[3 - 6] - I love sodium bicarbonate.
[7 - 8] And I first fell in love with it
[8 - 10] when I saw this happen.
[10 - 12] I knew that baking soda was a pretty special ingredient
[12 - 15] when I learned it could make a volcano erupt.
[15 - 16] But it wasn't until decades later
[16 - 18] and years with the Cooks Illustrated team
[18 - 21] that I understood how truly powerful it was.
[21 - 24] Here's what is happening inside that explosive reaction,
[24 - 25] in case you don't remember anything before like
[25 - 28] the age of 12, like me.
[28 - 30] Inside the volcano, sodium bicarbonate
[30 - 32] and a acidic acid from the vinegar
[32 - 34] react to produce carbon dioxide,
[34 - 36] water and sodium acetate.
[36 - 39] This is an example of an acid-based reaction.
[39 - 41] Acidic acid is obviously the acid
[41 - 43] and sodium bicarbonate is the base.
[43 - 46] When mixed, acids and bases neutralize one another
[46 - 48] and produce salts and other products.
[48 - 50] Sodium acetate is the salt in this situation
[50 - 53] and carbon dioxide and water are the two other products.
[53 - 56] It's the carbon dioxide that makes the volcano erupt
[56 - 59] and it's also what we prize when baking with baking soda.
[59 - 61] Baking soda in a saturated solution
[61 - 63] registers 8.3 on the pH scale.
[63 - 65] It's one of the few basic or alkaline ingredients
[65 - 67] we have access to in the kitchen.
[67 - 69] And as we'll see today,
[69 - 73] its high pH can work some series magic, technically science,
[73 - 74] on what we can cook.
[74 - 76] While it's name would suggest otherwise,
[76 - 78] baking soda isn't just for baking.
[78 - 79] In fact, it's one of the most
[79 - 80] versatile ingredients in your kitchen.
[80 - 82] It can improve browning,
[82 - 84] tenderize proteins and speed the cooking
[84 - 86] of greens, grains, and beans.
[86 - 88] But let's start by talking briefly about
[88 - 90] baking soda's award-winning role as a leavener.
[90 - 92] As I mentioned, when it reacts with an acid
[92 - 94] we get an important product, carbon dioxide.
[94 - 97] That gas gets trapped within batters and doughs
[97 - 98] and expands when heat is applied,
[98 - 100] to provide lift and rise.
[100 - 102] Baking soda is a classic leavener
[102 - 103] for cakes and quick breads,
[103 - 105] such as this gorgeous banana bread.
[105 - 106] It works best in recipes
[106 - 108] that contain a natural source of acidity,
[108 - 111] think sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, et cetera.
[111 - 113] Recipes that don't contain one of these
[113 - 114] naturally acidic ingredients
[114 - 116] will usually call for baking powder,
[116 - 118] which is a complete leavening system,
[118 - 120] it contains both baking soda and one or more acids.
[120 - 123] But even if a recipe calls for baking powder,
[123 - 125] it will often still call for baking soda
[125 - 128] and that is because baking soda does more than just leaven.
[128 - 130] Let's go to the kitchen and check out an experiment.
[130 - 131] I'm cooking two pancakes
[131 - 133] made from batters that were identical
[133 - 134] except for one ingredient.
[134 - 136] Both contain baking powder
[136 - 138] but only one also included baking soda.
[138 - 141] Let's flip them over and take a look.
[141 - 144] Can you guess which one has the baking soda? That's right.
[144 - 145] This gorgeous brown one.
[145 - 146] I don't know about you
[146 - 147] but that's the one that I want to eat.
[147 - 149] The browning in the pancakes
[149 - 150] is the result of the Maillard reactions.
[150 - 153] That's when sugars and the amino acids that make up protein
[153 - 155] come together in the presence of heat
[155 - 157] to form hundreds of new flavor compounds.
[157 - 160] And those reactions increase with increasing pH.
[160 - 162] Baking powder can do all of the leavening work here,
[162 - 165] but only baking soda can make our batter properly basic
[165 - 168] from great browning. Properly basic,
[168 - 172] someone has to steal that for a memoir title, please. It's yours.
[172 - 174] You can put this knowledge to use right away.
