What is cream of tartar?

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Cream of tartar or potassium bitartrate is a white powder that is formed after fermenting grape juice to become wine. Grapes are known to contain tartaric acid and when their juice are used in wine-making, the fermentation process will result to the crystallization of some of its components and become cream of tartar. In most cases, the crystal white powder or cream of tartar attach to near the cork of wine bottles. There are also instances wherein tartaric acid will crystallize and become powder when the grape juice is put in cold storage for long periods of time.

The crystal white powder is acidic and nature and is said to help prevent the wine from spoiling. In the field of baking and cooking, cream of tartar is widely used because of its acidic property. As part of baking soda, cream of tartar is very useful in terms of helping the bread dough rise during the baking process. This powder may also be used to stabilize egg whites and increase its volume. Whip cream may also be added with cream of tartar to improve its texture and consistency. Another common use of cream of tartar is to provide enough acid to sugary syrups so that it won’t crystallize. For cooking, some people use cream of tartar to prevent vegetables from discoloration. The acidic nature of cream of tartar basically helps preserve the natural color of some vegetables when they are exposed to heat during cooking.

Besides cooking and baking, cream of tartar is also useful in various household concerns. Cleaning metals like copper and aluminium is made easy by mixing cream of tartar with water. Mixed with hydrogen peroxide, cream of tartar is also an effective rust remover especially on various hand tools. The acidic nature of cream of tartar is also utilized in traditional cloth dyeing techniques.

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