Here are some more helpful hints for the kitchen. Tricks to keep you from running to the store at the last minute.
Baking powder will go bad, and the best way to check it is Mix 1 teaspoon (5gm) with 1/2 cup hot water. The mix should bubble immediately. If it doesn't toss it out. You have bad baking powder
Baking powder should be replaced every 6-12 months
To test Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon to 2 teaspoons VINEGAR mix should bubble immediately
To make Baking Powder is a pretty simple thing to do.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar together until well combined. The yield is one tablespoon.
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Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartar and also tartaric acid salt. It is obtained when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid, and cream of tartar is obtained from sediment produced in the process of aging wine. It is found on the insides of the wine barrels and sometimes at the bottom of bottles of wine. It crystallizes out as a hard crust in the barrels.
Cream of tartar is best known for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is used as the leavening agent in baking powder.
Normally when cream of tartar is used in a cookie, it is used together with baking soda. The two of them combined work like a double-acting baking powder. When substituting for cream of tartar, you must also substitute for the baking soda.
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Self-rising flour
If your recipe calls for self-rising flour and you only have all-purpose, here's how you can save the day.. Measure out the amount of flour into a separate bowl and for each cup of flour add 1.5 teaspoon baking powder and one half teaspoon of salt, Mix that up and POOF you have self-rising flour.
Can be stored in an Air tight container for Months
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Brown Sugar
Your out of Brown sugar, but you have granulated sugar and you have molasses. The formula or recipe is 1 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons molasses. In a stand mixer (can be done by hand with a fork). Put the sugar and molasses in your mixer bowl and with the whisk attachment, start that puppy up..... run on medium speed till all mixed, this may take a while to do. But it does go together. If you have some clumps that refuse to break up, use a fork to break them up. And POOF again, you've made brown sugar.
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I hope these little hints will help, everyone runs short on stuff, and just maybe this will help.
