What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

The Answer: Both baking soda and baking powder release carbon dioxide gas bubbles which helps batter and dough to rise.  Recipes that use baking soda require an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk or honey to help extract all of the carbon dioxide gas.  Recipes that do not contain acidic ingredients and that need more leavening than the baking soda alone can provide are made with baking powder.

The Science: Chemical leavening occurs when a leavening base and a leavening acid react in the batter to create carbon dioxide gas bubbles which are what makes the batter rise (leaven) during baking. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening base and the source of the carbon dioxide.  Less than half of the total amount of carbon dioxide in the baking soda is released by the heat in the oven and available to leaven the batter during baking. Acids are used to lower the pH of the batter which allows all the carbon dioxide in the baking soda to be released and used for leavening. Some recipes contain acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, sour milk, vinegar, fruit, fruit juice, sour cream, yogurt, honey, cocoa and molasses. In some baked products, this small amount of carbon dioxide gas released by heating in the oven is sufficient, so the recipe only calls for baking soda. Other baked products contain enough acidic ingredients to cause the right amount of carbon dioxide release from the baking soda.

Baking powder is a blend of baking soda, plus one or two chemical leavening acids. There are many different chemical leavening acids available which have different reaction rates and times. Most household baking powders are double acting, meaning they contain a fast-acting and a slow-acting leavening acid. The fast-acting leavening acid reacts during mixing to help make the batter more airy or fluffy. The slow-acting leavening acid reacts during baking, to help make the baked product rise in the oven

Can you substitute margarine for butter in a recipe?

The Answer: Yes, margarine can be substituted for butter in a recipe.

The Science: It is a simple substitution with no adjustments. Be sure to use margarine which comes in sticks and NOT the spreads which come in tubs.

For more information, see What’s the difference between butter and margarine?

What is the difference between using a glass pan or a metal pan? Does it matter which one you use?

The Answer: Yes, it does matter because the two materials transfer heat differently.

The Science: During baking, heat is transferred from the oven through the pan and into the batter or dough. This means the baked product bakes from the sides toward the middle and from the bottom toward the top. Glass and metal transfer heat differently.  Glass takes longer to heat up and to cool down than metal. This means that it will take longer for the batter or dough to start baking in the glass pan and it will keep baking for longer after the pan is removed from the oven. It is standard to lower the baking temperature by 25°F and lengthen the baking time by about 10 minutes when baking in a glass pan compared to a metal pan.

Why do cakes fall?

The Answer:  When the starch in flour does not gelatinize, like in cakes with more sugar than flour, the structure does not set and the cake will fall. In high-ratio cakes, use cake flour to keep them from falling.

The Science: The structure of a cake is set when the starch in the flour gelatinizes during baking. Most layer cakes eaten in the US are high-ratio cakes which means they have more sugar than flour in the recipe. The high level of sugar increases the gelatinization temperature of the starch in the flour to higher than the boiling point of water. It is not possible to raise the temperature of the cake batter that high during baking, so the starch does not fully gelatinize.  This causes the cake to fall during cooling because the structure is not completely set. This problem can be fixed by using cake flour. Flour for high-ratio layer cakes is tumbled with chlorine gas which oxidizes the starch. The oxidized starch absorbs more liquid and swells faster so it does completely gelatinize and the structure of the cake is fully set by the end of baking and does not fall. In low-ratio cake recipes, the amount of sugar is the same or less than the amount of the flour. The sugar level is not high enough to raise the starch gelatinization temperature so the cake does not fall. In these cakes, it is not necessary to use chlorinated cake flour.

Why do cakes crack at the top?

The Answer: A delayed release of carbon dioxide from double-acting baking powder will build up and the pressure from the built-up gas will break the cake crust causing a crack.

The Science: Cakes are usually leavened with double-acting baking powder which contains sodium bicarbonate and two leavening acids. One leavening acid reacts in the batter during mixing and the other reacts during heating in the oven. The heat-activated leavening acid that must react at the correct time during baking. If the leavening acid reacts too late after the top crust of the cake has formed, the cake cannot expand when the carbon dioxide gas is produced in the leavening reaction.  This causes a buildup of pressure inside the cake which can cause the top surface to crack to release the pressure.

Learning the science behind baking can help make the process more fun and rewarding. Ready to try out your baking skills? Check out our Pinterest board for more tips and recipes!

The post Baking Questions Answered With Science appeared first on Best Food Facts.

“Container gardening is a great way to start gardening if you have never done it before,” Haugen said. “It’s great when you don’t have a great space or you just want to do something and are not willing to dig into the yard. Get the right container that’s big enough, try a couple vegetables and see what you think.”

