Types of thickeners: how to use starch and pectin

Napkins always play a big role in table setting; they also look beautiful without a festive table; with them, the house looks cozier and warmer, especially when the napkin is knitted by the hands of the homemaker.

A starched napkin will look much more beautiful and elegant; it can be shaped, it will have a finished, impeccable look. Those who think that starching various things in our time is irrelevant and old-fashioned are mistaken.

This method is still a necessity now; starched things look much more beautiful and elegant. This is not difficult to do, the process is not labor-intensive and takes a little time, the main thing is to know how to starch correctly . There are several ways to make any napkin look perfect and elegant.

Cooking features

The required consistency for jelly is given by the starch added to their recipe or a substance that can perform its function - corn starch or cereal flour (oats, rice, flax).
But in order to get the desired density of the drink, you need to follow the prescription dosages - how much thickener to add. The method of cooking jelly from starch so that it turns out liquid differs only in its proportion. Even inexperienced housewives can cope with this task. Knowing how to properly cook jelly from starch, you can adjust its consistency yourself. According to standard standards - for 1 liter of jelly, how much starch needs to be diluted are the following indicators:

1. Liquid jelly is prepared from 1 tbsp. l. starch.
2. The amount of starch for medium-thick jelly is 2 tbsp. l.
3. For thick jelly, add 4 tbsp. l. starch.

There are many ways to prepare jelly from starch and berries. But the best is still considered to be ready-made juice, on the basis of which the drink is brewed. It's fast, tasty and natural.

One of the most common recipes among housewives is how to cook thick jelly from starch and juice:

Take 1 liter of juice. Add 2-3 tbsp to 750 ml of juice. l. Sahara. The amount may vary depending on the sweetness of the berry. Boil the juice. While the berry syrup is boiling, dilute 2 tbsp in 1 glass of cold juice. l

potato starch. Carefully pour the starch mixture into the boiling syrup and bring to a boil, turn off. Leave until cool.

The method for diluting starch for jelly can be different: it can be diluted in the base of the drink - juice or compote, milk, or in cold water. Some housewives use a less troublesome method - how to dilute starch for jelly. They simply add it to the liquid composition immediately, but increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.

It is very important how much starch is needed for jelly prepared for small children. According to the technological map compiled for preschool institutions, no more than 1.5 g of starch should be added per 100 g of finished product.

The recipe for jelly with starch and juice allows you to prepare a very aromatic, tasty and equally healthy dessert.

Why does diarrhea occur?

Diarrhea is an upset stomach in the form of frequent loose stools, characterized by large loss of fluid. The appearance of diarrhea often indicates the appearance of some problems in the body:

• pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
• viral infections;
• food or chemical intoxication;
• uncontrolled use of medications;
• autoimmune diseases;
• cancerous tumors.

The pathological condition is dangerous due to dehydration. When used correctly, folk recipes for diarrhea are considered absolutely harmless to health. One of the popular methods of getting rid of frequent, watery stools is starch, which can improve a person’s well-being and eliminate symptoms in a short time.

Traditional healers often advise treating digestive tract disorders with potato starch, however, if diarrhea becomes chronic, this method can only reduce symptoms, but not get rid of the cause.

Blouses and shirts turn to stone: how to starch fabric with a solution, PVA glue and gelatin

Alina Borisova Author of the site Moy-clean.ru

Starching fabric is not as popular today as it used to be. When our grandmothers were young, every self-respecting housewife considered it important to starch certain types of clothing (blouses, shirts), and the need for this procedure for bed linen and tablecloths was not discussed at all.

Starched items retain their presentable appearance and freshness longer due to the elasticity acquired during the processing process. Unfortunately, due to the completely different style and rhythm of modern life, today not every housewife knows how to starch fabric.

Three ways

At home, fabric can be starched in three ways. The choice of the optimal one depends on the type of fabric and the purpose of the product:

The soft way. Used for dresses, blouses and bed linen made of thin, delicate fabrics: muslin, cambric and the like.

