can someone tell me what cream of tartar is ? it is used in many cake recipes .I want to know if it is a raisi

Question

i want to know if cream of tartar is a rising agent in cake recipes or a liqour

Answer 1

Potassium bitartrate also potassium hydrogen tartrate has formula KC4H5O6. It is a byproduct of wine making. It is also known as cream of tartar. It is a potassium acid salt of tartaric acid.Tartar crystallises in wine casks during the fermentation of grape juice. This crude form (known as beeswing) is collected and purified to produce the white, odourless, acidic powder used for many culinary and other household purposes, such as:

Stabilising egg whites, increasing their heat tolerance and volume; Preventing sugar syrups from crystallising; Reducing discolouration of boiled vegetables; Frequent combination with baking soda (which needs an acid ingredient to activate it) in formulations of baking powder. In wines bottled before they are fully ripe, argol can precipitate on the side of the bottle in a sort of crust, thus forming what is called "crusted wine". When placed in a Bunsen burner's flame, it turns purple, indicating the presence of potassium. When cream of tartar is added to water, a suspension results which serves to clean coins very well. The solution loosens surface dirt and grime on the coins. Then, the dirt can be wiped off quite easily.Cream of tartar and vinegar combine to make a powerful cleaning agent used to clean encrusted pots, pans and stove tops.

Answer 2

"Cream of tartar is is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking.

Cream of tartar is obtained when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid, and cream of tartar is a obtained from sediment produced in the process of making wine.

Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting.
Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware. "

Answer 3

CREAM OF TARTAR

Tartaric acid is a brownish-red acid powder (potassium bitartrate) that is precipitated onto the walls of casks used to age wine. When refined into a white acid powder, ‘cream of tartar’, it is used in baking.

Cream of tartar is an acid powder. Combined with baking SODA it makes baking POWDER.

Cream of tartar is also used to give a creamier texture to sugary things like candy and frosting and to stabilize and increase the volume of beaten egg whites.

Cream of tartar can be used to clean brass and copper cookware.

Answer 4

Cream of tartar is is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking. Now, before you get all jittery about the thought of cooking with an acid, it's worth noting that milk, brown sugar, steak, plums, and just about every other food we eat is acidic. In fact, egg whites and baking soda are the only non-acidic (alkaline) foods we have.

Cream of tartar is obtained when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid, and cream of tartar is a obtained from sediment produced in the process of making wine.

Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting. It is used commercially in some soft drinks, candies, bakery products, gelatin desserts, and photography products. Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware.

If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.

Answer 5

cream of tartar

Definition: A fine white powder derived from a crystalline acid deposited on the inside of wine barrels. Cream of tartar is added to candy and frosting mixtures for a creamier consistency, and to egg whites before beating to improve stability and volume. It's also used as the acid ingredient in some baking powders.

Answer 6

Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) is an acidic powder. It is used in cooking to stabilize egg whites, and is frequently used in combination with baking soda with needs an acidic element to activate it.

Answer 7

Cream of tartar is a white powder you should be able to find in the spice or baking aisle. It is necessary for homemade baking powder and is also used to stabilize beaten egg whites so they don't deflate.

Answer 8

It's not a thickener, it's a binding agent. For example, if added to whipped egg whites, it will help them keep their shape and not become a watery mess. Keeps things from "falling apart".

Answer 9

Wow I didnt know all that!
I just knew it was in the baking goods spice rack!
The only recipe I ever used it in is Snickerdoodles - yummy!!!

Answer 10

a thickener