Apple Cider Agar Gel Cubes Recipe

These gel cubes are super easy to put together and they make a great small bite for people to enjoy. The quality of the cider you use will directly relate to how good the gels turn out. Here in New England I can get great apple cider from many of the orchards around me but many stores sell high quality cider as well.

Agar gel cubes close

I usually like to coat these cubes in a cinnamon-sugar mixture for extra flavor and sweetness, but sometimes I like to leave them uncoated so the cider can really shine by itself. Once you add the sugar you have to serve them quickly. These cider gels can be served hot or cold because they are made using agar.

I call for 1.0% agar in this recipe but you can lower that if you'd like a softer gel. These gels are very brittle if you just use agar in them. If you prefer a more elastic and chewy gel you can replace some of the agar with locust bean gum.

In the video I dip the gel cubes in the sugar before putting them out. That works pretty good as long as you serve them quickly, but for longer parties I've found leaving a bowl of them out with toothpicks and a bowl of the sugar coating works great. That way people can use as much sugar as they want and the gels will be fine sitting out for several hours.

Modernist Tools, Ingredients, and Techniques Used

If you would like more information about the modernist techniques, ingredients, and equipment used in the apple cider agar gel cubes recipe you can check out the following.

Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.

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Apple Cider Agar Gel Cubes Recipe

  • Published: May 23, 2014
  • By Jason Logsdon
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Total Time: 30 Minutes
  • Makes: 25-50 Cubes

Apple Cider Agar Gel Cube Ingredients

Because they use modernist ingredients, these amounts are given in metric by weight. For more information on how to measure modernist ingredients check out this article.

For the Cider Gels

400g fresh apple cider
4g agar, 1.0%

For the Coating

100g sugar
10g cinnamon

Apple Cider Agar Gel Cube Instructions

Apple cider agar gel

For the Cider Gels

Blend the apple cider and agar together until well combined. Pour into a pot and bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Pour the cider mixture into a container and let it completely set. Once set, cube the gel. I prefer 13mm to 25mm (1/2" to 1") cubes but you can use any size you like, including other shapes.

To Assemble

Combine the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Either toss the gel cubes in the cinnamon sugar until coated well or leave them uncovered and set the bowl of coating out for your guests to dip themselves.

Place the cubes on a serving tray or in a bowl. You can either serve the cubes as finger food or provide toothpicks for people to use. If you pre-coat them they should be served within 10 minutes of coating.

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Jason logsdon headshot This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
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