Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Aquafaba

aquafaba.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 301 posts

Re: Aquafaba

#151

Post by scythe »

legitster wrote: post #61

Not to knock the wonderful developments that have happened in plant-based foods in the last decade, but this really makes me appreciate the egg all the more. Some of the egg alternatives seem to require a degree in chemical engineering to get right. Between the many magical uses of the yolk and white (both separately and together), you appreciate how versatile a collection of fats and proteins it really is. And how u…

The egg also seems like a good target for biomanufacturing. It's a liquid (essentially), and mostly composed of just five proteins and lecithin.

Re: Aquafaba

#152

Post by m463 »

foopod wrote: post #118
legitster wrote: post #61

Not to knock the wonderful developments that have happened in plant-based foods in the last decade, but this really makes me appreciate the egg all the more. Some of the egg alternatives seem to require a degree in chemical engineering to get right. Between the many magical uses of the yolk and white (both separately and together), you appreciate how versatile a collection of fats and proteins it really is. And how u…

Agree, it will be so cool when we can have everything eggs offer and none of the cruelty.

I don't know what the answer is - is it less cruel to let a chicken lay eggs for a long time yet remain alive, or raise a calf into a cow, then kill it for its meat?

Re: Aquafaba

#153

Post by fnord123 »

gregoryl wrote: post #96

My time to shine! Hazelnut Choc Chip cookies, designed for Aquafaba. NB. You can switch out more of the hazelnut/almond meal to adjust the taste, but don't go much below 1/2 cup of almond! https://imgur.com/a/G2M1QoE 1 & 1/4 cup almond meal 1 & 1/4 cup hazelnut meal 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 2/3 cup flour (gluten free blend works fine) 2/3 cup raw sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt (ideally fine) Mix above tog…

All comments about measuring solids by volume should go under here.

Re: Aquafaba

#154

Post by jeopardingo »

fnord123 wrote: post #153
gregoryl wrote: post #96

My time to shine! Hazelnut Choc Chip cookies, designed for Aquafaba. NB. You can switch out more of the hazelnut/almond meal to adjust the taste, but don't go much below 1/2 cup of almond! https://imgur.com/a/G2M1QoE 1 & 1/4 cup almond meal 1 & 1/4 cup hazelnut meal 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 2/3 cup flour (gluten free blend works fine) 2/3 cup raw sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt (ideally fine) Mix above tog…

All comments about measuring solids by volume should go under here.

I want to see everything in grams!

Re: Aquafaba

#155

Post by m463 »

jiofih wrote: post #126
aclimatt wrote: post #108

Aquafaba is amazing. But since we're talking about egg replacers, here's one even more remarkable: Carbonated water. No joke. Carbonated water can seamlessly replace egg in almost all things where the egg provides some rising / fluffy texture (not so much binding, like aquafaba does). It won't be stepping in your quiche any time soon, but cookies, brownies, cupcakes, anything with a fluffy inside. 1/4 cup of water eq…

Why would you substitute egg in cookies if nearly all of calories come from sugar and flour anyway?

I think eggs are actually quite healthy, so I assume removing them from a recipe is probably to avoid eggs.

Re: Aquafaba

#156

Post by borski »

m463 wrote: post #147
legitster wrote: post #61

Not to knock the wonderful developments that have happened in plant-based foods in the last decade, but this really makes me appreciate the egg all the more. Some of the egg alternatives seem to require a degree in chemical engineering to get right. Between the many magical uses of the yolk and white (both separately and together), you appreciate how versatile a collection of fats and proteins it really is. And how u…

It's also nice that oranges and bananas come in thick and handy packaging. The trick to the banana is that it's easier to open it from the bottom. It's harder to get unwrapping an orange right.

It's impossible to get unwrapping an orange right. I've tried for a lifetime.

Re: Aquafaba

#157

Post by scythe »

hirundo wrote: post #31

It's widely recommended in vegan circles to discard bean soaking water. Here's an example: > So after the beans have soaked for a while, the soaking water now contains these elements that you are trying to eliminate by soaking the beans in the first place. And this is why the bean water is discarded. So it is best to drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking. -- https://www.vegancoach.com/why-disc…

I was curious about this also. There could be FODMAPs in the soaking water of many legumes. For recipes with a small amount, it's probably small enough to be fine for all but the most sensitive individuals. Meringues, though, I don't know.

https://www.soscuisine.com/blog/top-5-confusing-fodmap-foods...

Re: Aquafaba

#158

Post by mod »

cmehdy wrote: post #94
kevinmchugh wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen the data being 1:10,000 to 1:20,000 eggs in the US or Europe have salmonella present. The whites are theoretically the safest part. Immunocompromised individuals may still find these risks unacceptable, and then aquafaba or pasteurization is a great option.

Being from Europe I actually wondered how much of a difference there can be between US and EU when it comes to that issue, and this[0] StackExchange message was particularly interesting to see EU cases being much more prevalent than US ones. I grew up with unwashed eggs and never gave it much thought, but now I guess that's one more thing to keep in mind (although I live in North America these days) Somehow a little…

I keep chickens and therefore get as authentic of an egg as possible.

I can't taste the difference in my eggs vs a store bought, white, washed egg.

I can easily see it, though, with a more orange yolk in the fresh eggs, which most people attribute to eating more bugs.

Re: Aquafaba

#159

Post by JunkDNA »

My daughter now 10 was diagnosed with a severe egg allergy around the time she turned 1. We aren't vegans and I love all kinds of things with egg (including home made pasta).

We tried so many egg replacers and were just not that impressed. I was resigned to giving up a whole bunch of foods I love. Aquafaba finally let us have so many normal meals back. You don't realize how many foods have egg in them (especially in restaurants: Orange Julius I'm looking at you! Who puts egg in fruit smoothies?!).

We use it to make pancakes, waffles, cakes, and even brownies (we found most egg replacers to be an utter disaster with many brownie recipes).

Re: Aquafaba

#160

Post by RussianCow »

vincentmarle wrote: post #143
whymauri wrote: post #6

Here's one fun use: replacing egg whites in shaken cocktails. Particularly useful for vegan friends (or anyone who feels squeamish about raw egg as an ingredient). As long as you have good shaking technique, the foam and mouthfeel get pretty close to egg-based methods.

People put egg whites in cocktails? That's a new one for me.

Traditional whiskey sours (or any other "sour"), among other classic cocktails, are made using an egg white. When shaken well, it creates a foamy layer on top of the drink that is quite stable and offers a pleasant texture (IMO), somewhat similar to the foam you get on top of a freshly poured beer. On top of that, there is some sort of chemical reaction that happens with the egg and alcohol, especially oak-aged spirits—apparently the egg white "softens" the booze, which is nice for higher-proof whiskeys and such.[0]

You can take this even further, too: I make a variation of the Mai Tai that's topped with a foam made by blending egg white with passion fruit puree. The foam is the first thing you taste, so you immediately get hit with the sharp, sweet-tart flavor of the passion fruit, before the rest of the (more subtle) flavors kick in. It's delicious.

(I've done it with aquafaba and it works almost as well, although I've only used canned, which generally contains salt. I don't mind it, but it doesn't work in every cocktail.)

[0]: If you're interested in this stuff, I highly recommend the book Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.

Post reply on HN