Semi-hard way. It is used for starching men's shirts, as well as napkins and tablecloths. In this case, a solution of a higher concentration is required: at the rate of a full tablespoon of starch per liter of water.

The cuffs and collars of shirts are starched using a harsh method. To do this, the concentration of the solution must be even higher - you will need at least two tablespoons of starch per liter of water.

Starch solution

For the first two methods, the recipe for preparing the starch mixture is the same, the only difference is in the amount of starch brewed.

We start by diluting the starch in cool water. Then the resulting mixture is poured into boiling water in a thin stream, while stirring it. You should try to stir continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. The finished solution should be transparent. If it is a little cloudy, you should boil it a little more and add water.

Stir and allow to cool to a moderately warm state, then immerse the product in the solution.

If the fabric is to be starched in a harsh way, borax, that is, sodium boric salt, is added to the solution. A teaspoon of borax is diluted separately in a small amount of hot water and added to the completely prepared solution, stirring thoroughly and letting it brew for at least two hours.

Alternative option

Sugar. Syrup is boiled from it, which serves as a solution that gives the product rigidity and the desired shape.

When the syrup boils, add starch previously diluted in cold water. The mixture must be stirred constantly to prevent the formation of lumps. The product is dipped into the resulting mass, left for a while, then removed, squeezed out and given the desired shape. The disadvantage of this method is that the product cannot be wetted, so after washing the procedure will have to be repeated.

PVA glue can be used to starch both knitted items and fabric for various types of needlework.

To do this, prepare a water-adhesive solution in the proportion: one part of glue to one or two parts of water, depending on the thickness of the PVA. The product is dipped into the solution or coated with it, given its final shape and allowed to dry completely.

The gelatin method is also “disposable”. To use it, you should soak one spoon of gelatin in cold water. After swelling, you need to bring the volume of water to 200-250 grams and heat it. When the gelatin has completely dissolved, the solution is ready to form the product.

For some types of needlework, starching fabric is an integral part of the process of creating a product. For example, for making flowers, the methods described above are the most acceptable and convenient.

It is only necessary to vary the saturation of the solution depending on the type of fabric.

The principle usually works: the thinner the fabric, the stronger the starch solution should be.

Do not forget that all fabrics and products are subject to starch, with the exception of:

• underwear, since starching makes things airtight, which is unhygienic;
• dark and black things: starch leaves whitish marks on them;
• products whose fabric contains synthetic fiber.

How to restore thickened glue

The paste, placed in a cold place, can be stored for up to 5 days. However, it may become too thick. This will make it difficult to apply the composition to the wallpaper, increase consumption, and reduce the quality of gluing the material. But do not rush to throw away the thickened paste. Adding a small amount of hot water will help revive it.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Remove the crust that has formed from the surface of the paste. If this is not done, it will turn into lumps.
3. Then, with constant stirring, pour boiling water into the paste. Add water gradually, controlling the consistency of the paste.
4. Cool the cooked mixture slightly and strain it to remove any lumps formed during thickening.

If mold has formed in the thickened paste after storage, it should be thrown away. Restoring such a composition will not prevent the growth of fungus, and pathogenic microorganisms will multiply under the pasted wallpaper.

Paste is a cheap, healthy and at the same time very effective adhesive composition. If the preparation technology is followed, it firmly fixes paper, non-woven and vinyl wallpaper on most surfaces. For paper-based finishing materials, this is an ideal product.

The composition is safe and does not cause negative reactions in the body. They can be used for wallpapering in the rooms of allergy sufferers and small children. The pasted material, if necessary, can be easily removed from the surfaces after a little moistening.

How to make potato starch

If you want to make starchy powder with your own hands, it is important to choose the appropriate fruits, follow the recipe and carry out all the actions that are usually performed in production

How to choose potatoes

At home, potato starch is made from fruits that contain a large amount of this substance - from 20-25% and above. This indicator is influenced by the variety of root crop. The most starchy varieties are Lorch, Woltman, etc. A large amount of the final product is obtained from them.

