Sunday, August 12, 2012

A little FYI

In case you're making anything with bananas in it-
-one banana is about 1/2 cup if the recipe insists on "not" telling you how many bananas you'll need for two cups of banana mash.

ALSO-
  • Why are we not supposed to keep bananas in the refrigerator
  • or paper sacks
  • what is the difference between baking powder and baking soda? (aside from the acid reflux thing)

4 comments:

  1. I don't know about keeping bananas in the fridge, but paper sacks cause fruit to ripen faster...so if you get some green peaches, for example, stick 'em in a paper sack for a couple days, and they'll ripen so that they're not hard and tasteless.

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  2. Bananas turn brown if you keep them in the fridge (or freezer, which you'd do if you're making ice cream or smoothies). The fruit is fine, but they look ugly.

    As to the paper bag, bananas give off ethylene gas, which will ripen fruit. It will accelerate the banana's ripening, and so if you have some green ones this will turn them yellow in a jiffy. Also it will redden tomatoes (ethylene gas is used by fruit packers) and ripen peaches. Just toss a banana in the bag with the other fruit.

    Baking Powder is a base and baking soda is an acid. If you're making biscuits and not using buttermilk, add a quarter teaspoon of baking SODA to the dry ingredients. It will balance the pH and the biscuits will rise better (i.e. the Baking Powder will give off more CO2).

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  3. Uh I think Baking Soda is a base and baking powder the acid. Remember your kitchen volcano, Vinegar and baking soda, Vinegar IS an Acid, adding Baking Soda you get a reaction hence your volcano, plus baking soda neutralizes acids such as sulfuric, I had to use some yesterday after a battery was dropped and leaked on the riding mower.

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  4. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which reacts with acid liquids to produce CO. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar (acid), and starch. Also, many baking sodas are "double acting" which means they produce some CO immediately and then again at baking temps.

    End result: Baking soda only produces leavening amounts of CO if you mix it with an acidic liquid (like buttermilk). Baking powder will produce CO in the presence of most any liquid - since it contains the acid producing ingredient cream of tartar.

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