Why Baking Soda is the Most Useful Ingredient in Your Kitchen | What's Eating Dan?
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- Unassuming as it may be, baking soda is nothing short of a powerhouse in the kitchen. It can improve browning, tenderize proteins, and speed the cooking of greens, grains, and beans. Follow along as Dan breaks down the science of sodium bicarbonate and shows you how to utilize it in your daily cooking.
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Favourite application is in a pot of boiling potatoes to break down the cell structures just on the outside layer, cook them only half way, drain, toss in a sieve or collander to rough up the edges, then into the oven to roast. The baking soda breaking down the surface of the potatoes will create a more craggle-y texture to facilitate that amazing exterior crispiness we all love in the best roast potatoes.
I see you are a Kenji fan
Yaaassss. Kenji tip!
@@squeektheweek6949 Who’s Kenji? Pass on your genius.
@@wrinklesandsprinkles J. Kenji Lopez-Alt he worked at cooks illustrated years ago and does personal videos now here on YT. He is much like Alton Brown a food scientist and has done a ton of testing. He frequently makes his videos highly informative both from the science of it and history of a dishes origin.
Edit: I forgot to mention he was even on an episode of What's Eating Dan czcams.com/video/D8BXYIZ_7sE/video.html The one about MSG and they made 3 things with it.
@@wrinklesandsprinkles Kenji Alt-Lopez, from serious eats and other food channels
I've watched 5000 cooking videos over the last 10 years. NOBODY has ever mentioned this. Thank you, thank you, thank you again!
I use 1/2 tsp for making pea soup. It helps to both reduce cooking time, and it gets rid of the gas issues that legumes cause.
A trick from Modernist Cuisine is that baking soda allows for all sorts of caramelized soups - carrots, pumpkin, bananas, onions ... - in a pressure cooker. Maillard reaction starts at a low enough temperature for that to work then.
Total game changer.
Oh that's /insane/
This might be the most life-changing episode of Whats Eating Dan yet!
We know it's gonna be a good day when we get another episode of What's Eating Dan. All of these more "specialized" ATK videos have been great!
Lies again? Batman Superman Big Shot
Hint:
If you (for some reason) end up trying to cook dried beans in an acidic environment, and find that they simply *WON'T* get tender, *FREEZE* them!
The freezing creates thousands of tiny ice crystals which pierce and break down the beans' skins and cell walls creating tender beans once thawed, and reheated.
I have recently cooked a steak and sprinkled a pinch of baking soda on both sides of the meat. I was stunned of how much that improved browning.
I have Gerd and I was told by doctor to avoid citrus, vinegar, tomatoes, and other acid foods. I make my own tomato sauce by adding carrots, and a pinch of soda to up alkalinity. I ordered on Amazon a acid/alkaline test. Soda has literally saved my cooking and health.
What is Geri?
@@jeanlaubenthal698 Acid Reflux
Turns out the lower oesophageal sphincter only closes when the stomach is acidic enough. Check out the video "30 Days of Apple Cider Vinegar vs 15 years of GERD/Reflux". A less acidic stomach makes your food harder to digest and absorb, further down the line the less digested food then becomes food for unwanted pathogens causing potential other issues.
@@RVlietstra Precisely. Antacids are one of the medical industrial complexes great lies.
If you suffer from GERD take a teaspoon of ACV in a little water 15-20 minutes before you eat. Your digestive system will understand the signal and produce what it needs to properly digest your food.
Acid Reflux is a mild burning sensation while GERD is a much more serious burning sensation due to the chronic backflow of acid. That's a small but important difference distincting the similar conditions. @@charlenebrooker4492
In "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ma Ingalls is making baked beans and pops a spoonful of baking soda into the water in which she is boiling the beans first. Once she can "blow the skins off the beans," ie, cooked until fairly tender, she drains the beans, seasons them and makes baked beans.
This is a common trick for chickpeas when making hummus: I little baking soda in the water while cooking helps remove the tough outer skins. Essentually they just rinse off.