Advertisements

Innovative shovel "Harvest"

To correctly select potatoes with a high starch content, cut the root crop in half and carry out simple experiments:

• Rub the cut of the tuber onto the palm of your hand. If there is a lot of starch, a powdering effect is felt on the skin;
• The cut potatoes are left in the air for 20-30 minutes. When moisture evaporates, a starchy film forms on the cut surface. The faster it appears, the more useful substance in the tuber.

Potato connoisseurs note: brown-skinned potato tubers have a high starch content. This root vegetable quickly crumbles when cooked. It makes an excellent puree.

You cannot get starch from spoiled, frozen potatoes. The beneficial substances in it turn into sugars, which dissolve in water. Small root vegetables are not suitable for this. These potatoes have a lot of fiber and a starch content of 8-10%.

Potato starch contains several components important for digestion. Among them are carbohydrates, proteins, saccharides, etc. The loose white, tasteless powder contains useful minerals: calcium, potassium, phosphorus.

Types of starch

Despite the large number of products with a pronounced starch content, only three main types are popular. They are not difficult to find in stores and can be made at home.

1. Potato starch is the most common and easily accessible type of starch. Almost any potato is suitable for obtaining such a product, with the exception of young vegetables.
2. Corn – corn-based starch. It is most often used in cooking, unlike potato. It has a lower degree of thickening, so its baked goods are more airy.
3. Wheat - made from wheat. It is used quite rarely, but the taste of wheat starch is superior to potato starch. Therefore, it is used to prepare various dishes and improve their quality.

Recipe for delicious jelly based on jelly made from starch and berries

By playing with the amount of starch used, you can prepare not only a drink - jelly, but also jelly-jelly or delicious jelly jelly, mousse. For example, on a curd and sour cream base you can make jelly-jelly.

To prepare it, just take 200 ml. sour cream and 400 gr. Cottage cheese. Mix sour cream with cottage cheese and set aside in a container. In the meantime, take gelatin, 20 g is enough. And dilute it in a small amount of warm water.

We start cooking the jelly in the same way as in the first recipe. When the jelly is ready, add 150 grams of sour cream to the curd. Sahara. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for a few minutes. Then add gelatin, infused and swollen in water, and infused jelly to the mixture and begin pouring the resulting liquid into molds. Silicone or any metal molds are useful for this purpose.

Then we put the molds with the liquid in the refrigerator and wait for it to completely harden. When time passes and the jelly poured into the molds hardens, you can call your family to the table and serve a dish of jelly.

It can be served either in molds in which the solidification process took place, or by turning the molds over and placing the jelly jelly on beautiful plates. I am sure you will use this recipe more than once, and each of your preparations will bring you the glory of a chef.

Some tips

Even preparing such a simple drink has its own little tricks. Starch must be dissolved in a small amount of cold liquid and then added to the total mass. Only in this case will the homemade jelly be homogeneous, without lumps. When you pour the starch into the pan, continuously stir its contents so that it is evenly distributed throughout the entire mass.

After adding starch, boil the jelly for no more than a minute. Otherwise, the substance will break down into glucose, and the drink will be too liquid. When choosing a container, give preference to enamel pans and never aluminum ones. Many fruits can change their color from exposure to this metal.

Stage 1: preparatory

During the work of both a cook and a medical worker, the uniform, including the cap, inevitably gets dirty. We carefully inspect the product for stains. If there are any, then first of all you need to get rid of them.

Removing stains

Ordinary hydrogen peroxide works very well to remove stains on white fabric. Apply the product to the stain and leave for a while, preferably in the sun. Another option is baking soda plus vinegar. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda onto the stain and carefully pour table vinegar on top to produce a chemical reaction. And leave it for several hours. You can also use a store-bought stain remover. After the stain removal procedure, the cap must be washed thoroughly.

