# |  A |  B |  C |  D |  E |  F |  G |  H |  I |  J |  K |  L |  M |  N |  O |  P |  Q |  R |  S |  T |  U |  V |  W |  X |  Y |  Z  

cornstarch

A dense, powdery "flour" obtained from the endosperm portion of the corn kernel. Cornstarch is most commonly used as a thickening agent for puddings, sauces, soups, etc. Because it tends to form lumps, cornstarch is generally mixed with a small amount of cold liquid to form a thin paste before being stirred into a hot mixture. Mixing it with a granular solid like granulated sugar will also help it disperse into a liquid. Sauces thickened with cornstarch will be clear, rather than opaque, as with flour-based sauces. However, they will thin if cooked too long or stirred too vigorously. Cornstarch is also used in combination with flour in many European cake and cookie recipes; it produces a finer-textured, more compact product than flour alone. In British recipes, cornstarch is referred to as cornflour.
Comments
Burgundy4 
Sep. 8, 2009 6:49 pm
This is great to know, but what I really needed to know- are the recipes for corn starch thickining; such as- for Thin sauce Medium sauce Thick sauce They used to put it on the side of the corn starch box, now they don't. They state to use equal amount of corn starch to equal amount of liquid- this does Not work- I tried it, using 1/2 cup of corn starch to 1/2 cup of milk-- I could plaster my walls with that mixture. I was very lucky that my Mom had the recipe for the medium sauce from an old box of corn starch. Could it be that someone made a mistake? Or could I not be understanding the directions? I thought I knew what equal amounts mean, unless someone changed that too, when I wasn't looking. In case anyone else is looking for this: Medium White Sauce 1 Tbsp. corn starch 1 cup milk 2 Tbsp. Margerine 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper Stir constantly, until hot. I like serving this over mixed vegetables.
 
 
Something worth saving?

Register now to save all your favorites in your recipe box.

ADVERTISEMENT
 
Select Your Version:  United States  |  Canada  |  United Kingdom & Ireland  |  Australia & New Zealand  |  Germany  |  France  |  China  |  Japan  |  Quebec  |  SE Asia  |  Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions What's this?