Cream of Tartar: What It Is and How to Use It (2024)

FAQs

Cream of Tartar: What It Is and How to Use It? ›

Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites, by precluding the egg proteins from sticking together. It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake.

Keep in mind that more cream of tartar doesn't necessarily mean a better, more stable result. “Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

Just mix 1 ½ teaspoons of Cream of Tartar with 1 cup warm water. You can add some freshly squeezed lemon juice if you'd like to, then drink the mixture all at once. Do this a few times a day to keep those nasty infections away.

This ingredient hidden at the back of your spice cabinet helps tomatoes strike the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

Visually, they look very similar, but while baking soda is a base with a high pH (remember the pH scale from chemistry class?), cream of tartar is an acid, which is why together they can help leaven baked goods. So no, they aren't the same and can't be used interchangeably, but can be used in tandem.

Side effects of cream of tartar

Evidence shows that consuming high amounts of cream of tartar may cause abdominal discomfort, abnormal heart rate, and muscle weakness — all common symptoms of hyperkalemia ( 8 , 10 ).

Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites, by precluding the egg proteins from sticking together. It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake.

Cream of Tartar Benefits

The alkaline in cream of tartar can also prevent and treat bacterial infections, help to lower your blood pressure and, of course, it tastes great in any baked good. Here's how baking soda is good for your skin, too.

The most common recipes that call for cream of tartar are those that call for egg whites to be whipped, like angel food cake, genoise cake, meringue, and macarons. Jampel says that is because cream of tartar works as an egg white stabilizer that increases both the volume and shelf life of the meringue.

A little bit of cream of tartar is also said to act as a laxative, effectively easing constipation. However, it's also a diuretic, so it can cause dehydration if used excessively.

Can cream of tartar go bad? ›

Cream of tartar does not expire so long as you store it in a cool and dry space. When in doubt, check for a powdery, white appearance and a slightly acidic smell. Discard your cream of tartar if it has become discolored or if it has a strong smell.

A mixture of two parts cream of tartar to one part vinegar can also be used to clean more particular surfaces like copper and brass.

“When you take cream of tartar and you mix that with vinegar, or even lemon juice, you get what's called tartaric acid and that actually can be used to clean porcelain, aluminum, and copper and brass as well,” says Chem Thug.

If you add 1 tsp of cream of tartar to a cup of water/juice/tea/coffee and drink it, you will soon get rid of acne. It is because cream of tartar aids in good digestion. A healthy gut is a key to healthy skin. The cream of tartar detox properties keeps the skin acne-free.

Achieving a good rise is essential for light and airy bread. Cream of tartar acts as a natural leavening agent when combined with baking soda. When the cream of tartar reacts with baking soda and moisture in the dough, carbon dioxide gas is released, causing the bread to rise.

If you leave tartar on your teeth, it can: Erode your enamel. Cause cavities. Make your gums swell and bleed.

The general rule of thumb is for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar in a recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, you'd use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Generally speaking, cream of tartar doesn't spoil over time so much as it loses its potency to be effective.

Although cream of tartar clearly excels in churning out fluffy baked goods, the substance is also used as an additive to control the pH levels (basicity or acidity) of products, prevent microorganisms like bacteria from growing, and keep foodstuffs from getting all lumpy thanks to excessive moisture.