How to Thicken Sauce

Select thickener. Some of the most familiar food thickeners used as thickeners are xanthan gum powder, agar powder, pectin powder, and guar gum powder. They are popular because only a small amount of flour is used to thicken the sauce and do not change the color or taste of the sauce. ^[3]

• Xanthan gum is a versatile thickener that can be used in most dressings and dips and is also used as a preservative.
• Jelly powder (sometimes called agar powder) is commonly used commercially to concentrate dairy products and as a substitute for gelatin in jams and fruit desserts. Agar is available in powder or crumb form.
• Pectin powder is commonly used in jellies and fruit-based sweets, but can also be used to thicken yogurt and dairy products.
• Guar gum powder will thicken when cold and can be added to baked goods to increase the fiber content. ^[4] Guar gum powder is mainly used in salad dressings.

Mix guar gum powder or agar powder with liquid first. Both of these powders need to be mixed with other liquids before being added to dipping sauces or dressings. You can mix agar powder with water and heat it first, while guar gum powder can be mixed with oils used to make dipping sauces.

• For agar crumbs, you need to use a ratio of 1 teaspoon of crumbs to 1 cup of liquid; For agar powder, you need to use a ratio of 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of liquid. Dissolve the agar powder in 4 tablespoons of warm water in a saucepan. Boil on the stove for about 5-10 minutes. Mix together with the dipping sauce you want to thicken. ^[5]
• When using guar gum powder to thicken a dressing, you only need 1/2 teaspoon of powder for 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Stir or mix guar gum powder with the dipping oil before mixing with other ingredients. ^[6]

Add pectin powder or xanthan gum powder directly to the dipping sauce. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, you can add the pectin powder and xanthan gum powder directly to the dipping sauce. Pectin powder must be boiled for at least 1 minute to activate the gelation activity. Xanthan gum powder will thicken without boiling.

• Use 3/4 teaspoon of pectin powder for 1 cup of salty sauce or 2 teaspoons of pectin powder for 1 cup of sugar for sweet sauce. Stir vigorously until the pectin powder boils and while the dough boils.
• Using the weight of the liquid as a reference, add 0.1-1% xanthan gum powder, depending on the desired consistency. Stir vigorously or mix the xanthan gum powder into the dipping sauce. ^[7]

Put flour and butter in a 1:1 ratio in a bowl. In French, beurre manié is kneaded butter because you’re kneading butter with flour. Use a fork or fingers to knead the flour with the butter until a smooth mixture or dough is formed.

• You can use a food processor to make large amounts of beurre manié.
• Beurre manié is the ideal way to thicken savory soups, gravies and dips.

Roll the dough into a ball about the size of a teaspoon. Each pellet will be added to whatever you want to concentrate.

Put each ball of dough into the simmering dipping sauce. Stir each dough ball into the sauce. After adding each avocado, you should let the sauce simmer for at least 1 minute to thicken before adding another. Add the beurre manié balls to the sauce until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. ^[8]

• You can store the remaining beurre manié in the freezer for later use. Make sure to defrost it to room temperature before adding it to the dipping sauce.

Choose fat. Roux is another French word used to describe a mixture made by cooking fat with an equal amount of flour. Recommended fats include oil, butter or roast fat. You can use roux to thicken gravy, savory sauces, or soups.

Place the fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Depending on the desired consistency, you can use 1-3 tablespoons of fat along with the same amount of flour for 1 cup of liquid. If you want a loose dipping sauce, you should use 1 tablespoon of fat and 1 tablespoon of flour for 1 cup of liquid; if you want a medium thick sauce, you should use 2 tablespoons of fat and 2 tablespoons of flour for 1 cup of liquid; If you want a thick sauce, you should use 3 tablespoons of fat and 3 tablespoons of flour for 1 cup of liquid.

Stir in the amount of flour equal to the amount of fat in the pot. Depending on the amount of fat used, you should add the same amount of flour to the butter or oil.

Stir while cooking. To cook the basic white roux for thickening, you need to cook the flour and fat for a few minutes until the two ingredients are well combined and start to foam.

Turn off the stove. Once the roux is done cooking, you can set it aside and let it cool a bit. The hot roux will fall apart if you add it to the dipping sauce.

Stir the cooled Roux sauce into the dipping sauce. Simmer the sauce for at least 20 minutes to cook through the leftover flour flavor. ^[9]

Seasoning if needed. If the flavor of herbs or spices is lost during the thickening process, you can add herbs or spices to the sauce before serving.

Crack the eggs and separate the red liquid. Eggs are the best thickener for custards, puddings and creamy sauces.

Crack the egg yolks into a separate bowl. Beat the eggs, while scooping each egg into a warm sauce (for example, Alfredo cream sauce or pudding). This step is called kneading, which means that you slowly heat the eggs so that you can put them in the hot liquid without causing the eggs to cook right away and solidify.

Add liquid little by little until the cup is full. After adding enough liquid, you need to continue stirring for a few seconds until the eggs are completely incorporated into the liquid.

Stir the egg mixture into the sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the sauce thickens. ^[10]

Simmer the sauce. Do not boil. This method works for most dipping sauces because as the sauce heats up, the water evaporates and leaves a thicker sauce.

• Concentrating the sauce will mainly help concentrate the sweet, sour and salty flavors but may also lose some of the herbs and spices. So you need to taste the sauce while it thickens and be prepared to adjust the seasoning when the sauce is completely thickened. ^[11]

Stir constantly so the sauce doesn’t burn. As the water evaporates and the fever subsides, the sauce will continue to thicken. Depending on the dish you’re preparing, you may need to concentrate the sauce down to 1/2, 1/3, or even 1/4 of the original amount.

Concentrate until sauce reaches desired consistency. If you don’t follow the recipe, it’s best to thicken until the sauce reaches a coating consistency, which means the sauce forms a coating on the back of the spoon without running down. ^[12]

Measure out 1 tablespoon of potato crumbs for each cup of sauce. Potato crumbs are prepackaged dried mashed potatoes. You can use potato crumbs to thicken country-style sauces and gravies, stews, and rich soups. Avoid using potato crumbs to thicken clear sauces or savory sauces.

• This is an easy-to-adjust thickening method, so you can add the amount of potato crumbs to your taste without having to measure accurately.

Slowly add the potato crumbs to the dipping sauce. While the sauce is simmering, you can add the potato crumbs little by little. Stir well and wait for the potato crumbs to thicken. Continue adding potato crumbs as needed until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.

• Adding foods like potatoes, pasta or oats to fatty and savory sauces also helps thicken the sauce naturally thanks to the starch in the food.