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How is Potato Starch Made? Potatoes are well known for their healthy carbohydrates. Also known as ‘Starch’ (Polysaccharide), this side of a raw potato can be turned into a completely different ingredient. ‘Potato Starch’ is extracted from crushed, raw potatoes. The starch grain is released from the destroyed cells and either separated through a hydro-cyclone or dried out on its own as a solution. After this process, the once potatoes, become a white, powdery potato flour, full of spherical granules. Is Potato Starch Gluten-Free? Since potatoes are a root vegetable, organic potato starch is naturally gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in the wheat plant and other types of grain, meaning they have no connection to one another. Those who suffer from ‘Coeliac’ disease, or choose to live a gluten-free diet can use potato starch as a wheat-free flour in lots of cooking recipes. How Does Potato Starch Work? Potato Starch in general, is used to make things like- pasta, bread, tortillas, pastries, noodles, and cereal grains. However, it has other uses too. The ingredient can be used as a thickener (sauces, soups, stews, and desserts) as well as a creamy batter for frying and baking sweet and savoury foods. Paste- Thickening Agent You can easily make wet potato starch at home. To use potato starch as a thickener, you start by dissolving your starch granules in cold water. This will allow your starch to become a smooth gel when it is gelatinised. NOTE: Not dispersing the starch in cold water at the start of your cooking could leave you with a clumpy gel as your overall thickener. After leaving the particles in cold water, you can heat them up in hot water, or whatever liquid you are cooking at that point in time. Potato starch has a better water-capacity (great for doughs) than its contender- Cornstarch. Potato Starch leaves you with a gel that is more translucent, silkier, and has a more neutral flavouring compared to corn. However, this starch has a lower gelatinization temperature, so it thickens quicker when it is hotter. NOTE: Keep an eye on your heat, if the temperature is too hot for too long, the potato starch will not absorb the water properly and its binding effect will be ineffective. Leave thickening to the end of your cooking so it has a perfect short period of heat. Crispiness In baking and frying, less is more. Adding potato starch gradually to your cooking will allow for a good structure and smooth texture overall. Adding too much too quickly (or too much in general) will give the starch a very crumbly texture, making its connectivity rubbish! It has been said that potato starch is better than cornstarch for frying, as it gives you a crispier result and for longer too. You can use the starch outright in your frying and baking, or you can make a creamy batter with it too. Potato Starch Uses As well as using potato starch in our everyday cooking, it can be used in other departments too. In the everyday food industry, potato starch is found in canned soups, savoury sauces, pie fillings, and even mayonnaise. They are a great additive to dishes that are refrigerated or frozen because it stops the meals from separating when they are chilled and cooked. Within the sweet world, potato starch is becoming a new hit for plant-based sugar confectionaries. Its excellent gelatinization properties work well in commercialised desserts like- custard, puddings, mousse, pastry, and cakes. It is seen as sustainable and more appealing by customers as it is gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan. Potato Starch vs Potato Flour Now that we know specifically what Potato Starch is, it is important to know the difference between that, and Potato Flour. Though they may look similar there are clear differences. Potato starch is made by crushing potatoes, activating the starch grain, before then drying out the remaining potato into small granules. Potato flour involves removing the skin, mashing them, drying them out, blending them and then keeping them in an air tight container. A main difference between the two, is that potato starch is simply ‘Starch’ extracted from the potatoes. Whereas Potato Flour is flour made from whole potatoes. Potato flour has a higher number of proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, and nutrients because it is made from the vegetable itself. With potato starch only being an extract, it contains less health benefits. Where Can You Buy Potato Starch? When looking to buy this ingredient, Potato Starch can be found in most supermarkets. You have to look for them in substitute/alternative food aisles, or the baking section, but many shops sell the starch product. If you are looking for a definite seller- flour shops, whole food shops, healthy food shops, and farm shops should sell potato starch, specifically organic potato starch. Another option is looking for healthy food online, through baking ingredient suppliers. These shops tend to have more options for ingredients and sell them in bigger bulks. This can be helpful if you are planning to create lots of potato starch recipes, or just want to invest in gluten-free potato starch for its wheat-free aspect.