Haugen tells us that vegetables you grow on your own are nutritionally the same as those you purchase in the store or farmers market. She explains that there are multiple benefits to growing your own vegetables.

“The benefits for gardening in general are not only related to the health benefits of easy access to fruits and vegetables you are growing, but also your mental health,” Haugen said. “It’s a great way to connect with your family. Everybody is learning and everybody is working together. The garden kind of teaches you that it’s okay to slow down and nourish the things you want to grow and pull the weeds out of your life. We tend to it, we grow it, we are able to harvest it and prepare it as a family.”

Haugen tells us that you can grow many kinds vegetables in a container, but it’s important to think about how the vegetable grows first. She encourages gardeners to start root vegetables (such as carrots, radishes or potatoes) from a seed in the container. Other vegetables (such as tomatoes or peppers) will grow better by transplanting a seedling into the container.

“All of your root vegetables you would want to start from seed in the container because disrupting the growth of a root vegetable can be detrimental,” Haugen said. “For example, a carrot is securing itself into the soil to allow for the growth of a straight carrot. If you remove that, you could get some really funky looking carrots because the structure has been disrupted.”

Choosing the right container for the type of plant you want to grow is important to a plentiful container garden.

“You want to match the container to whatever you are growing,” Haugen said. “If you are planting something that will grow above ground, like lettuce or tomatoes, you need to match up the size with the container. Tomatoes can get very large. Lettuce is not super large, but it needs a little extra space. If you’re thinking about planting vegetables that grow beneath the ground, you need to also have the depth.”

If you go to the store, you will find many kinds of containers in the garden section – clay, plastic, ceramic, wooden. So how do you know what to choose? Haugen says that the type of container you choose can affect how quickly the soil dries out.

“If you choose clay pots, they can work well, but you have to remember they are porous,” Haugen said. “They tend to dry out really, really fast, especially in really hot weather. Ceramic, glazed pots will actually hold a little bit better moisture because they are not porous.”

Haugen also tells us to be sure the container has great drainage. It should at least have one big hole or several smaller holes on the bottom, otherwise nothing will grow well.

“The key to container gardening is really, really good watering, consistency, ensuring there is really good drainage and making sure the pot is big enough for whatever you want to grow,” Haugen said.

Haugen also tells us that vegetables you grow on your own are nutritionally the same as those you purchase in the store or farmers market. She explains that there are multiple benefits to growing your own vegetables.

“The benefits for gardening in general are not only related to the health benefits of easy access to fruits and vegetables you are growing, but also your mental health,” Haugen said. “It’s a great way to connect with your family. Everybody is learning and everybody is working together. The garden kind of teaches you that it’s okay to slow down and nourish the things you want to grow and pull the weeds out of your life. We tend to it, we grow it, we are able to harvest it and prepare it as a family.”

With a proper container, good soil, tiny seed, adequate watering and sunlight, plus a little family time, you can be growing your own vegetables in whatever space you have available. That’s the great thing about container gardening – it’s an accessible way to produce your own food, on a large or small scale.

Check out our Pinterest board filled with multiple tips for growing your own vegetables in containers!

The post Growing Your Own Vegetables in Small Spaces appeared first on Best Food Facts.

We turned to two trusted experts at the University of Arkansas Dr. Janeal Yancey, meat scientist, and Dr. Casey Owens-Hanning, poultry scientist, to learn about the different cuts of chicken and explore the best uses for each type.

White meat cuts are the breast, breast tenders and wings. Dark meat cuts are the drumstick and thighs. The color differences occur because they are two separate types of muscle.

Dr. Yancey: “Different muscles in the animal are used to do different things. Dark cuts, like the drumsticks and thighs, are used for holding the animal up and walking, so they are required to work for long, sustained periods of time. Whereas, white cuts like the breast and wings are required to perform short bursts of energy, like flapping their wings.”

The dark and white cuts of meat apply to both chicken and turkey. Because these muscles have different uses, they have different types of metabolism. In contrast, breast meat of duck is actually dark meat because ducks fly and use that muscle for long, sustained periods of time, Dr. Owens-Hanning said.

Dr. Yancey: “Dark meat cuts come from muscles that use more oxygen and have more iron. The iron is held in a protein called myoglobin, which gives it the darker color. White meat cuts come from muscles that metabolize energy with less oxygen, so they have less myoglobin and are lighter in color.”

All chicken is a good source or protein, as well as niacin, vitamin B6, biotin and vitamin B12. The experts say there is a slight difference in chicken nutrition between white and dark meat. Dark meat, because of the type of muscle, has slightly more iron. The biggest difference is the amount of calories and fat in the pieces.

