how stable is whipping with methocel?

Just out of curiostity... after whipping some lemonade for another banquet function, I put some of the left-over whip in the freezer overnight.

There was absolutely no loss of volume during the freezing process.  In fact, after thawing the frozen lemonade whip at room temp, it had the same volume, texture, and flavor as it did before freezing.  Interesting.

How was the texture of the frozen whip... icy, crunchy, with a slight 'hydrocolloid slime' mouthfeel... probably moreso than with unfrozen whipped lemonade.  I'm thinking this is because of a more marginal difference in the texture of ice with the methocel as compared to unfrozen whip.  I'm not sure how to get around that unless adding a fatty element will disguise the mouthfeel of the methocel.  Maybe.

Comments

[foodplayer]

not surprizing, as methocel is used in food processing to stabilize freeze/thaw.
What kind of MC are you using? SGA has the highest viscosity, with the A variety close behind. Try using the F or K variety, which has lower viscosity and softer set and is used to stabilize whipped toppings.

[Josh]

We've been playing with whipping Methocel lately too. I realize all Methocel types behave differently but do you follow a standard hydration time when applying the Methocel to a cold liquid?

[chadzilla]

I don't usually time it since all liquids are different, but it can take upwards to 20 minutes or more hitting it periodically with an immersion blender.
I look for 'signs' that the liquid is ready... when blending if large air bubbles begin to randomly surface with a skin strong enough to hold the air, I blend for another few minutes then transfer to a mixer to whip it.

[Josh]

Thanks for the reply. Next question- are some Methocel's better for use in the deep fryer? We've now tried F50, A15 & PA1356 and all of them will make a nice warm wippped cloud in the oven but seem to melt away quickly in the fryer (the PA1356 worked best but still couldnt stand the fryer for more than a few seconds). Also, in regards to the MC tempura, I'm curious why you chose Tapioca starch. I found the flavor of the Tapioca to be more pronounced in the final product than when I used corn starch, which has very little flavor.