Cream of tartar is used in cooking to stabilize ingredients and help baked goods rise. It is also used in making candies and frostings, and for cleaning brass, copper, porcelain, and fabrics. It is a common ingredient in baking powder and can be mixed with baking soda as a substitute.
Cream of tartar, technically known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, is mostly used in cooking and other household tasks. This acid is one of the main ingredients in baking powder and helps stabilize the eggs when making a meringue. Uses for cream of tartar also include making candies or baked icings, as it helps encourage the sugar to melt rather than crystallize when heated. Around the home, uses for cream of tartar include cleaning brass and copper as well as porcelain and a variety of fabrics.
Baking powder, a leavening agent used to help baked goods like cookies and cakes rise, is often made from a mix of baking powder and cream of tartar. The acidic properties of tartar help activate the leavening properties of the yeast, helping to create air pockets within the dough. When baking powder is not available, baking soda can be mixed with cream of tartar at the rate of one tablespoon of baking soda to one-half teaspoon of tartar. This is one of the main uses for cream of tartar.
Other common uses for cream of tartar are helping to stabilize other ingredients during cooking, allowing them to rise in volume without breaking down. This is most common in making meringue, a popular topping for pie or a light dessert on its own. Cream of tartar is added to egg whites, typically 1/8 of a teaspoon per egg, before the whites are beaten, allowing them to rise noticeably in volume as air is introduced. The resulting product can be baked, folded into other ingredients, or used to top a variety of cakes and pies.
Another of the more common uses for cream of tartar is in making candies and frostings. Sugar, when exposed to heat, tends to form tiny crystals. While this is desirable when making hard candies, it can add a grainy texture to chewy varieties. The acidic properties of tartar prevent the sugar from crystallizing, allowing it to completely dissolve in the other ingredients, resulting in a soft and silky texture. Frostings that require cooking, such as coconut pecans and several white and chocolate recipes, also often call for cream of tartar, as it helps the sugar fully integrate into the other ingredients. Baked glaze made without tartar can often feel grainy or even lumpy.
Outside of cooking, cleaning brass and copper are common uses for cream of tartar. When mixed with lemon juice it can help remove discoloration and stains from any number of items made from these materials. On its own, this product can also remove stains from porcelain and, when mixed with glycerin, is a highly effective stain remover for fabrics.
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