As a baker, I also found that baking soda will cause cookies to spread in the oven. You have to be aware that that too much will cause your cookies to spread paper thin. But when developing my keto chocolate chip cookies, I added baking power for lift, and baking soda for a nice spread, since most recipes by keto bakers only use baking powder and then smash them to get them to spread a little. Min bake up perfectly and they taste and look like regular chocolate chip cookies, but with only 3 net grams of carbs per cookie, they are a real treat.
That spoon of baking soda at the end made me think of my experience as a kid who reached into the back of the refrigerator for a bowl of powdered sugar, licked his finger, dunked it, and took a big pull. Woooooow! Not all lessons are learned from a book.
"I want to give a big shout out Nicolas Leblanc for first isolating baking soda in the late 1700's. I'm dying to know when you first fell in love with sodium bicarbonate" Let's see if he answers. On a more serious note, I love this series! Educational and extremely entertaining.
I first fell in love with sodium bicarbonate when I used it in a recipe for roast potatoes. Adding it (along with salt) to the pot of boiling water to precook the potatoes before roasting them was a game-changer - they browned so much more than I expected!
I love how Dan gets to make Pancakes for actual research purposes.
I use it for food, but I fell in love with it when I found out it can also be used to treat indigestion when you have perhaps eaten too much. Seriously, it has conquered bad heartburn as well as made delicious chocolate cakes.
Agree. Not a fan of the taste, but it's the nuclear option.
I use for antacid too. Works great against reflux before bed.
but explain exactly you use it (incl dosage pls)
@@akogarehouse I use about a tablespoon in a cold small glass of water. I don't really measure. Mix, swirl to suspend the rest, and down in a chug or two. You could use lots of warm water if you want - but cold and a small quantity just helps with the taste. Do it again later if you need more. The largest dose I see in a quick look on the Internet is 5 teaspoons. #notadoctor
I'm glad you didn't stop making these videos. You know a lot, but also present it in such a compelling and didactic manner.
I add baking soda to my coffee grounds - three shakes from a salt shaker with larger holes. Coffee is less acidic
Helps stop soy milk from curdling
I have another use. Sometimes you use something from a can: corn, peas, artichoke hearts, etc. ... and canned food has a "canned" flavor. Soaking the canned food in a baking soda solution for a while and then rinsing it off will remove that "canned" taste. I suspect there is some acidity from the can or the canning process that it removes. Just be sure to rinse before adding the corn or whatever to your chicken soup, or it will foam up. I forgot last week. I joked to my GF that the soup came with a built-in antacid. (It tasted fine.)
One another note, I thought for for a second that Dan said "human beef" -- I can't say it as well as Chinese people, but I know that it's "hoo-nan" not "hyu-nan."
In addition to neutralizing acids, baking soda was first popularized due to its ability to remove metals during radioactive testing. My guess is that tinny “canned” flavor is due to trace metals the baking soda then removes.
This is a great tip that I didn’t know before, thanks for sharing!! 💜🥳
I'll second that about it sounding like he said "human beef!" There isn't enough baking soda, or anything for that matter, to make "human beef" palatable. Well, maybe starvation, but even then for me I'm not so sure! 😮
A great book out: Baking Powder Wars talks in depth about history of the usage of baking soda and baking powder. Even if you don't read it all, the first 25% is a great walk through of this miracle compound!
A very good book!
I use baking soda, aluminum foil and HOT water to get tarnish off my silver. Simply put a bit of aluminum foil in a tub, pour in nearly boiling water, add baking soda and then your silver. AMAZING!
Use an aluminum pot, it leeches the tarnish better and the water can remain at a constant temperature.
Great tip!
My Italian friend told me to add a little baking soda when making spaghetti sauce. It takes away the bitter acid taste of the 🍅.
Surprised this wasn't mentioned in the video, baking soda can make sauces less acidic, great if you don't want to add anything sweet which seems to be the normal approach
Dan Sousa is a national treasure! Informative & attractive, he's one of the most useful sources of online cooking information, recipes and encouragement. I only wish I'd know about baking soda's uses, other than leavening & cleaning, decades ago. I love the way Dan, like Alton Brown, has mashed up Julia Child & Mr. Wizard.