Dr. Yancey: “Typically a boneless, skinless breast and breast tenders will have the least fat and fewest calories of any cuts of chicken.”

Dr. Owens-Hanning: “Dark meat will have more fat, but much of this comes from fat in between muscles. Since the leg meat (drumstick and thigh) are made up of multiple muscles, there is generally more fat than white meat. Furthermore, fat around the breast meat cut (one single muscle) is more easily trimmed than fat in between muscles found in the leg.”

Fat in chicken is most often found in the skin, she explained. So, boneless skinless breast (white meat) and skinless thighs (dark meat) are both relatively lean cuts of meat that are commonly found in supermarkets. Pieces with the skin, typically drumsticks and wings, have higher fat content.

How do the cuts of meat compare in taste and flavor?

Dr. Yancey: “Dark cuts like the drumstick and thigh have a little bit stronger flavor, mostly due to increased fat content because many flavor compounds are fat soluble. Additionally, the dark meat will tend to be juicier, again due to the increased fat content. White meat cuts are milder in flavor and may need flavors added to them, whereas dark meat cuts are able to stand on their own in the flavor department.”

When cooking chicken, keep in mind the type of meat to determine the best way to prepare it.

Dr. Owens-Hanning: “White meat can tend to dry out quickly so it is helpful to cook in a moist environment, such as baking or in a covered skillet, and to avoid overcooking. Using a meat thermometer to cook to 165 F, and not substantially more, is helpful with this.”

Did you know chicken wings are white meat?
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It seems that white meat is more popular. We asked the experts what might be the reasons for that.

Dr. Yancey: “I have heard a chef say, ‘a chicken breast is a chef’s blank canvas.’ It is the leanest and, even when boneless, it is a large cut that makes a nice serving size. Because of the mild flavor of the breast, it can easily be added to all types of dishes and take on a variety of flavors so it is very versatile.”

Dr. Owens-Hanning: “Breast meat tenders (white tenderloin muscle that lies underneath the breast muscle) are very popular due to the serving size and its use in fried foods. Fried foods are still very popular in fast food and food service.”

Dr. Yancey: “The other white meat cut is wings and they have been made popular by their size and the ‘buffalo wing’ craze in appetizers and snacks.”

To give you some ideas for dark meat dishes, we created a Pinterest board. It includes Dr. Yancey’s family recipe for pozole. Dr. Owens-Hanning shared her favorite ideas: “I like to marinate boneless skinless thighs in a teriyaki marinade and cook in a skillet. Another favorite of mine is cooking turkey breast cutlets in the skillet with whatever seasoning I have on hand.”

No matter what you’re cooking, keep food safety in mind. “Chicken needs to be cooked to 165 F regardless of it being dark meat or white meat,” Dr. Yancey said. “Always check the temperature with the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the cut. For bone-in cuts, that may be next to the bone.”

White and dark chicken meat is due to different types of muscle. The cuts have different flavors and fat content and can be used in a variety of ways in cooking.

The post What’s the difference between white and dark chicken? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Turmeric is also receiving attention for potential health benefits. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that curcumin is the active substance in turmeric. The spice has been used for many years as a possible treatment for a variety of issues, including infection, digestive problems and inflammation. Research is ongoing on the turmeric benefits.

“Studies are looking at the use of turmeric in digestion, cancer, infections, Crohn’s disease, diabetes and many other diseases but evidence in these areas is still preliminary,” said Connie Diekman, RD, board certified specialist in sports dietetics and director of university nutrition at Washington University.

We asked her to tell us more about turmeric. Some of the research is promising, but not all of turmeric’s uses may prove to be effective in humans.

“Studies thus far have been done predominately in test tubes or in animals such that the evidence to support its benefit in humans is not documented. Evidence does show a possible benefit in lowering cholesterol or reducing some of the pain of osteoarthritis but more research is needed. This is an important area where ‘Talk to your doctor first’ is excellent advice,” she added.

Turmeric is a spice, with only a small amount used in a typical dish. Is it possible to eat enough turmeric in your diet to get the health benefits?

Diekman: “This is probably the biggest question with regards to turmeric and health, the evidence does not provide a clear answer so in the interim, enjoy it in your cooking.”

What’s are some ways that turmeric could be incorporated in your diet?

Diekman: “Turmeric is most commonly used in Indian food where it provides the yellow color of curry and the spice curry conveys. Its slightly peppery flavor makes it a good addition to blander dishes – rice, potato dishes, pasta – so even if you don’t cook Indian you can find uses for turmeric – just start with small amounts and increase as you enjoy the dish.”

Turmeric is a spicy way to add variety to your diet and possibly enjoy other benefits. We’ve pinned some recipes on our Pinterest board Benefits of Turmeric.

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