Cream of tartar

Cream of what?

I mostly use it for making playdoh…..

Cream of tartar is one of those mystery ingredients you might have seen in your grandma's pantry without knowing what it's used for. After all, its name doesn't give you a clue—not like baking powder or baking soda. Yet just a touch of it makes a big difference in your baking and cooking.

Here's what it is and how to use it in recipes, and even around the house.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿?

First of all, it's not creamy. It's a dry, powdery, acidic byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. Its sciency name is potassium bitartrate, aka potassium hydrogen tartrate or tartaric acid (hence the commercial name). But you can find it in the spice aisle labeled as plain ol' cream of tartar. It is a byproduct of the wine making process.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿?

Adding a small amount of cream of tartar when you're beating egg whites—usually 1/8 teaspoon per egg white—speeds up the creation of foam and helps stabilize the structure of those miniscule air bubbles you're whipping up. In baking, this means mile-high meringue pies, melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies, and angel food cakes that practically float off the plate.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀?

It's what separates a tangy, chewy snickerdoodle from an ordinary cinnamon-coated sugar cookie. The acid in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy flavor, and the chew happens because cream of tartar prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing into crunchiness. Science!

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲𝘀?

When combined with baking soda, it becomes a leavening agent (the stuff that makes baked goods puff up in the oven) by producing carbon dioxide gas. If you ever run out of baking powder, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Add a pinch of cream of tartar to boiling vegetables to help them retain their bright, fresh color.

A pinch of cream of tartar also helps stabilize whipped cream to prevent it from deflating.

Make colorful, edible play dough!

What can I substitute for cream of tartar?

Use 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar to create the acidic effect of 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a recipe.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?

Cream of tartar keeps its freshness indefinitely, as long as you store it in a cool, dry spot. When in doubt, you can test it by looking at it and smelling it. It should look white and powdery, and it should smell mildly acidic.

How else is it used around the house?

Cream of tartar makes an effective non-toxic household cleaner all by itself or combined with other earth-friendly kitchen ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar. 

𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀:

Metal polish: Add water to make a paste to polish stainless steel and aluminum. This also removes scratches on white bowls and plates caused by knives and forks.

Copper polish: Add lemon juice in a 1:1 mixture. Rub on, rinse off.

Poreclain sink, tub, toilet scrub: Add distilled white vinegar in a 1:1 solution.

All-purpose scrub: Add distilled white vinegar in a 4:1 solution (i.e., 1 cup vinegar to 1/4 cup cream of tartar). This also cleans stainless steel sinks like nobody's business.

Original Origin Unknown