Cornstarch

Cornstarch is a fine white powder made from corn. It's used to thicken sauces, custards and blancmanges, as well as being mixed with alternative wheat free flours in general baking. Because it is tasteless it doesn't change the flavour of the recipe being made.

Pure cornstarch is wheat and gluten free which makes it the ideal thickening agent for wheat allergy/intolerance and gluten free cooking.

Usage:

Follow the instructions provided on the packaging for perfect results, or adapt to personal needs for recipes. But generally one teaspoon of cornstarch can be substituted for one tablespoon of wheat flour when thickening a sauce or gravy.

Cooking:

Before cornstarch can be used as a thickener in wet mixtures it needs to be mixed with a small amount of fluid to form a smooth paste. This will ensure that it doesn't form lumps in the sauce or recipe it is being used for when added.

Once the cornstarch powder is fluidised then mix it with the sauce or recipe it is being added to and heat, the sauce, gravy or custard will then thicken, if it is overheated then it will start to thin again.

If it is being added to dry ingredients simply mix it into the other ingredients so it is well combined before adding any wet ingredients.

Storing:

Store in an airtight container in a dry atmosphere otherwise the cornstarch will end up in a solid lump.

Alternative name:

Cornflour

Alternative types:

Wheaten cornflour - made from wheat and definitely not to be used in wheat or gluten free cooking

Nutritional information:

Typical values per 100g of product
Energy - 377 kcal
Protein - 0.6g
Carbohydrate (total) - 92g
Carbohydrate (sugars) - trace
Fat (total) - 0.7g
Fat (saturated) - 0.1g
Dietary fibre - 0.1g
Sodium - 0.1g