Kitchen basics: Testing baking powder and soda for freshness (and a recipe for salted caramel shortbread bars) — Noelle Carter Food (2024)

FAQs

What does baking powder do to caramel? ›

Baking Soda: Arguably the most important ingredient! The purpose of baking soda in the caramel is to react with the acidic ingredients (brown sugar, cream of tartar, and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles.

To test baking soda, place a few tablespoons of vinegar in a small dish or measuring cup, then stir in about a teaspoon of soda. The mixture will immediately begin to fizz if the soda is still active; if there's little to no reaction, it's time to buy a new container.

Baking powder can be dead even if it's not past the due date. To check if your baking powder is still active, pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp baking powder. If it bubbles, it's still good. If not, it's no good!

How to Do a Baking Soda Test. Place 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a cup and add 2 teaspoons vinegar. Just like baking powder, if baking soda doesn't bubble, it's old and should be replaced. If you're left without baking soda or baking powder, check out our handy list of baking substitutions.

Baking powder won't have an off smell or taste—unless it's been contaminated with something else. And it is safe to use past its expiration date, even if it isn't as effective. You'll just end up with a flatter, denser baked good than you would if you used fresh baking powder.

Baker's tip: If you wind up with an unlabeled jar of white powder and don't know if it's baking soda or powder, use this test: Put a teaspoon of the powder into a tablespoon of water. If it fizzes, it's baking powder. If it doesn't, it's baking soda.

Using Up Old Baking Soda

Though it is no longer useful for baking, you can still use baking soda that has gone bad for myriad cleaning purposes: It's a great refrigerator deodorizer. Use baking soda as a kitchen and bathroom surface cleaner (make a paste of three parts warm water to one part baking soda).

Do not make the mistake of trying to substitute equal parts baking soda for baking powder in recipes. Your baked goods will have no leavening, be quite flat, and have an altered taste.

Information. Carbonated soft drinks or sodas are not perishable, and are safe past the date stamped on the container. Eventually flavor and carbonation will decrease. For best quality, consume unopened diet sodas within 3 months after the date expires; regular sodas within 9 months.

The baking soda test

For the test, you'll drink half a glass (4 ounces) of cold water combined with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, on an empty stomach. Then time how long it takes you to burp. If it takes longer than three to five minutes, the theory goes, you don't have enough stomach acid.

Does baking soda and baking powder expire? ›

Once a box of baking soda is opened, it has a shelf life of about six months to one year. If you find an unopened box, it may still be good even if it's past the expiration date (generally about 18 months from when it was packaged).

Collect urine in a plastic container, and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to it. If the mixture bubbles, it could be a positive result. How it's said to work: As with bleach and soap, it's said that any hCG in the urine will make baking soda fizz and bubble.

Baking soda is 100 percent sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline salt compound that creates carbon dioxide gas when mixed with an acid. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an acid like cream of tartar which requires moisture and heat to activate.