Food lovers aka foodies are those people who simply love to eat. They often love to cook and bake as well. But be aware, they won't eat anything. Foodies often focus on the best quality foods and the best cooking ingredients. So when you want to offer them a gift, let it be the best foods you can find. Foodies will appreciate a Christmas hamper filled with organic produce, vegetables and fruits, whole foods, organic nuts, fermented foods, quality condiments and pickles, organic olive oil and premium herbs and spices. What to add to a foodie Christmas hamper? Here's the list of products you can be assure, a food lover will love! Rare whole foods & grains Wild rice, freekeh, kasha Wholegrain pasta & noodles wholegrain pasta in different shapes, Italian pasta, Japanese noodles Organic oils & quality vinegars Organic olive oil is always great gift option for a foodie. The best organic olive oil available on the market are Greek olive oil and Portuguese olive oil. There are also some speciality rare oils such as pumpkin seed oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, sesame seed oil and peanut oil as well as a good quality Balsamic vinegar will make a perfect addition to a foodie hamper. Organic nuts Organic almonds, macadamia, pistachios, chestnuts, whole walnuts Organic dried fruits Medjoul dates, dried Mediterranean figs, dried apricots, organic prunes, sultanas Premium herbs and spices Organic herbs: organic oregano, organic Basil, organic rosemary, organic bay leaves, organic thyme, organic sage Organic spices: Ceylon cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, organic black pepper, star anise, cardamon, organic chilli, chilli flakes, Harissa paste, varieties of miso, green, red and yellow curry paste, tandoori Salt Pink Himalayan salt, Kala Namal - black salt, Sea salt, Flor de Sal Pickles and fermented foods Kimchi is many flavours, sauerkraut in different versions, beetroot pickles, cucumber pickles, kombucha Organic tea & coffee Matcha powder, organic roasted coffee beans, 100% Arabica coffee beans, organic green tea, organic Earl Grey, fruit infusions, hibiscus flour

A warm drink ritual best accompanies cold winter evenings. Whether it's a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate, it always makes you feel good. As we are approaching the Christmas holiday season, perhaps it's time to consider adding some spices to your drinks. A nice cup of chai latte or a glass of mulled wine is the perfect pairing with sofa time or fireplace in the evening. What is mulled wine? Mulled wine is sweet, warmed red wine mixed with winter spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and citrus fruit peel. There is a mulled wine tradition in nearly every European country where it's particularly popular during Christmas time when the nights are the longest. This is when people like to gather on Christmas markets and enjoy a cup of this warming drink while outside watching festive decorations and enjoying Christmas songs and special treats. Mulled wine goes by many names, like glögg in Scandinavia, gluhwein in Germany and Austria, vin chaud in France, and grzane wino in Poland. These days you can buy it in many supermarkets, but it is also easy to make at home. What do you need to make mulled wine at home? When making mulled wine at home, you need to prepare a large pot and a bottle of some good wine. The wine should be fruity, slightly sweet and not too dry. You can also add some extra vermouth - which will add some bitter-sweetness. The essential ingredients are the Christmas spices, so your mulled wine is intense in flavour. What spices do you add to mulled wine? To make delicious mulled wine at home, you need: dried lemon zest, dried orange zest, cloves, Ceylon cinnamon sticks, dried ginger, brown sugar, star anise, whole allspice. Homemade Mulled Wine Recipe 1 bottle of red wine 1 cup of sweet vermouth 1 cup brown sugar 1-2 lemon zest (or dried orange peel) 1-2 orange zest (or dried lemon peel) 12 cloves 4 cinnamon sticks 4 dried ginger pieces 4 cardamon seeds 4 star anise 10 whole allspice Method: In a large pot, mix all the ingredients. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the sugar dissolves in the liquid. Remove the spices and dried fruit before serving. Drink warm!