It’s an easy mistake. You grab one instant pudding package and one that has to be cooked. You accidentally mixed instant and cooked pudding packages.
Now you are wondering what to do. The good news is, that you can save your dish.
Accidentally Mixed Instant and Cooked Pudding Packages
You have two options when you accidentally mixed instant and cooked pudding packages. You can add modified corn starch to thicken the pudding without cooking. If you want to cook the pudding, then you’ll need to add cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
First, Is it Safe To Eat?
Some things that require cooking must be cooked to be safe for human consumption, so it’s natural to wonder if it’s safe to eat these two types of pudding mixed together.
Yes, it is safe. Jello doesn’t recommend cooking instant pudding because it affects the texture of the pudding, but cooking it causes no safety concerns.
Cook and serve pudding contains no ingredients that are harmful if not cooked.
This means that either method you choose is safe. It simply comes down to personal preference and the ingredients you have on hand.
Cook and Serve Pudding Mix
Cook and serve pudding mix is made with cornstarch. It also has modified corn starch, but in a lesser amount. Other ingredients include Sugar, Dextrose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Polysorbate 60, Calcium Carrageenan, Yellow 5, Yellow 6.
Making Cook and Serve Pudding
To make cook and serve pudding mix, you’ll need to cook it to activate the cornstarch, which is a thickening agent.
You’ll need 2 cups of milk. Mix in the pudding mix. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly. Remove the heat once it reaches a boil.
The pudding will thicken and set as it cools. It can be served warm or cold.
You can use lactose free or 1% milk, but it will cause the pudding to not set as firmly. Using soy or nonfat dry milk will prevent the pudding from setting.
If you want the set to be softer, cover it with plastic wrap when allowing it to cool. Stir before serving.
Instant Pudding Mix
Instant pudding mix is fairly similar to cook and serve, with two main differences. The first, and most obvious, is that it doesn’t require cooking. The other difference is it doesn’t contain regular cornstarch.
Instead, it has gelatinized cornstarch, also known as modified corn starch. Regular corn starch must be heated to thicken. Gelatinized cornstarch works without heat. It will absorb liquid when cold, which causes it to thicken.
Other ingredients include Sugar, Sodium Phosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Artificial Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Yellow 5, Yellow 6.
Preparing Instant Pudding Mix
Just like cook and serve pudding, you’ll use 2 cups of cold milk for instant pudding. Mix the pudding mix with the milk. Mix with a whisk for 2 minutes.
The pudding will be soft set in 5 minutes. It makes 4 1/2 cup servings, or 2 cups of pudding.
Saving Your Pudding Without Cooking
If you want to avoid cooking the pudding, you’ll need to add a thickening agent that doesn’t require cooking. Modified cornstarch is the best way to do this.
You’ll find it at supermarkets and online under names including clear jell and modified corn starch. Just like the instant pudding mix, it doesn’t require heat to thicken.
The only issue with this method is that the cornstarch in the cook and serve pudding might affect the taste slightly since it will not activate if not heated.
Saving Your Pudding via Cooking
If you want to cook the pudding, you’ll need to add a thickener as well. The modified cornstarch used in instant pudding won’t function properly when cooked.
The simplest method for fixing the issue is to add cornstarch to the pudding mix., To do this, you’ll make a slurry. If you are using 1 box of each pudding mix, add 4 tablespoons of corn starch and 1/4 cup milk to a jar. Shake vigorously until the mixture is well blended.
Add the milk called for on both packages, 4 cups for two regular size boxes of pudding. Stir the pudding mix into the milk, and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Now, you’ll need to check the consistency. Dip a spoon into the pudding and check the thickness of it with a finger. Remember, it will thicken as it cools.
However, if it’s not nearly thick enough, add some of the slurry mixture. Boil for about 1 minute, and check it again. Continue this until you are happy with the consistency of the pudding.
Remove from heat, and allow it to cool.
Unfortunately, this method does require a little guesswork and intuition, but it allows you to control how thick the pudding becomes.
Using Arrowroot Powder
If you wish to avoid using cornstarch, you can also use arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder is made from the rhizome of the arrowroot plant.
If you want to substitute it for cornstarch, you’ll need to use twice as much arrowroot as cornstarch. For the recipe above, you would use 8 tablespoons of arrowroot powder to make a slurry.
Final Tips for Mixing Instant and Cook and Serve Pudding
The good news is that the pudding is still safe to eat. You can use the cooking method, which involves adding cornstarch, or the instant method, which involves modified cornstarch.
Which one you choose will depend on the dessert you are making and personal preference.
Frequently Asked Questions to Accidentally Mixed Instant and Cooked Pudding Packages -What to Do? Safe to Eat?
How to Fix Instant Pudding That Didn’t Set?
If your instant pudding didn’t set correctly, the best way to fix it is to add more pudding mix. Add a bit of a new package of pudding. Mix well. Continue this process until it’s the desired consistency.
How Long Does Cook and Serve Pudding Take to Set?
It takes 4 hours for Cook and Serve Pudding to set completely. It is soft set after 3 hours. It’s best to cool it in the fridge, unless you want to serve the pudding warm.
What Do I Do If Cook and Serve Pudding Doesn’t Set?
If your cook and serve pudding didn’t set after cooling for 4 hours, you’ll need to reheat it. Bring it to a rolling boil, and allow it to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow the pudding to cool, and it should set properly.