Bloom (test)

Bloom is a test to measure the strength of a gel or gelatin. The test was originally developed and patented in 1925 by Oscar T. Bloom. The test determines the weight in grams needed by a specified plunger (normally with a diameter of 0.5 inch) to depress the surface of the gel at a specified temperature 4 mm without breaking it. The result is expressed in Bloom (grades). It is usually between 30 and 300 Bloom. This method is most often used on soft gels. To perform the Bloom test on gelatin, a 6.67% gelatin solution is kept for 17–18 hours at 10 °C prior to being tested.

The higher a Bloom value, the higher the melting and gelling points of a gel, and the shorter its gelling times.