Important: the headdress must be absolutely clean

Starch solution

There are several options for substances used for starching:

1. potato starch
2. PVA glue
3. food gelatin

Important: do not use sugar, it can attract insects. The most popular potato starch

But before you start making the paste, you need to decide what degree of rigidity the product needs. For soft fixation, per liter of water - a teaspoon of starch. For medium - one tablespoon. Two tablespoons of starch - for rigid fixation

The most popular is potato starch. But before you start making the paste, you need to decide what degree of rigidity the product needs. For soft fixation, per liter of water - a teaspoon of starch. For medium - one tablespoon. Two tablespoons of starch - for rigid fixation.

Next, you need to mix the selected amount of potato starch with a small amount of cold water. Mix until smooth. At the same time, boil the rest of the water. And pour hot water into the starch mixture in a thin stream while stirring constantly. Some sources recommend boiling the solution for 3 minutes after this, until transparent. The prepared solution must be cooled to room temperature before use.

How to starch individual parts and small things?

To starch a bow, chef's hat, or other small wardrobe item, you should prepare a concentrated solution.

1. Dissolve 60-70 g of powder in 200 ml of water;
2. pour the mixture into 0.5 liters of boiling water;

When the liquid has cooled, you will need to starch things in it for 15-20 minutes. After this, they are carefully squeezed out and given the desired shape. Once dry, the fabric will become stiff. To starch shirt cuffs or collar, you will also need a concentrated mixture. Individual items of clothing are not soaked in liquid, but treated with a brush. When the starched collar dries, iron it several times with a hot iron.

Advice! You can make your own starch spray: pour the cooled mixture into a spray bottle and spray it liberally onto the fabric.

Preparatory stage of starching

Before starching the cap, as well as any other product, it must be washed well. Make sure there are no stubborn stains or streaks on the fabric. If there are any, remove them with hydrogen peroxide or a ready-made stain remover, and then wash the cap thoroughly again.

Another effective method of dealing with stains on the cap is the use of soda and table vinegar. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda onto the stain and pour vinegar on top to create a chemical reaction. Let the product work for several hours, or better yet, overnight. After this, the product must be washed by hand or in an automatic machine as usual.

Your cap is now ready for starching. Let's get started!

How to calculate the proportions of the paste?

The first step of starching is cooking the so-called starch paste. To do this, you should prepare the following ingredients in advance:

• water;
• potato starch;
• enamel or glass container;
• stick or spoon to stir the mixture.

Also at this point you need to decide how much starch you want to starch the cap? What degree of stiffness and density of the fabric do you plan to obtain?

To achieve the maximum possible rigidity of the product, you will need more starch and less liquid. In this case, the ratio of ingredients will be as follows - 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of starch.

For medium-hard starch, one tablespoon of potato starch will be enough for the same volume of water. The cap will become soft if you treat it with a paste consisting of one liter of water and 1 teaspoon of starch.

Paste cooking procedure

Making the paste is quite simple. The main thing is to know some important nuances of the process. Pour the starch into the dishes prepared in advance and gradually pour in cool water in a thin stream. During this time, stir the mixture constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Attention: add liquid to dry starch until you obtain a mass similar in thickness to sour cream. The rest of the water should be boiled and only then poured into the existing mixture

If you wish, you can stop here. As practice shows, it is excellent to starch a cap using this solution. However, more often the almost finished paste is put on fire and boiled for a few more minutes until the mixture becomes completely transparent.

Don't have the desire or time to mess around with making paste? Then buy a ready-to-use powder with a fixing effect, a professional fixing spray or liquid starch. The procedure for using these tools is almost exactly the same as what we will describe later in our article.

What products cannot be starched?

Not every item can be treated with starch. Here are some products that are not suitable for this:

• Underwear, since starched fabric is poorly breathable and does not allow the skin to breathe. In addition, hard items of underwear can rub the skin and cause discomfort.
• Summer open clothes. A person should feel comfortable in hot weather; starch will make the fabric too dense. A good idea is to starch only certain details, for example, a collar or frills on a sundress.
• Black items - cloudy stains will appear, you will have to wash the clothes again.
• Synthetic fabrics, it is useless to starch them, the item will remain just as soft.
• Embroidery made using floss. The concentrated solution will stick the threads together and the work will look sloppy. To starch embroidery, alternative methods are used.

