Stabilizers & Fibers
Carob Seed Flour in gelato
Carob seed flour is locust bean gum (E410), a natural galactomannan hydrocolloid milled from the endosperm of carob (Ceratonia siliqua) seeds. In gelato it is a stabilizer, not a sweetener, used to bind water, boost viscosity and control ice-crystal growth.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 88% |
| Water | 12% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 1% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 6% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 0 |
Typical use: 0.1-0.4% of the total mix (often 0.15-0.25%, usually combined with guar gum)
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Locust bean gum is dosed at roughly 0.1-0.4% of the mix, almost always blended with guar gum and/or other stabilizers. It contributes no sweetening power (POD 0) and no anti-freezing power (PAC 0): unlike sugars, a polysaccharide does not depress the freezing point colligatively. Instead it binds free water, raises mix viscosity, slows meltdown and suppresses ice-crystal and lactose-crystal growth, giving a smoother, more heat-shock-stable body. It hydrates best warm (around 80C), so it is typically added during pasteurization. Because the dose is tiny, its effect on total solids and on the sugar/PAC balance of the recipe is negligible; treat it as a texture tool, not a solids or freezing-point lever.
Origin & background
The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is native to the Mediterranean, and its seeds were historically so uniform in mass that they became the origin of the 'carat' jewelers' weight. Industrial extraction of the galactomannan gum from the seed endosperm was developed in the early 20th century, and it is now codified as food additive E410.