hillvalley Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 This years balls have us perplexed: half are floaters and half are sinkers. They were made from the same mix at the same time. All were cooked in the same pot in two batches (little ones then big ones) without changing the water. Two of the large ones sunk right away, the other eight floated. Half the small ones sunk, the other half floated. Any ideas why? Paging Zora... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam23 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Lots of possibilities. Are you using oil or schmaltz? Covering the pot? Allowing enough time to rest? Too much crowding? What brand of mix are you using? Was the water at a full boil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Lots of possibilities. Are you using oil or schmaltz? Covering the pot? Allowing enough time to rest? Too much crowding? What brand of mix are you using? Was the water at a full boil? Mix? Oil? Both are a sure way to have variable matzo balls {and inferior ones as well}. I find Streits matzo meal better than Mannachevitz and the Isreali's I can find... Ozem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam23 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 You should check out Croyden House matzah ball mix (which they pretty much only sell in Cleveland off the shelf or online). It makes consistent and quite possibly the most perfect matzah balls (if you like soft, tender floaters). It must be Croyden House's proprietary mixture of MSG and other chemicals that makes it better than others, but this stuff it is light years better than any mix, and in my opinion, better than many many matzo balls made scratch. (Though, I will note that Dean's matzah balls last night on his passover menu were quite delicious.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekkerwijn Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 This years balls have us perplexed: half are floaters and half are sinkers. They were made from the same mix at the same time. All were cooked in the same pot in two batches (little ones then big ones) without changing the water. Two of the large ones sunk right away, the other eight floated. Half the small ones sunk, the other half floated. Any ideas why? Paging Zora... FWIW my Bubbe, a maker of exclusively fluffy matzo balls, swore that the key to fluffy matzo balls was getting the mix very cold, not over crowding in a rapidly boiling pot, and keeping the lid on (no peeking) for at least 20 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 This years balls have us perplexed: half are floaters and half are sinkers. They were made from the same mix at the same time. All were cooked in the same pot in two batches (little ones then big ones) without changing the water. Two of the large ones sunk right away, the other eight floated. Half the small ones sunk, the other half floated. Any ideas why? Paging Zora... Sorry it has taken so long to respond, and may now be moot. But my guess is that the ones that turned into sinkers were tightly squeezed when they were formed. They need to be handled lightly. Did more than one person make these matzo balls? Or, did the one person making them experience intermittent muscle spasms of the hands? My not at all exclusive "secret" for light matzo balls is baking powder, which I discovered in the ingredient list on a box of Manischevitz matzo ball mix, which my mother swore by. After previous disappointing results using beaten egg whites and club soda, I was very happy with the results when I added baking powder. And having made them both ways, with oil and schmaltz, I can say that when it comes to flavor, matzo balls made with shmaltz are much, much tastier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 And having made them both ways, with oil and schmaltz, I can say that when it comes to flavor, matzo balls made with shmaltz are much, much tastier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Sorry it has taken so long to respond, and may now be moot. But my guess is that the ones that turned into sinkers were tightly squeezed when they were formed. They need to be handled lightly. Did more than one person make these matzo balls? Or, did the one person making them experience intermittent muscle spasms of the hands? My not at all exclusive "secret" for light matzo balls is baking powder, which I discovered in the ingredient list on a box of Manischevitz matzo ball mix, which my mother swore by. After previous disappointing results using beaten egg whites and club soda, I was very happy with the results when I added baking powder. And having made them both ways, with oil and schmaltz, I can say that when it comes to flavor, matzo balls made with shmaltz are much, much tastier. I've always thought the same with respect to the schmaltz v oil point. That said, I had a version this past week made with schmaltz that wasn't very flavorful. I was thinking it just lacked some salt but not sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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