# Help, please.  Need thickening agent for crab dip



## dit (Dec 24, 2008)

I made hot crab dip and it's too liquidy....i tried adding some flour and no results (I am afraid to let it boil) - what can i add to thicken?  It's a cream cheese base and i have to make sure not to curdle it.  Thinking...bread crumbs?   THANKS!!!!


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## anni (Dec 24, 2008)

Not knowing the recipe, I am going to guess.  How about making a butter and flour roux and then adding it a little spoon at a time, stirring constantly?


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## dit (Dec 24, 2008)

Anni, thanks for responding so quickly.   It's cream cheese, mayo, crab meat, mustard, sugar and sherry (the sherry made it thin).  If I add the roux, do I have to bring it to a boil to make it thicken?  I am afraid to bring it to a boil.   THANKS!


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 24, 2008)

More cream cheese..a little mayo.


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## SierraCook (Dec 24, 2008)

If you have any unflavored gelatin in the house, mix a tablespoon of the unflavored gelatin with 3 tablespoons of hot water.  Add that to the hot crab dip.


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## Poppinfresh (Dec 24, 2008)

The simple answer is more cream cheese, but that will throw off the flavor balance.

This is going to sound weird, but you might want to try some arrowroot. 

Bread crumbs will also work well, as will gelatin


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## mcnerd (Dec 24, 2008)

I would have grabbed the Instant ClearJel® to thicken without cooking.  Its total clear and has no residual taste.


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## Maverick2272 (Dec 24, 2008)

I would be with UB and add in some more cream cheese and mayo. It might make those flavors strong, but then again it also sounds like there is to much sherry in it thus making it more liquidy than it should be so maybe it will actually help balance the flavor a little.


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## dit (Dec 25, 2008)

Thank you all!  Much appreciated....I added some more cream cheese and it's looking pretty good.  Most importantly though, it takes great!   Merry Christmas!


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## Maverick2272 (Dec 25, 2008)

Very cool! Merry Christmas!


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## black chef (Dec 28, 2008)

drink the rest of the sherry until the room starts spinning, and then, you won't care about the "liquidity" of the dip.


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## padams2359 (Dec 29, 2008)

Cream Cheese and Crab is not something you want to bring to a rolling boil.  I would have gotten it to a mild simmer.  Add 1 Tsp of Corn Starch to 2 Tsps of cold water, then add it to the mixture.  If you stir it too much, crab meat will break to pieces.


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## CookinNow (Dec 29, 2008)

Cornstarch and water is what I was thinking too. It won't affect the taste either. 

Jeff


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## Seven S (Jan 5, 2009)

black chef said:


> drink the rest of the sherry until the room starts spinning, and then, you won't care about the "liquidity" of the dip.



i totally agree!


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## zoey123 (Jan 11, 2009)

Bread crumbs are often used as a thickening agent to dips.


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