These little balsamic pearls are a fun way to turn an everyday ingredient into something that looks restaurant-worthy.
Add them to Caprese salad, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, burrata, salads, crostini, roasted vegetables, or anywhere you'd normally use balsamic.
You'll Need
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon agar agar powder
- 1 cup neutral cooking oil, very cold
- Tall glass or jar
- Dropper, pipette, syringe, or squeeze bottle
- Fine-mesh strainer
Before You Start
Pour the oil into a tall glass or jar and place it in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes.
You want the oil very cold, but not frozen solid.
The cold oil helps the warm balsamic mixture form little pearls as it drops through the oil.
Step 1: Combine the Balsamic and Agar
Add ½ cup balsamic vinegar and ½ teaspoon agar agar powder to a small saucepan.
Whisk thoroughly to disperse the agar.
Step 2: Heat the Mixture
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil while stirring.
Allow it to boil briefly so the agar dissolves and activates, then remove it from the heat.
Let it cool for a few minutes while remaining liquid.
Step 3: Make the Pearls
Remove your cold oil from the freezer.
Using a dropper, pipette, syringe, or squeeze bottle, carefully drip the balsamic mixture into the cold oil.
As each drop falls through the oil, it should cool and form a small balsamic pearl.
Step 4: Strain
Pour the oil and pearls through a fine-mesh strainer.
Gently rinse the pearls with cool water to remove excess oil.
And that's it.
How to Use Balsamic Pearls
Try them on:
Caprese salad • Burrata • Crostini • Fresh tomatoes • Salads • Roasted vegetables • Cheese boards
They also make a fun garnish when you're entertaining and want something that looks much more complicated than it actually was.
Troubleshooting
Pearls aren't forming?
Your oil may not be cold enough, or the balsamic mixture may be too hot.
They're forming strings instead of pearls?
Try making individual drops rather than squeezing a continuous stream.
Mixture started setting before you finished?
Agar gels as it cools. Gently warm the mixture again until it's fluid enough to continue.