[174 - 175] If your quick breads or muffins
[175 - 178] turn out paler than you want after the proper cook time,
[178 - 180] try adding a quarter to a half teaspoon
[180 - 182] extra baking soda for your next batch.
[182 - 184] Beyond all of that delicious browning,
[184 - 186] baking soda itself has its own flavor.
[186 - 188] It's minerally and savory,
[188 - 189] which is crucial in something like pancakes.
[189 - 191] Try a batch without it
[191 - 193] and it doesn't quite taste like a pancake.
[193 - 194] Baking soda's next little trick
[194 - 196] has nothing to do with browning
[196 - 197] or even baking for that matter,
[197 - 199] it's all about tenderization.
[199 - 202] Treating small pieces of meat with a baking soda solution
[202 - 204] is a technique you quite often see in Chinese cooking,
[204 - 206] especially in stir fries.
[206 - 208] A brief soak in a baking soda solution
[208 - 210] raises the pH on the meats surface.
[210 - 213] This alters the charge on the muscle filaments
[213 - 214] so that they repel each other
[214 - 217] and remain a tiny tender distance apart during cooking,
[217 - 219] instead of collapsing together
[219 - 220] and squeezing out moisture.
[220 - 222] The result is largely limited to the surface,
[222 - 225] so thinly sliced meat and ground meat work best here.
[225 - 227] Adding a half a teaspoon of baking soda
[227 - 230] to a pound of ground meat can absolutely transform it,
[230 - 232] particularly because it has so much surface area.
[232 - 235] Not only does the soda make the ground meat more tender,
[235 - 237] it also helps it hold onto more moisture.
[237 - 238] That plus the higher pH
[238 - 240] means you can actually brown ground meat
[240 - 243] without it just flooding the pan with juices.
[243 - 244] Check it out.
[244 - 245] We've used this trick on ground beef
[245 - 246] for chili and sloppy joe's,
[246 - 248] and it's no joke, a game changer.
[248 - 250] So here's how to put it to use in a stir fry.
[250 - 251] I'm going to make Cook's Illustrated
[251 - 255] Senior Editor Lan Lam's recipe for cumin beef.
[255 - 256] We'll combine one tablespoon of water
[256 - 258] and a quarter teaspoon baking soda,
[258 - 260] then we add our beef and toss to coat.
[260 - 262] That needs to sit for just five minutes
[262 - 263] for the baking soda to do its work.
[263 - 265] After our quick seasoning step,
[265 - 267] we add our beef to a smoking hot wok
[267 - 269] and cook until brown and cooked through.
[269 - 270] After we remove the beef,
[270 - 273] we stir fry some garlic and ginger and onions,
[273 - 274] then add back the beef along with cumin,
[274 - 277] Sichuan chili powder, Sichuan peppercorns,
[277 - 278] and a little salt.
[278 - 281] This smells incredible and tastes even better
[281 - 283] and the beef, it is so supple and tender.
[283 - 286] You can put this tip to use tonight in your cooking.
[286 - 287] For a pound of meat,
[287 - 289] use a quarter to a half teaspoon of baking soda,
[289 - 291] stir it into one tablespoon of water.
[291 - 293] Mix it up, let it sit for five minutes,
[293 - 294] and you are good to go.
[294 - 296] Up to this point, we've seen that baking soda
[296 - 299] can stretch beyond its classic roll as a leavener,
[299 - 301] it can improve browning in all manner of foods
[301 - 302] and tenderize meat.
[302 - 304] If that's all it could do, baking soda would still be
[304 - 306] one of the most useful ingredients in your pantry
[306 - 308] but we're not even done yet
[308 - 312] because baking soda can also save you time. Seriously.
[312 - 314] Everyone knows that dried beans take a long time to cook.
[314 - 316] What this experiment presupposes is,
[316 - 317] maybe they don't?
[317 - 319] Check it out.
[319 - 320] I filled three pots each with two cups of water.
[320 - 323] To one, I added 1% baking soda by weight
[323 - 324] to turn it alkaline,
[324 - 326] about 8.3 on the pH scale.
[326 - 328] And to another, I added enough citric acid
[328 - 330] to increase a acidity to three.
[330 - 331] I left the third pot untreated,
[331 - 334] it registered a neutral pH of seven.