What are the benefits of corn starch?

General benefit

Despite the fact that the product practically does not contain a large number of microelements and vitamins, it can be beneficial. Useful qualities of starch:

1. Helps activate the process of removing toxins and harmful substances that get there when consuming various products and through the environment.
2. Activates the growth of muscle tissue.
3. Increases the level of blood clotting, which is useful for people suffering from such abnormalities.
4. Provides nutrition to nerve tissue cells.
5. Stabilizes and reduces the amount of sugar in the blood.
6. It has a positive effect on the nervous system, allowing a person to calm down and relax.
7. Has an anti-inflammatory effect, activates the process of bile excretion.
8. Activates the body's defenses due to the content of B vitamins.

Among other things, corn starch is used in folk medicine as a component for the preparation of products aimed at preventing hypertension and cystitis.

For women

Starch made from corn grains can bring invaluable benefits to the female body. It is used in cosmetology to restore the beauty of hair and facial skin. With its help, it is possible to return the skin to its natural color, remove wrinkles, restore hair structure, give it shine and elasticity.

For men

For the male body, according to experts, corn starch can also be beneficial. First of all, it has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system and muscle tissue, as it contains calcium and magnesium. They are the main components of muscles and bones.

According to experts, men are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. Starch contains all the necessary microelements that are required for the proper functioning of the heart muscle and blood vessels.

During pregnancy

Many scientists suggest that thanks to corn starch, the period of toxicosis is tolerated much better. The microelements included in the composition help cope with unpleasant symptoms and replenish the supply of elements that are necessary to maintain the functioning of the myocardium and blood vessels.

But starch made from corn grains is a difficult product to digest. That is why during pregnancy it is recommended to reduce the consumption of foods with a large amount of starch.

Video:

how to eat healthy during pregnancy

When breastfeeding

During lactation, it is important for a woman to eat properly and monitor her diet. This is due to the fact that all microelements, harmful substances, and vitamins entering the body also enter milk in a certain amount.

Experts recommend reducing the amount of foods that contain cornstarch when breastfeeding. It is difficult to digest. It is best to give preference to natural corn.

For children

Starch, obtained from corn grain, is one of the main components from which various cereals, mixtures and jelly are made.

It can be introduced into the diet starting from three months. An allergic reaction to this product occurs in rare cases. It is expressed in the appearance of a rash, itching, and redness on the skin. If symptoms appear, you should avoid eating foods that contain corn starch and consult a doctor.

Contraindications

The substance does not have a negative effect on internal organs and is not capable of causing allergic reactions. That is why it can be used by almost everyone. In rare cases, the product provokes flatulence and excessive accumulation of gases, which leads to abdominal pain symptoms in infants. However, this condition occurs in rare cases and goes away quickly.

You should use products containing starch only for mild symptoms. If diarrhea is severe, this method of treatment is not recommended.

The main contraindications for treatment with the product are:

• elevated temperature - more than 37°C;
• the presence of spasms in the intestines;
• the appearance of blood streaks in the stool;
• flatulence;
• pain when pressing on the stomach.

You should seek medical help if diarrhea occurs in older people and children under six months of age.

Starch is one of those products that can be found in any home. A useful and affordable remedy can eliminate diarrhea in a short time. However, when using any traditional medicine against diarrhea, caution should be exercised: some cases of diarrhea may indicate severe pathological processes.

Why is starch added to the dough?

There are several reasons to add starch to the dough. Let's list and look at them in a little more detail.

Firstly, if you want to cook manti, pasties, pancakes, dumplings or dumplings, then starch must be added. Since this will allow you to roll out or pour (if you are preparing pancakes) the dough as thinly as possible. In addition, it will not tear during cooking.

