WHAT IS CREAM OF TARTAR?
Cream of tartar is the scientific name for potassium bitartrate. Basically this is an acid that’s actually a by-product of making wine. Most often used to help egg whites keep their firm texture when being whipped, it has other uses such as leavening bread or cleaning household items or even removing ink stains from clothing!
WHERE IS THE BEST CREAM OF TARTAR MADE?
If your first guess why “Why it’s hometown of Tartarus of course!” you would be wrong. Tartarus is actually the Greek mythological equivalent of hell. This scientific formulation is very basic and made equally well all over the world.
WHAT KIND OF FLOUR AND STARTER SHOULD I USE?
Being essentially just an acid, it works equally well with all flours and starters such as sourdough. The bigger question is the rest of the recipe and what you’re trying to do! If you’re out of this ingredient, you can substitute another acid such as vinegar for a similar effect. If measuring by volume use twice as much vinegar as you would cream of tartar as a rough gauge.
HOW SHOULD CREAM OF TARTAR BE STORED?
Keep it in a cool, dark part of your kitchen sealed in an air-tight container. This way it can keep for several years without issue. Don’t refrigerate it after opening as the dry powder will absorb moisture from the humid air and spoil.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CREAM OF TARTAR AND BAKING POWDER?
So this might sound a bit like when you look up the definition of a word in the dictionary and it tells you to see that same word. But baking soda is a mix of tartar along with baking soda! This is done because baking soda is a compound that, when combined with an acid (like cream of tartar), produces carbon dioxide gas! This gas in turn is what is captured inside your baked goods as they cook, causing them to rise.
