baking powder questions

O

on the road again

New member
I have been baking muffins recently. I opened a can of baking
powder, which was not past its expiration date or even close to
it. I realized last night that it must, nonetheless, be old,
because the muffins just are not rising much. Sooo, I am wondering:

1) Does BP age in an unopened can? I note that the cans are not
all metal now, so I imagine the cardboard would not offer the same
level of protection.

2. Do all double-acting BPs have the same leavening power? The
one I have open is Rumford, but I have always used Calumet in the
past. For some odd reason, Calumet is almost impossible to find
here now.

Thanks,


--
Jean B.
 
The chemical makeup of baking powder is: baking soda plus cream of tartar
plus cornstarch.... or:

I thought there was a clear answer to this; apparently there is not. I'd
contact the mfg. They're generally more helpful than you would imagine about
a question like this. I recently had a long very insightful conversation
from the mfg. of Ziploc bags regarding their heat sensitivity.

Banking soda=
NaHCO3. baking soda
Cream of tartar KHC4H4O6.
NaHCO3 + KHC4H4O6 ----> KNaC4H4O6 + H2O + CO2
Some baking powders contain sodium aluminum sulfate: NaAl(SO4)2. The
reaction there is:
NaAl(SO4)2 + 3 NaHCO3 ----> Al(OH)3 + 2 Na2SO4 + 3 CO2
Read more: What is the chemical composition of baking powder | Answerbag
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/411545#ixzz1IZWR6tON
Baking powder is baking soda plus cream of tartar plus cornstarch....


Good Luck, let us know,

Kent
 
On 4/4/2011 12:24 PM, Kent wrote:

The Wikipedia article seems pretty reliable especially on the nature of
"double-acting" baking powder, something I was never very clear about.
The article also gives more history than you might ever want to know :-)
--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm "not"
[email protected]
 
Kent wrote:
Hmmm. Yes. I need to see what the various ones are made of. I
never gave this too much thought, because I haven't had an issue
before. I'd use it. It would work. It would eventually become
old, and I'd throw it out. That was it. I am not used to opening
a can and having it not be effective.

--
Jean B.
 
James Silverton wrote:

Thanks to you too. I actually have some old booklets on the
topic, as well as polemics and claims about the superiority of
various baking powders.

--
Jean B.
 
On 4/3/2011 2:10 PM, Jean B. wrote:

In my family we have always used Rumford. It always seems to work
fine for me. And mine is always really old because I don't use
it all that often and I'm not about to go buy a new can each time
I bake something. ;-)

Kate

--
Kate Connally
?If I were as old as I feel, I?d be dead already.?
Goldfish: ?The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.?
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
mailto:[email protected]
 
On Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:45:48 -0400, Kate Connally
wrote:

I have Clabber Girl in the cupboard at the moment and according to the
internet, it's single acting. To be honest, I don't find much/any
difference between brands and have no idea what the difference is
between single and double acting.

I love Google! Answer: Double-acting baking powder releases some gas
when it becomes wet and the rest when exposed to oven heat.
Single-acting baking powders release their gases as soon as they're
moistened.

No wonder "they" say to work fast after you have mixed the dry and wet
ingredients.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
"Kate Connally" ha scritto nel messaggio


It's something I have to buy and bring here, so I am very careful with it.
Once opened, the tin stands on its head in the freezer. It lasts 2 years or
so like that. I have had Calumet, Rumford and Clabber Girl and all were
fine.
 
On Thu, 7 Apr 2011 09:34:25 +0200, "Giusi" wrote:

What do people do over there (since baking powder seems so scarce)?
Use more eggs?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
"sf" ha scritto nel messaggio "Giusi"
wrote:


It isn't in as many things as there, but they do have it. It is sold in
individual packets, like saccarin, with who knows how much in each? Sure, I
could measure it, but it's expensive that way, over packaged and sometimes
scented with vanilla!

Cakes rely more on beaten egg than baking powder, although many recipes do
have a little in them.
 
On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 08:02:36 +0200, "Giusi" wrote:


We pay more for packaging than the contents, that's for sure. I use
so little baking powder that I'd like to find it in individual
packets. Oh, have you bought cream of tartar lately? That is
*expensive*! $4-$.50 for a tiny little container by Shilling, of all
places.
Does baking powder makes cakes less dense than cakes made with all
eggs for leavening?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
"sf" ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email protected]...


Yes, lighter and less moist IMO.
Cream of Tartar is not sold here. It is made from the scrapings of Italian
wine barrels and that is shipped to the USA where they produce cream of
tartar, but they don't ship it back here. Why? I don't know. Certainly
baking powder here must have it? Or maybe there's another form of acid they
use.
 
In article ,
"Giusi" wrote:



I don't know either. That makes no sense. They must throw away tons of
the stuff around here, why would they import it from Italy? And why is
it so expensive?

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]
 
"Dan Abel" ha scritto nel messaggio news:dabel-

I think you have an exaggerated idea of how much American wine is made in
wooden barrels. As to why it is expensive, dunno. Ask them!
 
On Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:34:55 +0200, "Giusi"
wrote:


Curiosity killed the cat-- Do you have any numbers? I just read
that those oak barrels can cost up to $800 each. How many do *we*
[the US] use and how many does Italy use? [Does Italy use native
oaks-- or imported?]

Jim
 
"Jim Elbrecht" ha scritto nel messaggio
"Giusi"


Ni numbers. I heard a report on a food and wine show on TV and was shocked
to hear that what I could not buy here started here. How many? Well,
everyone Italian I know outside of cities makes wine. They all make it in
wooden barrels. Many wines are DOC or DOP and therefore have to be made in
the traditional manner, which is wooden barrels. I guess that's why they
have it to sell.
My neighbor almost disappears inside his 5 foot wide barrels when he cleans
them,. His wife hangs onto his clothes while he scrapes. People have been
known to be overcome in there, so she takes no chances.

I believe the barrels are made of US oak unless they are by tradition sherry
barrels which come from Spain. I saw a program on barrel making, too!
 
In article ,
"Giusi" wrote:




That's funny! A snooty winery near me (about 30 miles) says:

http://www.robertmondavi.com/rmw/winemaking/winegrowing

"Robert Mondavi Winery only uses French Oak barrels for storing its
wines. The degree to which the barrel uses new French oak will vary
depending on the how the wine is destined to be bottled. Reserve wines
will typically be in the barrels with 80-100% new French Oak. Other
wines will use lower amounts depending on the style and variety of the
wine in barrel."

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]
 
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