Alright, let me tell you what I got up to in the kitchen today. I found myself needing some baking powder, but the usual stuff you buy has corn starch in it. Now, I don’t always mind corn starch, but I wanted to see if I could whip up a batch without it, just keeping things super simple, you know?
Gathering the Bits
So, first things first, I went digging through my cupboards. You really only need two main things for this project, which is nice. I grabbed my container of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, if you wanna be fancy, but let’s not) and the tub of cream of tartar. Had both on hand, thankfully.
Mixing it Up
This part is honestly dead simple. I got out a clean, dry glass jar. Make sure it’s completely dry, that’s important, otherwise things get clumpy. Then I grabbed my measuring spoons.
The ratio I always kinda remember is two parts cream of tartar to one part baking soda. So, I measured out:
- 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
I just dumped them straight into the jar. Put the lid on tight. And then? I just shook it. Shook it up really well for a good minute or so. You want to make absolutely sure those two powders are totally combined and evenly mixed. You don’t want pockets of just one thing. I stopped, took a look, it seemed pretty well mixed, but I gave it another few good shakes just for good measure. Looked like fine white powder, pretty much like the store-bought stuff, just maybe not as perfectly uniform since I’m not a machine.
Storing the Goods
And that’s pretty much the whole process. I labeled the jar clearly – “Corn Starch Free Baking Powder” and the date I made it. Just gotta store it in a cool, dry place, like your regular baking powder. Since there’s no corn starch buffer, some folks say it might react a bit faster or not last quite as long, but I usually make small batches anyway, so it gets used up.
Quick Test Run
Haven’t done a big bake with it yet, but I did try a little bit in some morning pancakes just to see. Seemed to work okay! Got a nice little puff to them. It feels good knowing exactly what went into it – just two ingredients. No extra fillers or anything I can’t pronounce.
So there you have it. Making your own baking powder without corn starch is totally possible and really quick. If you’ve got the ingredients, it’s worth a try. Took me maybe five minutes, tops. Pretty satisfying little kitchen task.
