Gelatine is a collagen used in cooking derived from either veal, beef or pork. Gelatine sets completely below 4°C and melts at 35°C giving it a velvety mouthfeel that is difficult to replicate, although vegetarian substitutes – such as agar agar – are becoming more widely available.
Gelatine comes in four grades: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Each grade of gelatine has a different strength or ‘bloom’, with bronze the weakest and platinum the strongest. This can become quite confusing but fortunately the sheet size in which gelatine is sold is adjusted accordingly, with a stronger bloom meaning a slightly smaller sheet size, meaning that sheet for sheet all grades have the same setting properties.
Bronze gelatine is the most commonly used grade in commercial kitchens whilst platinum grade is normally sold in supermarkets in packs of 15 leaves. 1 sheet of gelatine will set around 100ml liquid to a soft setting.