Guar Gum

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A food additive that is most often used as a thickener or stabilizer. This ingredient is produced from legume plants in arid areas of India, Pakistan and the U.S. The plant grows clusters of bean pods with seeds from which endosperm is extracted to be processed into guar gum. It is an ingredient that can replace the gluten in gluten free flours to assist with the rising of the dough. Similar to xanthan gum, it can be used to bind water to keep it contained in pasty fillings so it does not soften crusts, it can be used as a thickener for sauces and dressings, or it can be used in ice cream to eliminate the formation of ice crystals.

Guar gum is often considered to be a good substitute for xanthan gum, however when substituting add an additional half of the required amount of xanthan to equal a comparable measure. As an example, if 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum is required, add 3 teaspoons of guar gum.