Locust bean gum is a thickener milled from the seeds of the carob tree. It is a galactomannan — a long sugar chain — that swells in water to body and smoothness with no flavour of its own. On its own it thickens rather than gels, but in company with kappa-carrageenan or xanthan it forms firm, elastic gels, and it is the classic stabiliser that keeps ice cream smooth and ice-crystal-free.
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