Except that none of them added obnoxious music to their cooking shows. Dan does. Dan must change that.
6:47 You've just solved a debate I had with my sister on the holiday green bean dilemma. One of my sisters loves fresh green beans and doesn't mind a chewy fibrous bite, however, the rest of us like them silky and soft. But when she cooks them fresh they never get cooked enough to the liking of the rest of us. Baking soda sounds to me like the black magic we need to end the debate! Thanks Dan.
Didn't know about the browning benefit of baking soda! Besides it being useful in cooking of course, I find it indispensable in the kitchen and household in general, as a mild, non-abrasive cleanser on dishes and other surfaces, as well as a deodorizer. Good stuff.
I fell in love today. Hat a pot of beans boiling for 2 hours and still hard. I added 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the pot and a little water and immediately saw a reaction. 10 minutes later and the beans are so much softer! This should be mandatory knowledge for any cook. THANKS A MILLION!
I fell in love with baking soda by cleaning with it! It cleans and deodorizers everything! I just learned about what it can do to cooking. Thank you Dan!
Thanks Dan! Great video as always. You and Lan are definitely are the shining stars of the "new" gen of America's Test Kitchen! The videos featuring both of you are the most watchable for sure. Keep up the great work.
I first realized how cool baking soda was when, after using my mom’s pancake recipe forever, I saw your pancake recipe and decided to try it. The only difference was the baking soda, but I was hooked. My pancakes are much better now. Thanks a bunch. After seeing this I have a few more things to try. I love your channel.
Brilliant! I learned so much. Thanks for making it so much fun.
Amazing video, thank you Dan!
This was an awesome video! Thank you so much! Keep them up! ❤
Love watching your presentations - whatever you're choosing at the moment, giving all the pertinent info in such an easy way to assimilate.
I really appreciate you Dan. Thank you.
Awesome! I'm in love! Thank you for this new info!!! 😍
I never knew the cooking benefits of sodium bicarb until I started watching the top-drawer ATK videos & digging in to the websites. Bicarb has been the only anti-acid that has been beneficial to me for decades. Your (and Lam Lan's) promoting Bicarb have been an eye-opener. Many thanks.
Excellent!! I've been wanting this information. Great video Dan, Melaney from SoCal
Great tips! Thanks!!
Fascinating! The most useful episode yet.
I've been watching many 'how to' chinese recipes, etc. When chicken is used, they always add a little bit of baking soda.
It makes that chicken more tender. 👍 🐔
Thanks Dan!! This was great very useful information!!🙌🏾
That's incredible. Thank you
Really enjoyed this!
Love your videos Dan. The science, this is how toneat parts and a great sense of humour
This idea is great! Can’t wait to try it out.
This was a great video! I had only used it for baking. I’ll have to try the other applications.
Thanks!
Great job!
Great episode, one of the best What's Eating Dan episodes in a looooooooong time. Interesting and lot's of information delivered, and it was useful information for us home cooks.
You're the best! I learned so much today, and I thought I already knew plenty.
I always learn something new from Dan and this video is no exception. Great information, thank you!
An incredibly useful video. I sort of knew all this stuff but Dan ties it all together adeptly. Great stuff.
I found baking soda fascinating the first time I made peanut brittle and added it to the pot at the end to create that expanded texture.
Oh, I forgot about that. Thanks!
It’s like magic to watch what baking soda does to brittles! 😊
Thank you for this great insight.
Two really excellent kitchen uses which aren't exactly cooking but close are using baking soda to put out a fire and also using baking soda, aluminum foil, and boiling water to polish silver. This was a great video, Dan Souza. Glad you got to express your love of baking soda.
Informative! thank you :)
Excellent video! I love the science of food.
One of the most useful videos on cooking that I've ever seen on YT !!
Awesome ep., Thank you!!
Great info, thanks.
I definitely learned a lot in this video, stuff I never knew. Thanks for the info video is saved for future reference.
