10/18/2025
I'll be honest , I have heard of this stuff and seen it in tons of recipes all my life and had not a clue of what it was ( and obviously skipped the recipes that had it in it ๐) and yes, I thought it would be "creamy" LOL!! NOW it is on my grocery list! (Y)
Cream of what?
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 clueโnot 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.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ?
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.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ?
Adding a small amount of cream of tartar when you're beating egg whitesโusually 1/8 teaspoon per egg whiteโspeeds 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.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ฒ๐?
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!
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐?
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.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ?
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.
๐ง๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐:
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
