What is Sugar Ester?
Sugar esters are chemical compounds that are created after condensation of an oxo acid, like sulphuric or carboxylic acids with alcohol.  Sugar ester is available as a special ingredient in powder form.

Sugar Ester and Cooking
Sugar esters are classified as an emulsifier for food products. It also helps in improving texture, aeration and sugar crystallisation. Ester is used mostly to make milk foams, foamy butter sauce and a variety of other airs and froths. The ester also keeps starches from staling, prevents proteins from browning, and prevents fat bloom in chocolate-based recipes.

Another use of sugar ester as far as cooking is concerned is in baking. The component generates finer textures and stabilises dairy and sauces. It is also beneficial in improving the texture of ice creams and mousses. Finally, sugar esters are also used to improve the textures of low-fat food.

Using Sugar Esters
The amount of sugar ester you use in your recipe depends entirely on the type of end product you’re looking for. However, the concentration range for most applications is 0.5-1.5%. For instance, if you’re making a milk based foam, use 1.2% of ester and mix with an electric whisk. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a foamy butter sauce, use 1.2% of ester along with 10-20% of melted butter and 100% of the chosen liquid and blend with a hand beater.

When emulsifying oils with water like mediums (puree, juices) the sugar ester needs to first be dissolved in the water like medium before it is mixed with a fatty medium.