It should be noted that it would be a particularly good idea to add starch to the dough for manti.

Because in this dish it is important that the dough is as thin as possible and does not tear, which is simply impossible to achieve without using the above substance

Secondly, in order to make the biscuit dough drier, it is also a good idea to add starch. This process is especially important when making pie from apples or other fruits that produce juice. When kneading the dough, you can use the same amount of starch instead of 20-30% flour. You can add a little more to the pancakes. But don’t rush, add starch gradually, because you need to practice a little to learn how to properly cook pancakes that contain starch.

As for sauces, in this case the starch is diluted not only with water, but also with oil. In addition, some recipes involve frying starch with oil and then diluting it with some liquid.

Chinese cuisine has a wonderful tradition, the essence of which is to bread meat, vegetables, cutlets, cheesecakes and fish in starch mixed with various spices. This not only gives a pleasant taste, but also allows you to achieve a crispy crust and preserve the juiciness of the prepared product as much as possible. That is why this method is actively used in our country.

It would not be superfluous to add starch to baked goods, as well as to desserts. Because it will absorb all the excess moisture and allow you to bake an airy, loose and light sponge cake.

Professional chefs use another interesting trick. Its essence is that if starch is added to the dough, then it must be kneaded exclusively with dairy products. And due to the fact that starch gives the dessert a not very expressive taste, you should not forget about the use of spices.

An important feature of rice and corn starch is that it does not contain gluten, which allows it to be used in the preparation of medicinal and dietary dishes. A wide variety of jelly, puree soups, sauces, jellies, puddings, and syrups are also prepared from corn starch.

Don't forget that baked goods that contain corn starch will always turn out appetizing, crumbly and tender. In addition, it will have excellent taste, golden brown crust and a beautiful and attractive color. So from such starch you can easily prepare excellent muffins, pancakes, scones, cupcakes, pancakes or casseroles, and the baked goods will not be devoid of everyone’s favorite mealy taste.

In most cases, starch derived from rice is used as a thickener for white sauce. It is also often used for mousses, breading, casseroles, buns, or for making pies and pastries.

Due to the fact that starch is mostly used as a thickener, it can easily be replaced with another product that has similar properties. For example, instead of it you can confidently use gelatin, agar-agar, coconut flakes, semolina or rye, buckwheat and flaxseed flour.

Eggs are a good substitute for corn or potato starch. That is, instead of two tablespoons of starch, you can use one egg. You can also use raw grated potatoes as a thickener for cutlets. Well, if you need to thicken the jelly, then you can hardly find a worthy replacement, but in certain recipes flax seeds or oatmeal can be used.

Why is laundry treated with starch solution?

Clothes and linen are starched to achieve the following purposes:

• increased density, thereby increasing resistance to wear;
• the fabric acquires moisture- and dirt-repellent properties, so you will have to wash things less often;
• giving a rigid shape;
• the treated fabric wrinkles less when worn;
• bleaching, white things look snow-white after the procedure.

Sometimes thin fabrics are treated with a starch solution before cutting, this allows for maximum cutting accuracy.

But this processing method also has negative sides. Starched items are less breathable and absorb moisture.

Starch mash recipe

Getting malt

The technology is as follows: pour wheat, barley or rye grain collected more than 2 months ago into a tray with a layer of 2-3 cm and irrigate with water, but the grains should not be allowed to float. Cover the tray with film or glass, then place it in a well-lit place at 10-20°C (optimal temperature is 12-15°C). Irrigate the sprouted grains with water once a day. The malt will be ready in 5-8 days. All that remains is to dry the grains, separate the roots and grind them into cereal before preparing the mash.

An alternative option is to purchase ready-made (dried) malt.

Barley malt works best

Cooking starch

During this stage, the raw material is prepared for saccharification.

Pour the starch into a large saucepan, add water (30 liters) and mix well. Boil the contents of the pan for 120 minutes over medium heat until a homogeneous porridge-like mass is obtained, stirring constantly so that there are no lumps.

