Instant Starches

Instant starches thicken and gel without heat. They are different from modified starches, although most instant starches are also modified. Instant starches are sometimes called pregelatinized or cold-water swelling. To make a starch instant, the manufacturer either precooks (pregelatinizes) and then dries the starch, or makes some other change to the starch so that the granules absorb water without heat. While instant starches do not require heat to thicken, most are not damaged if they are heated.