Lemon bar mishap? - Letters To The Editor - recipe salvage tips - Letter to the Editor

Natural Health, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Claire Zurack

I made the lemon bars by Cheryl (Solomon Spiller) Redmond that were in the May/June 2001 issue ("Simply Luscious Lemon Bars"). I followed the recipe exactly but they never jelled completely. It was more like a pudding. Was there a mistake in the recipe?

Claire Zurack
San Rafael, Calif., via email

Cheryl Redmond responds: I'm sorry your bars didn't turn out well. Although the recipe is correct as printed, there are a couple of possible reasons for gooey bars. Agar can lose its gelling ability as it ages; the agar you bought may have spent too much time on the shelf, either at the store or at home. Also, lemons can vary in acidity, and the more acidic the liquid, the more agar is required to gel it. After you make the filling, pour a spoonful onto a plate and chill it. The filling should appear firm after a minute or two. If it does not, dissolve a little more agar in water and add it to the filling.