what the hell is creme of tartar?
Melba's Jammin'
Cream of tartar is, well, cream of tartar (or is it cream tartar?)...
Used as a stabilizer for beating egg whites. Tiny amount.
Also, it will brighten aluminum pans/stuff. Put some
(quantity??? 2-4 Tbsp???) in a pot with water and bring to a boil.
Aluminum will be shiny. I know, I know, that's not very specific.
-Barb
In article <19970522172...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
mrab...@aol.com (Mrabcdefg) wrote:
>and what is its purpose?
>
>(please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
--
Barb
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Lt. Joe Corcoran, St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.
Christopher Green
In article <19970522172...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
Mrabcdefg <mrab...@aol.com> wrote:
>and what is its purpose?
>
>(please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
Maybe I should feel stupid for responding to someone who
hasn't learned polite discourse. Watch your language.
Cream of tartar is potassium bitartrate. It is a byproduct
of winemaking. It has two main uses in cooking: a small
quantity (1/4 teaspoon or so) will stabilize egg whites so
that they can be beaten to a greater volume; and it can be
used as the acid ingredient in baking powder.
2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda (sodium bi-
carbonate) will substitute for the same quantity of com-
mercial baking powder. This mixture is fast-acting, so
recipes made with it should be baked promptly after mixing.
Chris Green Email cgr...@atc.com
Advanced Technology Center Phone (714) 583-9119
22982 Mill Creek Drive ext. 220
Laguna Hills, CA 92653 Fax (714) 583-9213
Pat Caruthers
In article <5m27io$7...@newshub.atmnet.net>, cgr...@yosemite.atc.com (Christopher Green) writes:
|> In article <19970522172...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
|> Mrabcdefg <mrab...@aol.com> wrote:
|> >and what is its purpose?
|> >
|> >(please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
|>
|> Maybe I should feel stupid for responding to someone who
|> hasn't learned polite discourse. Watch your language.
Oh, Pul-eeze.
how 'bout we all get off our assorted high horses wrt language,
dietary decisions, wine selections and butt sizes?
This isn't rec.snide.attitude,
it's rec.food.cooking.
ob.food: i just had one of those 'chemical taste' apples someone
complained about quite a while ago. yuck. I'd say it's the result of
being too long in transit and at too cold a temperature.
Gloria Puester
In article <19970522172...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
mrab...@aol.com (Mrabcdefg) wrote:
> and what is its purpose?
>
> (please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
1. Tartaric acid
2. It's one of the ingredients added to change baking soda into baking powder
3. The only place I've ever seen it called for is to add to egg whites
while beating to stabilize them and help create greater volume.
Anyone who doesn't agree, flame away.....
gkp
Unknown
So, why did the chocolate chip cookie recipe call for it?
Just curious.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
On Fri, 23 May 1997 10:32:31 -0700, Liz <lswa...@sfo.com> wrote:
>Mrabcdefg wrote:
>>
>> and what is its purpose?
>>
>> (please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
>
>Cream of Tartar: is an acid salt, is the solid form of tartaric acid:
>there's one potassium atom replacing a hydrogen atom.
>
>It is added to egg whites to stabilize the foam, which is a coagulated
>form of the egg protein. The result of adding the Cream of Tartar lowers
>the pH of the egg whites from about pH=9 to pH=8 (still alkaline). This
>increase in hydrogen atoms prevents the eggs from *over-coagulation*, or
>"collapse" or "disassociation" of proteins. Besides meringues, there's
>Bearnaise and Hollandaise sauce which is cooked and even more acidified
>by the addition of vinegar or lemon juice has similar properties
>although you use the yolk instead of the white. Sugar also stabilizes
>egg protein, but by a diferent principle.
>
>--Liz
Mrabcdefg
Charles & Aj Brokaw
>3. The only place I've ever seen it called for is to add to egg whites
>while beating to stabilize them and help create greater volume.
>
>Anyone who doesn't agree, flame away.....
>
>gkp
I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that calls for it...
B*B--Kat
Michael J Barnett
I think it's from tartartic acid that participatates out of wine during
fermentation or bottle aging.
--
Michael B
please remove (-no-spam) to reply
Liz
Mrabcdefg wrote:
>
> and what is its purpose?
>
> (please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
Cream of Tartar: is an acid salt, is the solid form of tartaric acid:
PENMART10
In article <33849865...@news.pipeline.com>, (sf) writes:
>Subject: Re: what the hell is creme of tartar?
