Home-made Baking Powder

Okay, I think I've researched it to death. Well, maybe not quite that bad but my curiosity is satisfied. The one question I haven't found the answer to is how well does it work. Oh excuse me, I'm thinking to myself and I forgot I was talking out loud. How well does home-made baking powder work in a variety of situations. For instance, can I use it in my frozen cream biscuits? The information I've read would lead me to say no but then have they tried it? I can't find anyone on the Internet that has given this home-made version a real serious trial. That is until now for I'm about to test it in a variety of situations. I know home-made baking powder probably came before the popular use of freezers and this women uses a freezer to the fullest. That's why I have three though one is my daughters but she isn't using it and I can't let one go empty.



I'm trying something new. Not that that is unusual but I had some Snicker Doodle cookies that were a little over cooked. We like ours really light in color and I over cooked some chocolate chip cookies too. Yes, that is my M.O. over cooking the last batch because my attention span is REALLY short. So I put the darker ones through the blender making a fine crumb. The Snicker Doodles I plan on using as the crust in a lemon or New York cheesecake recipe and the chocolate chip crumbs for the base in a chocolate cheesecake. I popped the crumbs in the freezer until I get around to making the cheese cakes. Some I hope with home-made cream cheese but that's another adventure not yet tried. With the crumbs I figure add a little butter and the they should work up nicely. "Waste not want not." the saying goes and though I've not perfected the saying, I have perfected the making enough mistakes to need to use it frequently.



Back to the subject of this post, home-made baking powder. I've heard the controversy about aluminium in baking powder and how it is bad for you, though it hasn't been proven to the FDA's satisfaction. I myself have had high levels of aluminum, lead, and cadmium in my body and had to undergo a couple different methods to remove the heavy metals which took a year to do so since taking it out also causes lead poisoning. Cadmium can destroy the kidneys and so it was done over a long miserable period of time. There I go again off the subject but the point of all this rambling is I'm avoiding aluminium since I have a tendency to collect it. My family did not test high in the metal and they obviously have lived with me a long time. Why me? Well, I'm low in Vitamin D and a few other essential things which helps to flush the offending metals. So where I can avoid aluminium, I do.



There I go again, anyway, I'm researching baking powder and going to give my home-made version a thorough test. The next few blog post will lead you on a journey of my research but you'll have to stay tuned for the results of the trial tests on baked goods as they will of course take some time.

• Besides avoiding aluminium, which you can do by buying a non aluminum baking powder at the store, why avoid store baking powder? That was one of my questions. I found that the store also likes to add preservatives, not that that should surprise any of you. The baking powder in my cub board was from Argo and so I read the label. sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch and monocalcium phosphate.
  
  
  Great, what's that? So Internet here I came. The sodium acid pyrophosphate is a stabilizer, emulsifier (keeps from clumping), and chelating agent (preservative). If inhaled it can cause respiratory tract irritation; if ingested nausea, vomiting; and if it comes in contact with your skin, it can cause irritation. FDA says it is safe. Yeah, like I believe them on anything but I couldn't find anyone yelling about the product over the Internet so it's probably not real serious except that the average child ingests about 25 pounds a year of preservatives and you know that isn't good.
  
  
  

Next, I looked up monosodium phosphate which is a Ph regulator.

Corn starch is corn that has had the germ and bran removed, you know the good stuff that causes the corn to go bad earlier. Like in brown rice versus white rice.

Of course the sodium bicarbonate is the baking soda. Most of the baking soda we use is derived from trona which is mined right here in Wyoming - Green River, Wyoming.

Now that I knew what was in my baking powder, I researched what went into the home-made version. I told you this was a long drawn out process and you thought I was just going to give you a recipe. I will, I promise but just in case you are a label reader like me, or are just wondering why I'm bothering to make my own, a question I'm asking myself, then keep reading. I'll even tell you all about why baking soda is used verses baking powder etc. This brain never sleeps. My husband may disagree on that subject as I've been known to be space out once in a while.

Now, the home-made version is:

Baking Powder

2 Tablespoons cream of tarter

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 Tablespoon baking soda

Mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Don't ask me why I thought cream of tarter sounded menacing but I researched it and found it was the white powder found on the insides of barrels used in wine making. Who thinks of using these things? Anyway, it apparently is harmless. And you already know about baking soda and corn starch.

My daughter said to make my blogs short and sweet so tomorrow I'll tell you the shelf-life of the above ingredients, a different recipe for baking powder, and how baking powder and baking soda work in recipes. The biggy for tomorrow is explaining that this recipe is for single action baking powder versus the double action the stores sell. So stay tuned. I'm sure your on the edge of your seat in anticipation, or not if your thinking why I'm bothering over this subject at all. Just keep in mind I have an overly active mind and I'm always moving one more step towards self-sufficiency. With food recalls coming in at an alarming rate, who can blame me there.