Natural Gums and Thickeners

The Old Mill
by Umborne Bridge
Dolphin Street
Colyton
Devon EX24 6LU
enquiries@tree-harvest.com
01297 552977

TREE-HARVEST CATALOGUE
Revised May 2022
NATURAL VEGETABLE GUMS AND THICKENERS

Natural gums are polysaccharides of natural origin, found most often in the woody element of a plant or in seed coatings or from marine botanicals. Gums are used for thickening, gelling, emulsifying, encapsulating and stabilizing in the food and confectionary industries. They are also used as adhesives, binding, clarifying, swelling, (etc) agents in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, paint and printing industries, as they cause a large increase in the viscosity of a solution.  

In cooking, gums can be used to thicken liquids and prevent clumping in powdered beverages when reconstituting the powder into a liquid. They also supply fibre, which may be soluble or insoluble. They can take on the function of gluten in gluten free products, improving texture and crumb. Gums can also be used to prevent individual ingredients from separating and can improve the texture of low fat products. When used as food additives, they are allocated E numbers under the EU Directive 95/2/EC (Feb 1995), which provides a definition for their applications.

Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
Gelling  agents are substances which give a foodstuff texture through formation of a gel.
Thickeners are substances which increase the viscosity of a foodstuff.
Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff, they include substances which help to maintain a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff and include also substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff.

* Denotes produced to ecological standards and free from agro-chemicals
Derived from Seaweeds
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Agar Agar Extract of Red Algae 2.95 4.90 8.35 18.40 33.40
Agar agar became popular several years ago but has been around for many years. It is commonly used in many vegan dessert recipes as it has a gelatinous texture. It is derived from red algae, normally Gelidium anasii, which like most seaweeds, has few calories, no sugar or fat, and a small quantity of fibre. Additive E406.


Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Irish Moss Chondrus crispus 3.20 5.30 9.10 20.05 36.5
Irish Moss Powder Chondrus crispus 3.35 5.60 9.65 21.30 38.85
In parts of Scotland and Ireland, Irish Moss or Chondrus crispus is boiled in milk and strained, before sugar and other flavourings such as vanilla, cinnamon, brandy, or whisky are added. The end-product is a kind of jelly similar to panna cotta, tapioca, or blancmange. Carrageenan is extracted from Irish Moss, which is used as a thickening or emulsifying agent in many food products. Additive E407.
Derived from Trees
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Apple Pectin 3.65 6.20 10.80 24.10 44.10
Pectin is a type of fibre found in all plant cell walls and tissues. There is a particularly high amount of pectin in apples. It is water soluble and has a gel-forming effect when mixed with water.
Pricing in GBP £ 100g 250g 500g
Coconut Flour, Organic 1.20 2.15 3.50
Pectin is a type of fibre found in all plant cell walls and tissues. There is a particularly high amount of pectin in apples. It is water soluble and has a gel-forming effect when mixed with water.
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Gum Arabic Powder 1.70 2.55 4.15 8.60 15.35
Acacia gum is a wound-protective colloid exuded through the bark of stems and branches of the Acacia tree - it is produced naturally as large nodules during a process called gummosis. Acacia senegal is found in Sudan and the northern Sahara and is the main source of gum arabic, which has been used for over 2,000 years in paints and watercolours. The substance is also used in the confectionary, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, for calico printing, dyeing, and in making silk and paper. It is an emulsifier (thickner and stabiliser). Additive E414
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Gum Ghatti 3.10 5.10 8.75 19.05 34.70
The Anogeissus tree is the source of "Indian gum", also known as Gum Ghatti.
2.60 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Locust Bean Powder 2.60 4.30 7.40 16.25 29.65
Additive E410 from the seeds of the carob tree.

Derived by Fermentation of Plant Sugars
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Xanthan Gum 1.70 2.55 4.15 8.75 15.60
Additive E412, from bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. It is a stabiliser (thickener) and a gelatine and gluten substitute.
Derived from Plants
Pricing in GBP £ 50g 100g 250g 500g
Arrowroot 1.05 1.45 2.6 4.35
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (root stock) of several tropical plants, including the Obedience Plant (or West Indian Arrowroot) Maranta arundinacea, and the cassava plant, Manihot esculenta. It is a white flavourless powder, which can be used as a thickner or clear gel. There is no gluten in arrowroot flour, so it is a useful replacement for wheat flour.
Pricing in GBP £ 100g 250g 500g 1kg
Chia Seeds, Organic Salvia hispanica 1.40 2.65 4.45 8.15
Chia Seeds Salvia hispanica 1.15 2.05 3.20 5.55
Chia seeds can be soaked and used whole as a gelatine replacement - it is a tasteless, versatile gelling agent. Alternatively milled chia (chia flour) can be used in place of cornflour in any recipe - in smoothies, oatmeal products, bread, granola, or other baked goods and desserts. 
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g 1kg
Psyllium Husk Plantago ovata 1.35 1.95 3.05 6.15 10.85 19.65
Psyllium Husk, Organic Plantago ovata 1.50 2.20 3.50 7.20 12.70 23.25
Psyllium Husk Powder Plantago ovata 1.35 1.95 3.05 6.15 10.85 19.65
Psyllium Husk Powder, Organic Plantago ovata 1.50 2.20 3.50 7.20 12.70 23.25
Psyllium husk is a popular plant-based fibre, which is nearly calorie-free. Psyllium is almost tasteless, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, and aids digestion. A small amount can be used as a thickener in soups, stews, smoothies, baked goods, and homemade sauces. It can also be used for bread making, in vegan salad dressings or can be added to beverages for extra fibre.
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Tragacanth Gum 1.95 2.95 4.90 10.35 18.65
From the sap of Astragalus shrub - Astragalus gummifer. It is an emulsifier (thickner and stabiliser). Additive E413.
Pricing in GBP £ 25g 50g 100g 250g 500g
Guar Gum Powder 1.50 2.10 3.45 7.10 12.65
The guar bean, or cluster bean, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It was domesticated in India and Pakistan, where it has been cultivated for centuries and where main cultivation occurs now. The seeds in the bean are used to produce the powder. Additive E412
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