5 Sport-Altering Methods to Use Baking Soda for Higher Meals

For many of my life, I assumed that baking soda was good for 2 issues: baking (duh) and absorbing odors. Bakers have good cause to like the stuff; when the chemical leavening agent gained reputation 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 truffles. 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 discovered a factor or two. For one, there are higher methods to neutralize fridge odors. And, a lot to my delight, there are some fairly stunning 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 preserve the shrimp moist and juicy as they prepare dinner, whereas baking soda provides them a crisper, snappier texture. You will discover this enchancment in just about any recipe, whether or not you are poaching or searing, however you may get a bonus increase if you happen to’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 answerable for the advanced flavors of cooked, browned meals. Throughout the board, you are in search of 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 wherever from quarter-hour to about an hour.

Sooner-Browning Onions

When you’re impressed by baking soda’s capacity 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 anticipate from onions which have caramelized for hours. Sadly, it will possibly additionally negatively impression 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 you might want to brown onions shortly and plan to mix them with a variety of different elements (as on this French onion dip), baking soda can drastically lower down in your cooking time.

Balancing the Acidity of Canned Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are an awesome many wondrous issues, however “constant” is, sadly, not one in all them—notably in terms of acidity, which may fluctuate markedly from model to model. Fortunately, only a quarter teaspoon of baking soda can functionally neutralize extra acidity with out impacting their texture or general taste. This tip is vital 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

Certain, turning water into wine is a reasonably neat trick. However what if I advised you I might flip angel hair pasta into ramen noodles? You possibly can learn all concerning the science proper right here, however suffice it to say that ramen dough consists of an alkaline mineral part referred to as kansui, which supplies the noodles their yellow hue and springy texture. What’s outstanding is you could get fairly related outcomes by including some baking soda to a boiling pot of spaghetti. Is it going to be similar to recent ramen noodles? No, not fairly. But it surely’ll actually 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 while you add the baking soda—it will trigger high-quality, foamy bubbles to kind, so you may wish to ensure that 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 grow to be, however go too far and it will possibly develop a bitter, mineral taste. Our rule of thumb? When you’re including the noodles to a light or delicate broth, stick to simply two teaspoons of baking soda for each quart of water. However if you happen to’re serving them in a daring, full-flavored broth, like tonkotsu, you’ll be able to go all-in and add a full tablespoon of baking soda for every quart.

Softer Beans for Smoother Hummus

“Mushy beans” sounds extra just like the world’s saddest boy band than the important thing to smoother-than-store-bought hummus, however, nicely, that is precisely what they’re. And the quickest, best path to tender beans is baking soda, which raises the pH of the cooking liquid, serving to the chickpeas break down and tenderize extra simply. To prepare 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, just some easy steps lie between you and an extra-flavorful, extra-silky bowl of hummus.

October 2016