Starch breakdown

A very important stage at which temperature and time conditions must be strictly observed, otherwise the glucose yield will be minimal.

Grind the dried malt in a meat grinder. Cool the boiled starch to 60°C, add malt and stir. Maintain the temperature at 60°C (allowable fluctuation - 2-3 degrees) for the next 45 minutes. This can be done by heating slowly, wrapping the pan in warm clothes or transferring it to a bath of hot water.

Next, quickly (in 20-50 minutes) cool the mixture to 25-29°C, place the wort in a fermentation container, add the remaining water (10 liters) and yeast diluted according to the instructions on the package, then stir. It is advisable that at least 25% of the free volume for foam remains in the container.

Fermentation

Conversion of extracted glucose into ethyl alcohol under the influence of yeast.

Move the container with the mash to a dark place with a temperature of 16-25°C and install a water seal. After 3-8 days, the bubbling in the water seal will stop, the mash will taste bitter, become lighter in color, and sediment will appear at the bottom. This means it's time to distill.

Water seal designs for wine, mash and beer

How to starch large items: bed linen or curtains?

Starch helps bed linen not wrinkle and stay clean for a long time. To prevent sheets and duvet covers from being too hard, they should be treated with a weak solution prepared in a proportion of 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water.

Attention! Only freshly washed bed linen can be starched.

It is necessary to calculate how much liquid is needed for soaking, based on this, prepare a starch paste. For 10 liters you will need 10 tsp. starch, stir it in a glass of water and pour this mixture into boiling water. When it cools down, soak the laundry in it for 10 minutes. When drying, sheets and duvet covers must be straightened out well, otherwise they will be difficult to iron. It is easy to starch curtains in the same proportions. They are hung on windows wet so that the fabric straightens under its own weight.

Advice! It is more convenient to starch bedding sets in the washing machine. To do this, the diluted powder is poured into the conditioner compartment.

Making moonshine from starch

Distillation

Drain the mash from the sediment into a distillation cube and distill without dividing into fractions. Select the distillate until the strength in the stream drops below 30%. Measure the strength. Determine the amount of pure alcohol (multiply the volume by the percentage of strength and divide by 100).

Dilute moonshine with water to 20%. Distill again. The first 10-12% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol is collected separately. This is the “head” - a faction that is dangerous to health. Select the main product (“body”) until the strength in the stream drops below 45%, then finish the distillation or collect the “tails” separately.

Dilute the resulting starch moonshine of the middle fraction to 40-45%, pour into a glass container and close tightly. Leave for 2-3 days to stabilize.

What to use instead of starch?

You can add additional rigidity to the product in other ways:

Sugar syrup

Place 250 ml of water on the fire, heat it up a little and add 100 g of granulated sugar. Boil the liquid, let it cool and process things.

Gelatin

1 tsp. dry gelatin pour 50 ml of cold water. After 15-20 minutes, when the gelatin swells, add another 200 ml of liquid. Heat the mixture slowly until the gelatin is completely dissolved, do not boil. When it cools down, soak the product in it.

Why starch must be stored in a container after drying

After preparing any type of starch, it must be poured into glass or plastic containers and stored in a closet out of direct sunlight. If these rules are not followed, it will deteriorate. When moisture gets in, starch absorbs it and loses its properties.

After opening the package, it is better to pour it into a container or close the bag with clothespins to prevent moisture from entering.

Starch also absorbs odors. Therefore, if it has absorbed the smell (for example, of garlic standing nearby), then all products prepared with the addition of this starch will smell of garlic - baked goods, jelly, and cream soup.

Various small insects that can penetrate flour, sugar or rice are also not averse to living in starch.

What is paste

A translucent mass resembling thick jelly and possessing the properties of glue is called paste. It is cooked from products containing amylopectin. Starch contains the maximum content of this substance. When it gets into hot water, its molecules increase in size, so the solution becomes viscous and dense. The result is a paste that has a translucent structure that is slippery to the touch and sticks your fingers together.