>From: (sf)
>Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 19:04:15 GMT
>
>So, why did the chocolate chip cookie recipe call for it?
>Just curious.
>
>`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
````````````````````
>
>On Fri, 23 May 1997 10:32:31 -0700, Liz <lswa...@sfo.com> wrote:
>
All that, and ya still didn't get ya cookies off! Cream of tartar is used
in many cookie recipes, as it keeps the cookie dough from flowing too
profusely when heated by the oven, and achieves this by stabilizing the
protien in the recipe. Cream of tartar is what gives ya cookies such a
neat configuration. especially around da edges, not so thin so's it boins,
and not so thick, so's it stays raw.
I tink dis has sumptin ta do wid stabilization of the molecular tension
cohesion coefficient.
Dis is 'specially impotent wid chawklit chippers, so's ya chips don't
blend in wid
ya cookie parts.
Sheldon ( I jus luv ta blend in wid dem cookie parts! ;) )
Fred Smith
Yes, it is.
Michael J Barnett <micha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in article
<01bc6793$897c2800$1328...@worldnet.worldnet.att.net>...
Charles Demas
In article <19970523234...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
PENMART10 <penm...@aol.com> wrote:
>In article <33849865...@news.pipeline.com>, (sf) writes:
>>
>>So, why did the chocolate chip cookie recipe call for it?
>
>in many cookie recipes, as it keeps the cookie dough from flowing too
>profusely when heated by the oven, and achieves this by stabilizing the
>protien in the recipe. Cream of tartar is what gives ya cookies such a
>neat configuration. especially around da edges, not so thin so's it boins,
>and not so thick, so's it stays raw.
>I tink dis has sumptin ta do wid stabilization of the molecular tension
>cohesion coefficient.
>
>Dis is 'specially impotent wid chawklit chippers, so's ya chips don't
>blend in wid
>ya cookie parts.
>
>Sheldon ( I jus luv ta blend in wid dem cookie parts! ;) )
Well, that's interesting!!! I always wondered about how to control
cookie spreading.
Does anyone else know other methods that control cookie spreading?
Chuck Demas
Needham, Mass.
P.S. I'd appreciate a cc of any posted responses.
--
Eat Healthy | _ _ | Nothing would be done at all,
Stay Fit | @ @ | If a man waited to do it so well,
Die Anyway | v | That no one could find fault with it.
de...@tiac.net | \___/ | http://www.tiac.net/users/demas
Charles Demas
In article <19970522172...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
Mrabcdefg <mrab...@aol.com> wrote:
>and what is its purpose?
>
>(please, I feel stupid enough asking....don't be mean.)
From the Epicurious Dictionary (link on my home page):
| cream of tartar
|
| cream of tartar A fine white powder derived from a crystalline acid
| deposited on the inside of wine barrels. Cream of tartar is added to
| candy and frosting mixtures for a creamier consistency, and to egg
| whites before beating to improve stability and volume. It's also used
| as the acid ingredient in some baking powders.
|
| from THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition,
| by Sharon Tyler Herbst, Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
|
Chuck Demas
Needham, Mass.
EVA PEREZ
Creme of tartar is a seafood dip.It is a mixture of many herbal spices
and mayonaise.Oh,and don't feel stupid for asking because until today,I
had no idea what creme of tartar was myself.
HASTA LA VISTA!!!
EVA
TJMorlan
Don't know what the stuff is made of but you get it in little cans
(Schilling) in the spice section. It's main use is as a substitute for a
copper bowl when beating egg whites for meringues and souffles - really
works too! On the side of the can the Schilling folks say it is good for
removing stains from aluminum pans, however, what withh all the talk about
aluminum/Alzheimers I'm not sure that is a GOOD thing!
By the way - I've had a can of this stuff for two years and used it once -
guess I don't bake enough!
Tim
Nancy Dooley
On Sat, 24 May 1997 20:27:32 -0400, EVA...@webtv.net (EVA PEREZ)
wrote:
...and you still don't. ;-) Tartar sauce is what you describe, not
creme of tartar. Look again.
Nancy.
"You're only young once, but you can be immature
forever."
Gloria Puester
In article <5m811k$r2k$1...@newsd-101.bryant.webtv.net>, EVA...@webtv.net
(EVA PEREZ) wrote:
> Creme of tartar is a seafood dip.It is a mixture of many herbal spices
> and mayonaise.Oh,and don't feel stupid for asking because until today,I
> had no idea what creme of tartar was myself.
>
> HASTA LA VISTA!!!
