Tag: Gelling

According to food scientists, baking soda can be a powerful tool for accelerating the breakdown of plant tissues. In food chemistry, **what does baking soda do to pectin**? By increasing the pH of the cooking water, baking soda effectively breaks down the pectin molecules, resulting in a softer, creamier texture in certain dishes. This is a key principle for achieving tender vegetables and beans in a fraction of the usual cooking time.

Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 times their weight in water. This unique property is what allows blended chia seeds to thicken liquids, resulting in a smooth, creamy consistency that is a desirable alternative to the gelatinous texture of whole seeds.

While collagen is the body's most abundant protein and the source material for gelatin, the two are not interchangeable due to key differences in processing and molecular structure. This means you cannot use collagen to replace gelatin in recipes that require a firm, gel-like consistency, as their functional properties are distinct.