Starch paste ensures good adhesion of wallpaper to walls or ceilings. Its quality, subject to the cooking technology, is in no way inferior to ready-made brands of glue available for sale.

Paste is prepared from all types of starch and flour. The compositions have distinctive abilities:

Types of starch and flour	Paste properties
Corn	Durable hardening. Increased shelf life.
Potato	Has a transparent structure. Sets slowly. It sours quickly in the heat.
Wheat flour	Hardening is average. Does not spoil for 2-4 days. Does not have transparency.
Rye flour	It has increased strength with the addition of turpentine. The composition dried on surfaces is resistant to moisture.

How to process different fabrics?

Most often, cotton or linen fabrics are treated with a starch solution. To process them, use the methods described above. To process other materials you need to know some nuances.

Chiffon

Thin chiffon requires delicate handling. This fabric is often starched before cutting, since the thin fabric does not hold its shape well and it is not easy to cut out parts from it. A soft solution is used for processing.

Fatin

Tulle is often used to make fluffy petticoats. To keep the petticoat in shape, use a solution of medium concentration. If you need to starch a veil for the bride, then a weak concentration is used.

Immerse the item in the solution for 2-3 seconds, no more. Then the item is carefully wrung out, straightened and dried.

Lace

Starch lace using a solution of medium and hard concentration. The first option is suitable if the lace trim of clothes is processed. Lace napkins are treated with a harsh solution.

To give the lace a dazzling white hue, use rice starch, diluting it in milk.

DIY starch spray for ironing

You can make your own starch spray. This requires:

• 400 ml warm water;
• 1 tablespoon starch;
• 2 drops of any essential oil (optional).

Mix starch in water and pour the solution into a spray bottle. If you wish, you can add a couple of drops of any essential oil whose smell you like to the solution. Before spraying the solution onto the fabric, shake the bottle vigorously several times.

Why starch is needed

Starching is not a mandatory procedure, but still retains its popularity despite the fact that natural starch has many competitors in the modern market. Of course, crisp cambric scarves and “unbending” collars are becoming a thing of the past these days, but starch treatment of sheets, tablecloths and other home fabrics continues to be relevant.

Thanks to starching, fabrics acquire the following properties:

• the material structure becomes more dense;
• the product is able to retain its original shape for a long time;
• creases form much more slowly;
• starch creates a barrier around the material, due to which dirt settles on its surface without eating into the deeper layers. This property makes it easier to wash treated items.

Starched fabric gives things a neater look

Features of the action of starch

In addition to its advantages, starch also has its disadvantages, which can be easily circumvented if you immediately clearly define the scope of application of this mixture. Starching is contraindicated for the following products:

• underwear;
• synthetic underwear;
• dark-colored underwear (due to remaining stains).

Underwear

The most stringent prohibition is associated specifically with underwear or with underwear that is in direct contact with human skin. The reason for this limitation is that starch covers all the gaps between the fibers of the fabric, as a result of which it suffers large losses in airtightness.

Underwear is not intended for treatment with starch, since it comes into contact with human skin

The body, which has been in contact with such non-breathable fabric for a long time, begins to swell or even become covered with a small rash. Moreover, in some people, starched underwear can cause an acute allergic reaction on the skin.

Synthetic fabrics

Synthetic materials, in turn, are simply not designed to “swim” in starch. There are special tools for working with synthetics, such as:

• "Chirton"
• "Frau Schmidt";
• "Cotico"

Cotico
starch Food starch not only will not give synthetic fabric a certain shape, but it can also completely ruin the item that you have to get rid of.

Is a starch bath safe?

Of course it's safe! The ingredients used are 100% safe and gentle on children's skin. Potato flour has quite valuable properties, so it will help:

soften dry and rough skin, when rubbing during peeling and itching of the skin.

The healing properties of potato flour can also reduce allergic reactions caused by the use of certain cosmetics or detergents.

Regular starch baths will support the natural processes of skin regeneration and... speed up wound healing!