Question
Sheral Schowe
Are there ways to make aqua faba last longer without falling apart?
Answer
So I'm pretty much assuming that everyone here knows what aquafaba is, but assuming isn't a good thing, so I'm going to tell you. Aquafaba is the liquid from cooking chickpeas. And she's asking specifically, are there ways to make it last longer without falling apart? And by falling apart, I believe what Cheryl means is after it's whipped, and it whips beautifully thick into a gorgeous meringue, as it sits, the liquid seeps out the bottom. So there really is no way to get around that, Cheryl, except make your aquafaba the right way. I reduce the liquid in a can by about a third. If I'm using aquafaba from cooked chickpeas, but dried chickpeas, which is what I generally do, cook the chickpeas with a piece of kombu seaweed, of course no salt and no herbs. And then reduce that liquid by at least a half until it's a bit more viscous. If you make your aquafaba ahead, you can make pavlova, you can make meringue cookies, or I do find that it holds-- We make baked Alaskas in this course. It's actually an assignment, and it's very popular because it's delicious. So a brownie, some vegan ice cream, and then aquafaba meringue on top. I find that I can put that in the freezer, and the aquafaba holds, and then I torch it just before I'm ready to use it. So I hope that helps you, Cheryl.
