How to Select the Perfect Gum for Any Recipe

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A variety of Cape Crystal Brands gums

The image above shows a representive sample of Cape Crystal Brands, gums from the raw product in the "crop" form to the final form in a pure powder.

Because of the wide selection, cooks and chefs can be confused as to which gum provides the best outcome in a recipe. There are so many to choose from. Each gum has its own characteristics and effect in a recipe. To add to the confusion a number of gum choices may be used together providing much different results. Most gums are thickeners, but when certain gums are combined, they will also create a gel when heated. The following infographic should help remove the confusion and allow you to choose the most perfect gum for your recipe.

GUM COMPARISON TABLES

Gum Choice	Recipe Addition Ratio	Dissolving Temperature	PH Scale	Mouth-Feel	Co-actions
Arabic/Acacia Gum	5 to 30%	Cold	3 to 9	Sticky, smooth	None
Guar Gum	0.1 to 1.5%	Cold	4 to 10	Slick	Use with Locust Bean & Xanthan Gum
Konjac Gum	0.5 to 0.7%	Cold	3 to 10	Creamy	Use with Xanthan Gum
Locust Bean Gum	0.15 to 0.75%	165°F	4 to 10	Sticky	Use with Xanthan Gum
Tara Gum	0.1 to 1%	180°F	4 to 10	Sticky	None
Xanthan Gum	0.05-0.35%	Cold	13-Jan	Sticky, Slick	Use with Konjac, Guar, and Locust Bean Gum

Increased Gum Viscosity When Combined With:

Gum Choice	Supplemented Gums
Arabic/Acacia Gum	N/A
Guar Gum	Locust Bean Gum, Sodium Alginate, PGA, Xanthan Gum, CMC, Methylcellose, HPMC
Locust Bean Gum	Guar Gum, Sodium Alginate, PGA, CMC, Methylcellose, HPMC
Konjac Gum	Locust Bean Gum, CMC
Tara Gum	N/A
Xanthan Gum	Guar Gum, Kappa Carrageenan, CMC, Methylcellose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, HPMC

Gum Choices to Increase Gel Strength

Gum Choice	To Increase Gel Strength	Supplemental Usage
Arabic/Acacia Gum	Low – and High-Acyl Gellans	Viscosity decreases with pH; optimal strength at pH 4
Guar Gum	Agar Agar	Tolerates salts; high stability and particle suspension; moderate solubility alcohol tolerance
Locust Bean Gum	Agar Agar, Kappa Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum	Rarely used alone; tolerates salt; inhibits ice crystals; moderate alcohol tolerance
Konjac Gum	Agar Agar, Kappa Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum	Gels at pH > 9; moderately alcohol-tolerant; viscosity increases. Best hydrated 158°F when heated or at concentration of 1% or higher; doesn’t melt once gelled under alkaline conditions.
Tara Gum	N/A	Locust bean substitute. If you don’t want the co-action of locust bean gum, use with dairy.
Xanthan Gum	Locust Bean Gum, Konjac Gum	Tolerates salts; shearing decreases viscosity; tolerates 50%-60% alcohol; requires another hydrocolloid to gel.