> EVA
NOPE!!! That's Tartar Sauce! "Cream of" is tartaric acid, used in baking
powder and by itself to stabilize meringue.
Mike
Creme of tartar is not a seafood dip. You described tartar sauce, very
different. Tartar sauce is very popular on fried seafood in New England.
EVA PEREZ <EVA...@webtv.net> wrote in article
<5m811k$r2k$1...@newsd-101.bryant.webtv.net>...
PatB
Tartaric acid, widely distributed plant acid with many food and
industrial uses; colorless, crystalline solid readily soluble in water;
obtained from by-products of wine fermentation; forms include several
salts, cream of tartar (potassium hydrogen tartrate),
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
and rochelle salt (potassium sodium tartrate); known to ancient Greeks
and Romans; free acid first isolated in 1769 by C.W. Scheele; used in
effervescent tablets, gelatin desserts, fruit jellies, and as an
acidifying agent in carbonated drinks; used to clean and polish metals
and in calico printing, wool dyeing, and photographic developing;
belongs to dicarboxylic group.
---------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted from Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia
Copyright © 1994, 1995 Compton’s NewMedia, Inc.
Fred Smith
That's what this newsgroup is for, answering questions and clarifying.
(And I am glad this was clarified. I tried not to think of tartar sauce as
an ingredient in sugar cookies.) Riss :)
Mike <mi...@de-inc.com> wrote in article
<01bc6999$9154d560$LocalHost@itjfvkli>...
Karen & Rob Robertson
Hey! Guess what? You still don't know what cream of tartar is. What your
talking about is Tartar sauce, which is mayo and pickles.
Cream of Tartar is sold in the spice section of the grocery store. It is a
natural derivative of grape juice. It is used to make perfect egg white
foam for meringue; produces a whiter angel food cake and makes baked goods
fluffy. When using cream of tartar it's harder to dry out egg whites by
overbeating, as a rule, use one teaspoon per cup of egg white.
It is also used in biscuits and divinity candy, perfect for souffles and
chiffon cakes. Karen robe...@dmv.com
Keith
de...@tiac.net (Charles Demas) wrote:
>
>Well, that's interesting!!! I always wondered about how to control
>cookie spreading.
>
>Does anyone else know other methods that control cookie spreading?
>
Interesting theory about cream of tartar. One that I'd not heard. I
know that it is often used in conjunction with baking soda for
leaving. In the US, the commercial blend is called baking powder
(cream of tatar/baking soda)
Cookie spread can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of fat - sugar
- flour in a cookie recipe. Increasing the flour, even by as little as
10% will soften the texture and slow the spread of the cookie.
You may also control the cookie spread by heavy mixing after adding
the flour. This helps develop the gluten in the flour and will serve
to keep the cookie cohesive. It will also serve to make the cookie as
hard as a rock, so I wouldn't recommend it. (Though I've heard it
works well to make 'perfect' cookies for a non-edible display window!)
'pro...@ao.net'
(remove ' to respond)
Momago1
I don't have any trouble keeping my cookies from spreading on the pan, but
I do have a problem with my cookies spreading my rear out of my jeans!
Any suggestions?
Just kidding!
Carolyn
James Harvey
In article <01bc71e2$4a16ff60$8bbb...@robertsn.dmv.com>, "Karen & Rob Robertson" <robe...@dmv.com> writes:
> Hey! Guess what? You still don't know what cream of tartar is. What your
> talking about is Tartar sauce, which is mayo and pickles.
> Cream of Tartar is sold in the spice section of the grocery store. It is a
> natural derivative of grape juice. It is used to make perfect egg white
> foam for meringue; produces a whiter angel food cake and makes baked goods
> fluffy. When using cream of tartar it's harder to dry out egg whites by
> overbeating, as a rule, use one teaspoon per cup of egg white.
> It is also used in biscuits and divinity candy, perfect for souffles and
> chiffon cakes. Karen robe...@dmv.com
People who are prone bladder and kidney stones should be aware that it can
exacerbate this problem.
It is an ingredient of baking powder too; it provides the acid that reacts
with carbonates to produce carbon dioxide, which makes things fluffy...
--
James Harvey har...@iupui.edu Disclaimer: My opinions; I don't speak for IU.
sm...@nospam.ridgecrest.ca.us
I have the same problem Carolyn! But to prevent cookies from spreading,
be sure to chill the dough and keep it cool. Also, like Carolyn
suggested, be sure to drop the dough onto cool cookie sheets.
Mary
--
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