For many of my life, I assumed that baking soda was good for 2 issues: baking (duh) and absorbing odors. Bakers have good reason to like the stuff; when the chemical leavening agent gained recognition within the mid-Nineteenth century, it principally revolutionized the American dessert scene. However I am not a lot of a baker—in my family, the oven is used for braises, roasts, and pizzas, not cookies and desserts. Which is why, till lately, my major relationship with baking soda was restricted to shoving an orange field of Arm & Hammer into the again of my fridge when issues began to odor slightly funky.
However in the previous couple of years, I’ve realized a factor or two. For one, there are better ways to neutralize refrigerator odors. And, a lot to my delight, there are some fairly shocking culinary makes use of for baking soda that don’t have anything to do with baking. Let’s have a look.
Snappier Shrimp
Once we make shrimp cocktail, shrimp skewers, shrimp scampi, or shrimp wontons, we have discovered {that a} fast brine of salt and baking soda works wonders. The salt helps maintain the shrimp moist and juicy as they cook dinner, whereas baking soda provides them a crisper, snappier texture. You may discover this enchancment in just about any recipe, whether or not you are poaching or searing, however you may get a bonus increase should you’re making use of direct warmth to the shrimp. As a result of baking soda is alkaline (which means it raises pH ranges), it additionally speeds alongside the Maillard response—the chemical course of accountable for the advanced flavors of cooked, browned meals. Throughout the board, you are searching for about one teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 / 4 teaspoon of baking soda for each pound of shrimp; give all of it a fast toss, and relaxation the shrimp within the fridge for anyplace from quarter-hour to about an hour.
Sooner-Browning Onions
If you happen to’re impressed by baking soda’s potential to assist shrimp brown sooner and extra effectively, you may love what it does to onions. Only a quarter teaspoon for each pound of sliced onions will yield in a matter of minutes the type of browning you’d count on from onions which have caramelized for hours. Sadly, it may additionally negatively influence the onions’ taste and texture, so we do not advocate utilizing this technique for a batch of French onion soup or for onions to prime your subsequent burger. But when it’s essential brown onions quickly and plan to mix them with a spread of different elements (as on this French onion dip), baking soda can drastically minimize down in your cooking time.
Balancing the Acidity of Canned Tomatoes
Critical Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze. Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Meals Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Canned tomatoes are an ideal many wondrous issues, however “constant” is, sadly, not one in all them—notably relating to acidity, which may range markedly from model to model. Fortunately, only a quarter teaspoon of baking soda can functionally neutralize extra acidity with out impacting their texture or total taste. This tip is essential to smoothing out the flavors of our thick and hearty Nordstrom-style tomato soup, however the identical precept applies to any sauce or purée comprised of an unusually aggressive batch of canned tomatoes.
Turning Spaghetti Into Ramen Noodles
J. Kenji López-Alt
Positive, turning water into wine is a fairly neat trick. However what if I informed you I might flip angel hair pasta into ramen noodles? You possibly can learn all about the science right here, however suffice it to say that ramen dough consists of an alkaline mineral element referred to as kansui, which supplies the noodles their yellow hue and springy texture. What’s exceptional is you could get fairly related outcomes by including some baking soda to a boiling pot of spaghetti. Is it going to be an identical to recent ramen noodles? No, not fairly. Nevertheless it’ll definitely spherical out a bowl of ramen if you end up in an Asian-grocery desert.
There are only a couple of issues to bear in mind. First, do not be alarmed whenever you add the baking soda—it will trigger high quality, foamy bubbles to kind, so you may wish to make certain the pot is not crammed to the very prime. Second, the extra baking soda you add, the extra ramen-like the pasta’s texture will turn into, however go too far and it may develop a bitter, mineral taste. Our rule of thumb? If you happen to’re including the noodles to a gentle or delicate broth, keep on with simply two teaspoons of baking soda for each quart of water. However should you’re serving them in a daring, full-flavored broth, like tonkotsu, you may go all-in and add a full tablespoon of baking soda for every quart.
Softer Beans for Smoother Hummus
Critical Eats / Qi Ai
“Delicate beans” sounds extra just like the world’s saddest boy band than the important thing to smoother-than-store-bought hummus, however, effectively, that is precisely what they’re. And the quickest, most effective path to smooth beans is baking soda, which raises the pH of the cooking liquid, serving to the chickpeas break down and tenderize extra simply. To cook dinner one cup of dried beans, we dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda in six cups of chilly water, refreshing each water and baking soda after an in a single day soak. After that, only a few easy steps lie between you and an extra-flavorful, extra-silky bowl of hummus.
October 2016
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