) is added to sauces it will help make sauce shine. Lack of fat will give sauces a dull finish.
Examples are; Peas, carrots, potatoes and sauces.
Functional Properties of Flour
What is Gelatinisation?
Examples?
Occurs when a liquid is thickened by heating it with a starch, e.g. wheat flour or cornflour. As the mixture is heated the starch molecules absorb the liquid and then swell to five times their size and burst, thickening the liquid.
Examples are; Custard, white sauce, cheese sauce.
The thickness of the end product will depend on the amount of flour used.
Functional Properties of Flour
What is Dextrinisation?
Examples?
Occurs when foods containing flour are cooked using a dry heat (toaster, grill, oven). The starch in the flour will change to dextrin, causing the food to turn brown.
Examples are; Toast, baked goods such as cakes and scones.
Functional Properties of Flour
What is Fermentation?
Examples?
Occurs when yeast produces carbon dioxide and alcohol. Flour becomes the food that yeast require in bread-making. The natural sugars present in flour are fermented by the yeast when left in warmth, then carbon dioxide and alcohol are produced, raising the dough.
Example; Bread-making.
