So I'm making myself dinner this fine eve and decided to experiment a bit with some spices. As I shuffled around my collection I unearthed two small, mostly full and unused shakers of Cream of Tartar. I pillaged them from my mum's cupboard (back in the 90's) and I've had them for yeeeeeears! Why?
Growing up when I did, home cooking was all there really was. Sure, fast food became popular in the 80's, but throughout my childhood my grandfather and mother were always a cookin'. It was a blessing for me as I've reaped the benefits of learning my way around a melon baller! ;D Out of all of the spices I have seen, known and used in my life thus far, I have never understood what the heck cream of tartar is or what it's really used for. So for those of you who have ever pondered the curious teleology of cream of tartar, enjoy the results of my arduous and taxing research on the subject.(actually it was more like 2.56 seconds on the interweb)
Cream of Tartar is an acid salt that is created when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, thus transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid and cream of tartar is obtained from sediment left behind during wine making. Hunh! So why would you use it?? Well, if you wanted to stabilize and volumize your egg whites or make that frosting or desert sauce a bit creamier, use C of T. Oh, and it's great for polishing your brass or copper cook wares!
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