After that, head to the grocery store to replace the baking soda to ensure freshness and leavening effectiveness. An opened box of baking soda will stay fresh for about 6 months. Important note: Baking soda will lose its leavening power if not fresh. The acidic ingredient your recipe calls for will vary depending on the type of cookie you are baking. Acid is necessary for this reaction to take place.Īcidic ingredients include lemon juice, cream of tartar, yogurt, sour cream, cocoa, vinegar, buttermilk, regular milk, sour milk, chocolate, and granulated or brown sugar. Carbon dioxide creates bubbles that are released, expanding the cookie batter. It also upgrades the overall taste, texture, and look of a fresh baked batch of cookies.ĭuring the baking process, the baking soda reacts with acidic liquids to produce carbon dioxide. Why Baking Soda Is Used in So Many Cookie RecipesĪs you may have already guessed, baking soda is a key ingredient in baking because it allows cookies to have a better rise and spread. Later, the Romans used soda ash to make glass, medicine, and to bake bread. The oldest known uses date back to the Ancient Egyptians, who used soda ash to make glass and vessels. In fact, the Green River area in Sweetwater County, Wyoming is considered the Trona capital of the world!Ĭivilizations have been converting Trona into soda ash (sodium carbonate) for thousands of years. There are many areas that still produce baking soda from Trona deposits, and the largest is located in the United States. Trona is processed into sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. It comes from a special rock called Trona, which was left behind as the earth’s vast salt lakes evaporated over time. Sodium bicarbonate has been around for at least 5,000 years. Without baking soda, it is safe to say your favorite baked goods would look and taste very differently than they do today! Where Does Baking Soda Comes From? This reaction produces tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide, and the carbon dioxide gas causes baked goods like cookies and bread to rise. No matter what you call it, this alkaline powder is a unique part of modern cooking.īaking soda is a leavening agent, and it undergoes a special chemical reaction when it is baked.
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