Baking powder still fresh? The best results in baking come from fresh, quality ingredients. Baking powder tends to be one of the ingredients I use a lot of, but it still seems to take quite awhile before I use it all up. To test it's freshness, put a small amount in some hot water. If it bubbles it's still fresh. If it doesn't then it's time to purchase a new can.
If you prefer to make your own baking powder here is a recipe. The best thing about homemade baking powder is that you can make it aluminum free (plus it's great having fresh homemade items at the ready).
Homemade baking powder is not double acting like most of what you buy in the markets today, so it’s important to bake the item right away. Double acting baking powder from the market has additional chemicals in it so that you don’t have to bake your items right away. It reacts when it hits water and when it hits heat. With double acting, you can mix up your batter and wait until later to bake it. You cannot do this with single action baking powder, it starts reacting as soon as it hits moisture. There are no added chemicals to react again when it hits heat, so you have to bake your goods while it’s still reacting to the moisture.
Homemade Baking Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda (use aluminum free )
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon corn starch *optional
Mix all ingredients in a small jar. This recipe makes 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
If you are using right away, there is no need to add the corn starch, but do add it if you are planning on storing baking powder for future use. This will absorb any moisture from the air, and prevent the baking powder from reacting before you need it. Store in an air-tight container.
FYI: Most commercially produced baking powder contains aluminum sodium / aluminum sulfate. Make your own baking powder, and keep your baked goods aluminum free.
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