You forgot using as an abrasive for cleaning pots, and it's good for brushing your teeth, and neutralizing of acids, even as an antacid substitute for Tums
Be careful,using baking soda as an antacid. If you take more than 1 TBSP every 6 hours, you can rapidly OD on sodium. Yes it is something that can land you in the ICU
You forgot clearing drains and smells in the fridge!
@@cboy5ocdilute it with vinegar or you might create a bigger problem.
Helps get rid of gum disease when made into a paste ( from a dental hygienist- old remedy)😊
😊 thank you so much for sharing this
That was an eye opener! Never knew half of that! I love that it helps browning for crispier food.
Thank you for this wonderful information
Wonderful!Thanks!
I just fell in love with baking soda right now! Thank you Dan!
Love all your science based ideas Dan, I usually use baking soda for cleaning mugs and cups and washing fruits, now I am going to use it more in my cooking!
Thank you. Your're the best!
Thx Dan!!!
Enlightening video. 👍😊.
Thank you. 🙏
You are my man! I've heard these explanations before but some reason it's sticking in my brain now I guess you've explained it so I can understand it thank you thank you thank you thank you!
Wonderful lecture.
Absolutely stunning!
We love your shows. Well done to all involved!. I have discovered the benefits of baking soda. ATK taught me to boil pieces of potato with baking soda while boiling then baking in the oven. Perfect!
Great info! I’ve used with ground beef but never thought of using on other meats. Thanks!
Very helpful information. Thanks❤
I had no idea about the various uses of baking soda. Awesome video.
Great Tips Danno. I wish I heard of this before. Especially about the browning the beef.
EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!
Thank you so much for this info. Would love a whole series on baking soda recipes and how it changes the normal recipe
Recently added 1/8 tsp soda to six scrambled eggs with milk. It didn’t affect the taste but did make them more fluffy.
This is a wondrous compendium of benefits from one product! Thanks!💐
thank you Dan, you totally answered my question about baking soda and ground beef! And even polenta, wow I never knew! I'm very excited to start using it in many of my dishes! 👍👍👍
Beyond the leavening and browning functions, I knew about using it for cooking beans for many years -- something I picked up shortly after going vegetarian, as I was using beans a lot in my diet. There were other uses in this video I didn't know about, though. Thanks for the tips, Dan.
I remember way back on ATK when you told me to rub a little baking soda on chicken, it was great advice!
Loved it!
I’m so excited for this
Great video. Always learn something new, and motivates me to become a better cook.
interesting. I need to try these methods.
I love your channel it's so informative and fun to watch thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences
I like the scientific explanations so much. Thank you! As an aside; I love the exact measurements used. “smidge” is one of my favorite measurements, right up there with a “schmeer” of a spread. I often go with my mother’s favorites: “Add it until it looks right”…. You may substitute “looks” with smells or tastes as well!
A new episode of ‘What’s Eating Dan?’? BRB Internally Screaming.
P.S. Happy Birthday, Dan! Hope you’re feeling better.
Other uses for baking soda in the kitchen? People tell me that it is a fantastic Odor Eater for the refrigerator or freezer. I'm skeptical of that one, but I have also accused a solution of vinegar and baking soda in my stainless steel pans to remove stains and restore the shine. This seems particularly effective if I let it sit in the pan overnight before washing it. It would be interesting if you guys did some experimentation on this as well.
I'm old and I did not know much of this. Thanks.
Thank you, God bless ❤
Very good, valuable, and usable tutorial on Baking Soda with Baking Powder tossed in. Thank you.
Dan, You’re simply the Best! Always excellent presentations and a wealth of information. Especially like how you explain the chemical process in most videos. Keep it up my friend!
Thanks, Dan (and crew.) Your videos always keep me interested and learning without taking itself too seriously. As someone with issues with focusing for more than, say, a minute or two, you've got a formula that keeps me on track. Keep up the great work
Dan and Lan are the most watchable for sure, not a pretentious moment in either of their videos. Always was an issue in the "old" days of the PBS ATK and still is with a few of the Next Generation. I can't watch even a couple of minutes with some of them.
Thanks, I'm adding to my Rye Start, Sourdough bread recipe today..
We all love Dan but credit to Lan Lam constantly coming through with amazing recipes