[334 - 337] Then I stirred a cup of dried black beans into each pot,
[337 - 338] brought them all to a simmer,
[338 - 339] covered the pots
[339 - 341] and put them in the same 350 degree oven to cook.
[341 - 344] I removed all three pots from the oven after 45 minutes.
[344 - 346] Now just check out these results.
[346 - 348] The beans in the plain water
[348 - 350] had only slightly softened after 45 minutes,
[350 - 353] they ended up needing to cook for an additional 15 minutes,
[353 - 355] for a total of one hour.
[355 - 356] Those in the acidic water
[356 - 358] were still rock hard after 45 minutes,
[358 - 360] they needed another full hour to soften.
[360 - 363] But the baking soda beans, perfectly tender.
[363 - 365] Unassuming as it may seem,
[365 - 367] baking soda is nothing short of a powerhouse
[367 - 369] when it comes to quickly softening
[369 - 372] numerous types of vegetables, beans and grains.
[372 - 374] Adding just a pinch to the food as it cooks
[374 - 375] creates an alkaline environment
[375 - 377] that weakens the cell walls of the ingredients,
[377 - 379] so they break down and soften more quickly.
[379 - 381] Incorporating a smidge of baking soda
[381 - 384] into onions or shallots while you saute or caramelize them
[384 - 387] causes the alliums to rapidly soften, so they nearly melt.
[387 - 389] For polenta to lose its hard, gritty texture
[389 - 391] and turn creamy,
[391 - 393] enough water must penetrate the corn cell walls
[393 - 396] that the starch granules will then swell and gelatinize.
[396 - 397] When a pinch of baking soda
[397 - 399] is added at the start of cooking,
[399 - 400] the pectin in the cell walls of the corn
[400 - 402] quickly breaks down,
[402 - 404] weakening its structure and allowing water to enter.
[404 - 407] That means you can make polenta in half the time.
[407 - 408] When baking soda is added
[408 - 409] to the cooking liquid for green beans,
[409 - 411] they're pectin rapidly disintegrates,
[411 - 414] turning the legumes silky soft in minutes.
[414 - 415] And adding a half a teaspoon of baking soda
[415 - 418] to simmering carrots or broccoli for pureed soups
[418 - 420] helps the vegetables break down quickly
[420 - 422] and create restaurant level creaminess.
[422 - 424] Can you think of another ingredient in your pantry
[424 - 425] that can improve browning
[425 - 428] in everything from pancakes to ground meat,
[428 - 429] instantly tenderize proteins
[429 - 432] and significantly speed up cooking to save you time?
[432 - 434] What, you can?
[434 - 435] All right, well, you got to leave me a comment below
[435 - 436] and let me know what it is.
[436 - 438] The fact of the matter is
[438 - 440] having access to an alkaline ingredient in the kitchen
[440 - 441] opens up countless possibilities
[441 - 443] for improving our cooking.
[443 - 444] Sodium by carbonate,
[444 - 446] I fell for you 32 years ago
[446 - 449] and over the last three decades, my love has only grown.
[449 - 452] Thank you for being my best friend, my partner,
[453 - 455] and an incredible mom to our two beautiful kids.
[455 - 457] What am I talking about it?
[457 - 461] But seriously, baking soda, you're the best. This
[461 - 464] eat baking soda? Yeah.
[464 - 470] This is how to eat baking soda. (upbeat music)
[471 - 472] Thank you so much for watching.
[472 - 474] I want to give a baked shout out to Nicolas Leblanc
[474 - 477] for first isolating baking soda in the late 1700's.
[477 - 479] I'm dying to know
[479 - 481] when you first fell in love with sodium bicarbonate.
[481 - 483] Was it standing on the edge of a volcano?
[483 - 486] Or perhaps when you ate your first slice of banana bread?
[486 - 490] Let me know in the comments and I'll see you next time. (beeping) Thank you
[490 - 492] for being my best friend, my partner,
[492 - 497] my sous chef. (laughing) (beeping) Thank you
[497 - 499] for being my best friend, my partner,
[499 - 503] my sous chef. (laughing)
[503 - 505] - [Speaker] The suspense
[505 - 506] is killing me - This is going to be so hard.