Agar Agar Powder, 4 oz.

by Barry Farm

• 4 ounce ziplock bag
• Make a gelatin with water or fruit juice
• Agar is a red algae and a unique vegetable source protein
• Used in the Far East for centuries
• Save money with combined shipping by ordering several items from Barry Farm.

Product Description

Agar is a red algae and a unique vegetable source protein. Agar has been used in the Far East for centuries and is referred to as Agar-Agar. Can be used too make a gelatin with water or fruit juice.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 0.5 x 4 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00015UC48
• UPC: 050647107617
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #1 in Industrial & Scientific > Lab & Scientific Products > Lab Consumables > Agar Media

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

189 of 196 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I Would Buy Elsewhere May 10, 2009

By blueberrylolli

Amazon Verified Purchase

I got my agar agar yesterday, and I feel like I've been scammed. The only reason I chose to buy from Barry Farm was that it was the cheapest option. But that wasn't the case.

When I first held the package (which is smaller than what is pictured here), I thought it was oddly light for 4 oz. So I weighed it on my military grade digital scale and bingo, it's 3.2 oz. Without the packaging that would mean 3 oz. I thought it might be my scale so I weighed my mineral makeup that came on the same day, 1.3 pounds each for a 1 pound bag. So Barry Farm only shipped me 3 oz of product when I payed for 4 oz, which doesn't seem like a lot but when you do the calculations it's quite a dent.

Let me compare this to the other agar option on Amazon by NOW Foods.

Barry Farm (3 oz) $7.90 + $7.13 (Shipping) = $15.03 (Comes in a plastic Ziploc bag)

NOW Foods (2 oz) $4.20 + $5.38 (Shipping) = $9.58/2 = $4.79/oz * 3 = $14.37 for 3 oz (Comes in a plastic bottle)

NOW Foods (32 oz) $40.79 + $7.55) = $48.34/32 = $1.51/oz *3 = $4.53

So including shipping,

Barry Farm $15.03/3 oz
NOW Foods $14.37/3 oz
NOW Foods $ 4.53/3 oz

With a bottle instead of a plastic bag, my future purchases would be from NOW Foods. I'm so tempted to get the 2 Pound bottle since an ounce is only $1.51 that way, but agar's gelling quality is so good that it gets used very slowly.

Now about the agar. I cooked it last night (1 Cup apple juice to 1/2 teaspoon powder), and left it in the fridge. This morning I woke up to see it gelled quite nicely. It doesn't have the doinky texture of gelatin jello and it's much harder to the touch. I tasted it and didn't notice an exponential increase in the taste of apple juice, and the texture of the agar isn't as good as gelatin jello. It sort of just breaks apart in your mouth like...sand maybe? But at least it's supposedly healthy.

So in terms of Barry Farms I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 star because at least the product worked. But not going to buy from them again since I don't know if I'll be cheated. Internets a scary place where merchant reputation is very important. They should have put more product in the bag to ensure it measures at least 4 oz. Now their reputation is tarnished.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Bitter Aftertaste June 20, 2012

By dana

Amazon Verified Purchase

Any jelly I made with this agar agar was unpalatable, because it had an awful after-taste. The agar-agar smelled like medicine even while being dossolved in liquid.

Not sure if I got a bad batch, but I wouldn't buy from this seller again.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product - but not interchangeable with Agar Flakes December 5, 2012

By JG

Amazon Verified Purchase

First of all, let me say I have no complaints about this product whatsoever. I bought it to use in a pecan pie recipe. My mistake (and I'm only mentioning this, because this was my first time using agar, and I learned a lot) was in assuming that agar powder and agar flakes could be used interchangeably in the recipe (which called for flakes). My pecan pie slices came out like bricks - haha! So, I plan to make the recipe again, but probably with only half the amount in powder, in the hopes that my second attempt will be much more successful than the first! The seller and product were both great! Thank you.