Thick Water

May 6 2010 | by archives | 19 Comments » |
Tags: gluten-free

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Use this as a replacement for oil in dressing and sauce recipes.

1 cup water
3 tsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Boil until thick. Remove from heat and cool slightly before mixing into recipe.

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19 Responses to “Thick Water”

1. Veggietater Says:

   August 20th, 2017 at 3:32 pm

   Susan, perfect, just what I was looking for! I have the whole no-oil thing down pat after all these years, but was looking for a sub for the butter that used to be the flavor carrier in a simple garlic and parsley brothy pasta sauce (used to be clam sauce). It comes out like noodle soup because it just doesn’t coat the pasta strands, not what I wanted but this should work! Thanks!
2. Kelli Says:

   April 30th, 2017 at 12:53 pm

   Thank you 1000 times for this recipe!! I’m vegan and trying to be oil fre as well. This is a fantastic substitute for oil in recipes, and has made my life so much better! Thank you!!!!!!
3. John Says:

   February 26th, 2014 at 11:08 am

   Thank you! What can I use to bind veggie patties? Will “thick water” work for that?
4. Susan Voisin Says:

   February 26th, 2014 at 11:03 am

   The thick water is mostly for replacing oil in salad dressings. For sauteing, try a little vegetable broth or water. Just get your skillet hot, add your vegetable, and add a little liquid as needed to keep it from sticking.
5. John Says:

   February 26th, 2014 at 10:49 am

   I guess I’m asking if ‘thick water’ will work for sauteing and for cooking stews, like Green beans and tomatoe sauce.
6. John Says:

   February 26th, 2014 at 10:44 am

   Hi Susan,

   I’m not vegan, but I’ll be fasting for Orthodox lent starting next week. I’m having a very hard time determining how I’m going to substitute for all cooking oils. There are lots of nice Greek and Russian vegetarian dishes I can make, but olive oil is always a major part of preparing them. And I’m now supposed to use any type of oil, olive, vegetable, or otherwise. Making matters worse, I’m also abstaining from all dairy products for the next 40+ days. Can you give me any tips for cooking oil substitutes.

   Thank you,
   John
7. Susan Voisin Says:

   April 3rd, 2013 at 10:10 am

   Emilie, no, this is really just for salad dressings. It would make cookies gummy.
8. emilie Says:

   April 3rd, 2013 at 9:52 am

   Susan would this work better than applesauce as an oil substitute in cookies?
9. Karen Jones Says:

   August 6th, 2012 at 11:02 pm

   I found this one somewhere on the internet. It’s pretty good.

   1 tablespoon powdered fruit pectin
   1/4 teaspoon dried herb (oregano, basil, thyme, tarragon, savory or dill weed)
   Sugar substitute equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar
   1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
   1/8 teaspoon salt
   1/8 teaspoon pepper
   1/4 cup water
   2 teaspoons vinegar
   1 garlic clove, minced
10. SusanV (admin) Says:

    May 27th, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    I would refrigerate both of them.
11. Jamie Says:

    May 27th, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Can thick water be stored at room temperature or should it be refrigerated? How long will it last?

    Bob Allen: Same thing re: your xanthan gum suggestion – fridge or no?

    Thanks!
12. Bob Allen Says:

    May 7th, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Or, to avoid heating, use xanthan gum. About 1/4 tsp. of xanthan gum would thicken a cup of water, just use an immersion blender to thicken. If too thick, add a little water at a time until you can measure out 1 cup. If too thin, add pinches of xanthan gum until thick enough.
13. Bett Says:

    December 30th, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Tahini dressing needs no oil. Mix tahini with water, garlic, spices if you like, and some lemon juice to taste and whirl in the processor until it’s all nice and creamy. Start with half as much liquid as tahini and add gradually til the consistency of thick cream or thicker. It will thicken up further in the fridge. The water/tahini emulsification is a wonder.
14. SusanV (admin) Says:

    November 23rd, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    Also tahini is pure sesame seeds, so you wouldn’t need oil. Just grind them to a paste in a Vita-Mix or other high-power blender.
15. rebecca Says:

    November 23rd, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    I don’t think you can,pretty sure it’s only meant as an oil sub in recipes where the oil is a dressing.
16. Molly Says:

    October 30th, 2010 at 11:47 pm

    I’m trying to make tahini from scratch. Can i substitute this for oil?
17. SusanV (admin) Says:

    September 23rd, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    It will stay thick after cooling, but it will be more cloudy than clear.
18. Gunnar Says:

    September 23rd, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    I was searching for “thick water” without knowing if I would find anything…
    Question – using cornstarch and water only, will the water stay thick once cooled? – And will it be glass clear…?
19. tj Says:

    September 5th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    what is this used for, thick water?

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