Arrowroot Powder - 2.75 Ounce Jar
Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a white, easy to digest, gluten-free starch. This flavorless powder is produced from the dried rhizomes of the obedience plant. A large perennial herb indigenous to the West Indies, arrowroot was introduced by the English to most of their colonies in the tropics and today is grown in much of the world. Arrowroot Powder is used primarily as a thickening agent for puddings, sauces, and gravy. It has twice the thickening capacity of flour and thickens at a lower temperature. Unlike flour and cornstach, arrowroot is not weakened by acidic ingredients and is is very smooth in its consistency.Arrowroot does not mix well with dairy, forming a slimy mixture. Mix arrowroot with a cool water before adding to hot fluids. Sauces, puddings and gravies thickened with arrowroot should only be heated until the mixture thickens and removed immediately from the heat. Overheating tends to break down arrowroot's thickening property. Substitute two teaspoons of arrowroot for one tablespoon of cornstarch, or one teaspoon of arrowroot for one tablespoon of wheat flour. The lack of gluten in arrowroot flour makes it increasingly useful as a replacement for wheat flour in baking. Like other pure starches, however, arrowroot is almost pure carbohydrate and devoid of protein, thus it does not equal wheat flour nutritionally.