Cream of tartar has many uses in the kitchen. I discovered it when experimenting with mock apple pie. This culinary oddity is made of crackers, sugar and cream of tartar, and it really does taste like apple pie. It turns out that the cream of tartar is magical when added to water and sugar, creating a mixture that you would swear contains apple juice. Cream of tartar is a by-product of the wine-making industry. Also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, it is made when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt.
Grapes are the only major source of tartaric acid. It forms as a sediment and as crystals inside wine barrels as the wine is aged.
Cream of tartar has always been a mystery ingredient in my kitchen. I've never known exactly what it does, until now. Here's a list:
1. I've heard that it can stand in for baking powder, so I guessed it was a leavening agent. It is often mixed with baking soda to make baking powder.
2. You can also add it to egg whites to make them whip up fluffier and stay that way longer.
3. You can sprinkle cream of tartar on vegetables to keep them from discoloring.
4. Cream of tartar is often added to desserts and candies to prevent crystallization of sugar, producing a creamier texture.
5. It is widely used in soft drinks, bakery products and gelatins.
6. Cream of tartar is a common ingredient in sodium-free salt substitutes.
Bonus: You can use cream of tartar to clean brass and copper.
