Cornstarch. Common Questions.

What is Cornstarch?

Cornstarch, a white powdery substance extracted from the starchy endosperm of corn, is practically tasteless. It is an excellent ingredient for thickening puddings, soups and pie fillings and is also used in many good baked recipes. When added to cake, cookie, and shortbread recipes, cornstarch helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture.

Does cornstarch contain gluten? Is it vegan?

Corn itself is gluten-free and usually doesn't require any other ingredients to make it. The result is a pure cornstarch blend that does not include gluten. However, the substance may contain traces of it if produced in a facility that also manufactures gluten products. In this case, the disclaimer on the label should indicate the factory condition.

In vegan recipes, cornstarch is very common and widely used as a natural thickener in sauces and gravies, soups and creams, and crusting fried foods.

Harm to humans from cornstarch

Because cornstarch is not a natural, human-made product, the benefits of the mixture are often questioned. For this reason, as well as the lack of dietary fibre and high-calorie content, cornstarch in large quantities can lead to excess weight. Obesity, on the other hand, causes swelling of the internal organs, which can no longer perform their tasks in the same way. Starch is also harmful to people with individual intolerance to corn itself. Clinical manifestations are observed in the form of allergic reactions, respiratory failure, skin rashes and peeling. Cornstarch should not be consumed by people with high blood clotting and diseases of the digestive system.

What is the difference between cornstarch and cornflour?

Corn flour is made as follows: whole corn kernels are finely ground, and corn starch is made from only the corn's starchy portion.

Corn flour contains protein, fibre, starch, vitamins and microminerals, while cornstarch mainly includes carbohydrates.

The substances also differ in taste: corn flour has an earthy sweetish flavour that resembles whole grain bread, and cornstarch does not convey any flavour at all.

Some countries do not distinguish between these products by referring to cornstarch as a corn flour. Corn flour is commonly used for making bread and baked goods, and cornstarch is used as a thickener.

Fields of application of corn starch

While cornstarch is primarily used for making bread or as a thickener in gravies or sauces, there is a whole list of other uses for cornstarch. In fact, it is one of the most powerful eco-friendly remedies for many skin problems:

• Athlete's foot - a disease that causes an unpleasant odour due to a fungus that grows in the upper layer of the foot's skin. The fungus thrives in warm and humid places, which is why it often occurs in athletes who tend to sweat in their shoes. The ability of cornstarch to absorb moisture makes it an excellent preventative agent;

• Skin irritation - Cornstarch can be used as a soothing agent for skin irritations, including sunburn, skin allergies, chafing and diaper rash.

How to use cornstarch?

The cornstarch molecules are like little sponges. They absorb water and expand as they do so.

Cornstarch adds a glossy sheen to thickened liquids, so it is more commonly used in sweet sauces and pie fillings than in savoury sauces and gravies.

Easy to use: for every cup of liquid you need to thicken, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and an equal amount of cold liquid. Then you need to stir the mixture until a homogeneous paste is formed, and then beat in a hot boiling liquid that needs to be thickened. In order for the starchy taste to disappear, the mixture must be brought to a boil and immediately removed from the heat so that the starch does not collapse.

How much cornstarch should be used for thickening? How to control viscosity?

For thickening, corn starch is used in proportions of 1 tablespoon to 250-300 ml of cold liquid. If you need to thicken, for example, a sauce stronger, it is recommended to add ⅓ spoonfuls until it reaches the desired consistency

Can cornstarch replace baking powder?

Yes, indeed, cornstarch is capable of adopting the effect of the baking powder.

To make it, you need to mix 1 part citric acid, 2 parts baking soda, 4 parts cornstarch.

The resulting mixture is recommended to be used while kneading the dough with baking powder and flour proportions - 5 per 200 grams, respectively.

The shelf life of starch. Can it expire?

Cornstarch never goes bad. However, it should be kept tightly closed in a cool, dry place. Otherwise, it will absorb moisture and odours from nearby substances.

What can be used instead of cornstarch?

Cornstarch is a top-rated product in the kitchen, but it also tends to run out.

Plain flour and rice flour contain about half the cornstarch's thickening power, so for every tablespoon of cornstarch required, there are two tablespoons of flour. This is quite budgetary, but the substance will need twice as much.

Potato starch has the same thickening ability as corn starch, but dishes with it are stored for a short time after cooking.