Agar-agar

dannybee · Post by **dannybee** » Thu May 01, 2014 11:08 pm

look what I found in a very old post

Try Agar-agar, a gelatin made from plants. It has been widely used in Asia for more than 1,000 years. Rather than from the barnyard, this gelatin comes from the sea. In the Malaysian language, the product used to make the gelatin is called “agar-agar,” also known as “agar-2” — a natural, stabilizing and thickening agent processed from seaweed. Its advantage over other gelatins is that it sets and melts at a higher temperature

dannybee · Post by **dannybee** » Fri May 02, 2014 12:24 am

oooo this is nice this stuff slows down grain growth

jsfisher · Post by **jsfisher** » Fri May 02, 2014 8:56 am

Yeah, but can it be used as a gelatin substitute with dichromates?

jsfisher · Post by **jsfisher** » Fri May 02, 2014 9:08 am

I think I found the answer to my question in US patent 1763533 A. The short answer is a definite maybe yes.

dannybee · Post by **dannybee** » Fri May 02, 2014 10:12 am

I can see advantages in both sliver and DCG plates

dannybee · Post by **dannybee** » Fri May 02, 2014 10:18 am

Understand the differences between agar agar and gelatin. Agar agar has several advantages over the traditional gelatin, namely:

It is derived from a plant source rather than an animal source, meaning that it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, and also for diets with restrictions for moral, ethical, and religious reasons.
It has no taste, no odor and no colour.
It sets more firmly than gelatin.
Agar agar is able to set at room temperature; it also stays in jelly form even as the temperature rises.

Dinesh · Post by **Dinesh** » Fri May 02, 2014 11:30 am

dannybee wrote:It is derived from a plant source rather than an animal source, meaning that it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, and also for diets with restrictions for moral, ethical, and religious reasons.

You're thinking of eating the emulsion?

Dinesh · Post by **Dinesh** » Fri May 02, 2014 11:44 am

Wait, wait, you're going to have the agar-agar for dinner, right? Then you're going to make an emulsion of the leftovers? I think I got it! Nice way if disposing of leftovers without being told to eat all your food because there are starving children in <wherever>! Of course, there could be starving scientists in <wherever>, but I don't think it ever occurred to anyone's mother to mention starving scientists...

Joe Farina · Post by **Joe Farina** » Fri May 02, 2014 12:21 pm

Dinesh wrote:Then you're going to make an emulsion of the leftovers? I think I got it! Nice way if disposing of leftovers without being told to eat all your food

What an excellent idea. I'm finding out how agar can be added to many foods. Holographers could buy a large stock of agar, incorporate it into home foods whenever possible, and use any leftovers for holographic plates! Since it comes from red macroalgae (seaweed) it should be quite healthful. It's traditionally Japanese, and those people live a long time.

From Wikipedia:

"Throughout history into modern times, agar has been chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts throughout Asia and also as a solid substrate to contain culture media for microbiological work. Agar (agar-agar) can be used as a laxative, an appetite suppressant, vegetarian gelatin substitute, a thickener for soups, in fruit preserves, ice cream, and other desserts, as a clarifying agent in brewing, and for sizing paper and fabrics."

jsfisher · Post by **jsfisher** » Fri May 02, 2014 12:33 pm

Here's an example of a hologram made with agar-agar. The plate I've chosen for this is non-traditional and the coating is perhaps thicker than normally used with gelatin, but I'm sure you'll agree the true-to-life detail is astonishing.