When i make gravy or stew what can i use instead of flour to thicken it. I have some of the Atkins bake mix can i use that? what about corn startch?

Thanks.

Carrie-Ann

hi CarrieAnn,

I moved your post to the Kitchen forum, where recipe-minded gurus hang out

Atkins bake-mix or any other mix that has soy flour as a base will give unsatisfactory results .. not very much thickening power and a funny taste. Nothing really thickens like flour or starch ... but they are so carby ... all-purpose flour is 5.5g per Tbsp, cornstarch is 7g per Tbsp.

There are some products with thickening abilities ... xanthan gum is sold in health food stores, and at Bulk Barn, with the "allergic" baking supplies. It's expensive, but a little goes a long way .. 1 tsp will thicken 2 or 3 cups of liquid. It has a tendency to go lumpy, but the lumps will dissolve if you keep stirring. Xanthan gum has carbs, but they're all soluble fiber. Note: xanthan gum will thicken both hot and cold things.

There's a product by ExpertFoods called Not/Starch. It's a blend of fiber-gums that thicken very nicely without lumping. It's expensive too, but again a little goes a long way. They have a US website http://www.expertfoods.com/ with lots of info about the product. In Canada, we can order from the Lowcarb Co-op ... just scroll down to the Lowcarb Products Discussions, and click on the Low-Carb Co-op. Look for IslandGirl .. or click here to open a new window.

Doreen

There is also a product called Thicken Thin Not Starch. I bought it but haven't used it yet. Plan to make sausage gravy in the morning and see how it works. Will let you know.

I really like guar gum - you buy it as a powder in bulk stores or specialty or health food stores. Mixes easily with hot or cold liquids & start with 1/4 tsp as it thickens a LOT of liquid. And it too is all fibre.

I use sour cream as a thickener. I like the tart taste and the creamy texture. I use it for gravies, but it should work for stew too.

I've used cream cheese, and I've heard that Arrow Root powder works just like corn starch, it has 6.7 effective carbs per tablespoon which is only slightly less (0.3 g) than corn starch.

I've used St. Vincent's Arrowroot for years, and it works well, but you need at least a half a tsp. to thicken up a reasonable quantity of gravy for two. Slightly more efficient than corn starch, but not a huge improvement. I'm planning to try guar gum as soon as I can find some...assuming it's not as pricey as the Thick'n'Thin product!

Can I ask a dumb question.... why not just use flour or cornstarch? At 5.5 per tbsp for flour or 7 for corn starch isn't that minimal when you make something like stew and you will have a bowl of it? Or am I really having more carbs than I think I am?

No answer to this? I was just wondering the exact same thing...

Sso, I wonder if, in this case, the difference in the thickeners isn't so much in the carbs, but the insulin response.

Anyone know?

My question is, what are you putting Gravy on if you can't have biscuits or potatoes?

You can slather gravy all over mashed cauliflower and whatever meat created the gravy. The initial question was about thickening stews too.

Two of my favorite techniques for thickening are using well cooked and pureed cauliflower, or cream cheese or a combination of both. Just add a little at a time until you get the right consistency.
Yes, it's the quality of the carbohydrates. That, and some peoples bottom line with low-carbing does not include refined grains or sugar. Any amount can set them off and they've learned by experience.

Karen

I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to check back on this thread.

I've always used Arrowroot by preference because it's what my family used when I was first learning to cook, I always ended up with smoother gravies using it, and it always seemed easier for me just to grab the bottle out of the spicerack, instead of digging out the flour...particularly if the flour needed sifting.

So, I guess my honest answer to the question is probably a combination of habit and laziness!