Sure, we’ve all used it in cakes and cookies, but really, what IS cream of tartar? Learn about this versatile ingredient and its role in baking, plus a few substitutes that could save you a last-minute trip to the store!
If it’s not already in your pantry, you’ve definitely seen it in the spice aisle of your grocery store: a mysterious, nondescript white powder that sounds like a dairy product, but is actually far from it. Of course, I’m talking about cream of tartar, the subject of today’s post and the ingredient that many bakers struggle to wrap their heads around.
Cream of tartar is surprisingly not very creamy at all–it’s actually an acid! Powdered tartaric acid, to be specific. Interestingly enough, it’s a byproduct of winemaking that somehow became a pantry staple. And thank goodness it did, because it has so many uses in baking!
Is cream of tartar the same as baking soda? No. Although they are similar in appearance, cream of tartar and baking soda are completely different ingredients. Baking soda, which also goes by the name sodium bicarbonate, is a leavening agent that reacts with acids in a recipe.
What Is Cream of Tartar Used For?
Cream of tartar wears many hats in the kitchen. It adds tang to snickerdoodles, stabilizes egg whites for fluffy angel food cakes and light-as-air meringues, and prevents sugar from crystallizing for smooth syrups and chewy cookies.
When paired with baking soda, cream of tartar gives baked goods rise. In fact, this exact combination is what makes up baking powder! But you already knew that if you read my post on baking powder vs. baking soda.
Cream of tartar is incredibly versatile and is an absolute must-have for all bakers, no matter their skillset. Many of you have commented to tell me that you don’t keep any on hand, and I highly suggest you start. It has an incredibly long shelf life (some say it lasts forever!) as long as you keep it in an airtight container away from moisture and pests. If you happen to find some in the back of your cabinet, just make sure it’s still white, powdery, and has little to no smell, and you should be good to go!
SAM’S TIP: Some of you have asked if you can add cream of tartar to whipped cream to stabilize it. While you could, it does impart a slightly tangy flavor that doesn’t suit every recipe. This is why I use gelatin in my stabilized whipped cream; it blends in with the cream flawlessly and is completely undetectable if done properly!
I recently went to the south of Italy and had pasta di ceci. What is it and where can I get it? A. Watterson
I was once taking a cooking class and had portioned out bags of baking powder into those resealable coin bags used by banks. Well, did the head of the department at the TAFE curdle her custard when she saw them. She had obviously had a previous life in the music industry or something before cooking education as apparently little baggies of white powder look just like Class A drugs. Anyway, cream of tartar is tartaric acid, traditionally a byproduct of the wine industry. Ever had little crystals form in a particularly icy bottle of white? Thats tartaric acid. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and can form naturally around mineral springs but is usually made by a chemical reaction. It is alkaline. When you combine tartaric acid with alkaline baking soda a chemical reaction takes place and gas forms. When this happens in a batter, the gas is captured by the hardening dough, thus giving it lightness. Because this is an instantaneous reaction, batters and dough made with cream of tartar and baking soda should be cooked quickly after mixing. Baking powder, however, is a mixture of baking soda, starch and a mild acid, which gives off gas when the batter or dough is heated.
Try this at home. Make sure no one is watching because its a bit weird. Take some salt and a dry handkerchief. Poke out your tongue. Dab your tongue dry. Now sprinkle a little salt on your tongue. If your tongue is dry, you wont taste the salt. Salt needs to be in a watery solution for you to be able to taste it. Saliva does this job on your tongue. Fine salt crystals dissolve quickly and deliver a quick, sharp hit of salt to the tongue. But sprinkle some chips with coarser cooking salt and they wont initially taste as salty but your mouth will be aching with salt burn at the end of the bucket. Salt flakes can sit on your tongue and not taste salty until you chew them and they begin to dissolve.Advertisement
Pasta di ceci is pasta made with chickpea flour. I have searched high and low and cant find a commercial brand but if you can make pasta, you can make pasta di ceci. This is a recipe from Riccardo Momesso, who makes really good Calabrian food at his restaurant Valentino, in Melbournes Toorak. Take 500g of chickpea flour (look for besan flour, he advises) and sift it with 500g 00 pasta flour and a teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the flour and add a mixture of 10 eggs at room temperature and two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and bring it together to form a dough. Dont overwork it or the dough will become tough, Momesso warns. Run the dough through pasta rollers as usual. Pasta di ceci goes really well with mussel or pipi sauces or with ripe cherry tomatoes cooked in olive oil.
I had a cranky old neighbour who used to tell us when we were kids that anything advertised on the telly was useless because if we really needed it, wed buy it anyway. Youll generally find hydrolysed vegetable protein, HVP, in food advertised on the TV. Most of it is such rubbish, they have to invent cartoon characters just to make you try it. In a nutshell, anything hydrolysed is chemically changed into smaller molecules using the elements found in water. HVP is made when soy, corn or yeast are heated in hydrochloric acid. The proteins are broken down into smaller amino acids, some of which are glutamic acid, which we find yummy. HVP is added to processed food to give it flavour. My cranky old neighbour never ate processed food and lived until he was very old. And cranky.
Baking powder conversion cream of tartar and baking soda
FAQ
Can I substitute baking soda with cream of tartar?
What can I use instead of baking soda?
What is the closest thing to cream of tartar?
Are baking powder and cream of tartar the same thing?
What is the difference between cream of tartar and baking soda?
Cream of tartar and baking soda may look the same, but they work in different ways. Tartar powder is activated when combined with baking soda and comes in contact with moisture and heat. This mixture produces carbon dioxide, which causes the batter to rise. Baking soda, on the other hand, causes an immediate rise in dough or batter.
Does cream of tartar make baking powder?
Cream of tartar is acidic and when combined with baking soda and cornstarch, it forms baking powder. Baking soda produces carbon dioxide bubbles, which help dough to rise. However, it only does this when mixed with water and acid. Cream of tartar is acidic and therefore serves as the acid to help baking soda rise.
Can You Mix Cream of tartar and baking soda?
Cream of Tartar and baking soda can be combined to create homemade baking powder. The Cream of Tartar adds acidity to the mixture, which activates the baking soda and helps baked goods rise. Can cream of tartar be used to clean?
How does baking soda react with cream of tartar?
To understand the interaction between baking soda and cream of tartar, it’s essential to grasp the science behind their reactions. Baking soda’s alkaline nature reacts with cream of tartar’s acidic properties when moisture is present, releasing carbon dioxide gas. This reaction is what makes them an effective leavening duo.