Can I repair instant pudding made with Rice Dream?

[eleny]

Last night we took it for granted that the pudding would turn out okay but it's runny.

Today I searched and found some bulletin boards where people mentioned that store bought instant puddings don't thicken up well in Rice Dream. I put ours in the fridge overnight and it thickened only slightly.

We used the non fat, sugar free Jello vanilla.

[The empressof all]

1. I've made it with half ff milk and half Almond milk

I tend to use a wee bit less of the liquid than the box recommends. Mine came out fine. I wonder what's in the rice milk that prevents it from setting?

[Duer 157099]

2. I'd try adding some tapioca

Grind some tapioca into flour then heat up some liquid (rice dream I suppose would work?) and make it really thick and then add to the pudding?

Anyway, that's what I'd try

good luck!

[eleny]

3. Thanks - I've got some tapioca and will try this

[Tesha]

4. Fats...

I think the problem is that it thickens best with full fat milk, a little less so with non-fat. I believe they recommend you add less liquid when the fat content is lower.

For now? I'd freeze it... mmm frozen pudding!

[eleny]

5. Thanks, Tesha

Earlier, I found DUer's advice for using tapioca and am trying it. It thickened up somewhat and just cooled down enough to be put in the fridge. I'll post later with my final results.

I like your idea of a frozen pudding, too. Frozen pudding cups - a perfect and easy solution!

[eleny]

6. Success - Thanks Duer 157099!

I used the tapioca as suggested and the pudding is a perfect texture.

The original vanilla pudding was 4 cups of Rice Dream and two packages of Jello fat-free sugar-free vanilla.

I added 1/2 cup of fine granulated tapioca to 2 cups of the pudding that wouldn't set up. In a heavy pan I brought the mixture to a boil over a medium heat stirring constantly. When it just started to come to a boil I shut the heat and let it sit for 1/2 hour so the tapioca could soften.

Then I added the rest of the chilled pudding (2 cups) to the hot pudding and let it cool on the counter. Put it in the fridge. After a couple of hours it's not completely chilled yet however the pudding set up just right. Since we like tapioca pudding this fix worked out great.

[Duer 157099]

7. Great!

I like tapioca too, so I wouldn't mind if it had the lumpy texture - but did you grind it up or just use the really small stuff?

Cuz if you put it in a coffee grinder and just grind the hell out of it, it's very useful as a general thickening agent, for things like soups, stews, etc.

:thumbsup:

[eleny]

8. I tried to make it finer in the processor but it didn't work

But I had the real small stuff so I just used it as is. Afterward I thought I could probably have made it into powder with a mortar and pestle. But we like tapioca very much so the pudding has perfect tapioca texture.

I'm so glad it worked out because I hate to waste the pricey Rice Dream. and I think it gave this pudding a nice flavor.
:hi: