Magical Baking Soda, How do I Use Thee?

The ever popular Baking Soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is found in mineral deposits, lake sediment, and even in ground water. Todays baking soda likely comes from Wyoming, from the large amounts on the mineral Trona. It's mined from deep mines, and goes through a process to become our baking soda. Also washing soda can be made. OK, enough history, let's get to some of the uses. I may end up doing a continuation of this article tomorrow, as baking soda has so many uses.

Benefits of baking soda.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

First, what we all know, baking. Baking soda is a leavening agent, that does a chemical reaction, to help our breads, etc. to rise. Baking powder is similar, but soda is for today. I don't bake much anymore, but here are some other foods that will benefit from baking soda. To make a fluffy omelette, add 1/2 teaspoon to 3 eggs. You can also fluff up your mashed potatoes with a pinch added during mashing. If your Thanksgiving gravy tends to separate, add 2 pinches to fix the problem.

ARM & HAMMER is the American name it goes by here. It is an environmentally friendly product to use. I use it alot, rather than all the chemicals on the market. You will find baking soda in toothpaste, deordorants, cat litter, and laundry detergent, and more. They have even used recycled paper to make their boxes, for more than 80 years.

For cleaning almost everything.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

Now, here are a few ways I use it. An opened box reduces odors in the refrigerator. I also use it as a weekly toothpaste, by mixing it with a few drops of water, then an anti cavity paste other days. I use it to scour sinks, clean my counters, it removes tea stains, ink from food labels, mustard stains and others. Give your cutting board a good scrub. Sprinle baking soda on board then sprinkle vinegar over the soda. the bubbling will do the cleaning, then rinse with hot water. I keep mine in a large shaker, near my sink. It's easy to clean my food blender, I add 1 teaspoon of soda, 1 drop of dish detergent, fill the blender half full, cover, turn on and presto, clean!. Rinse.

Remove that odor.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

Do your hands smell like onions or garlic? Sprinkle soda on one hand, add some water and wash your hands. Keep your sponges smelling sweeter, by soaking them in some soda and water, And clean your stainless stell appliances with baking soda. It won't scratch, like many cleaners of today. You can clean your drains also to keep them fresh. Now, clean those plastic containers, get those tomato stains out. I eat alot of salmon, and my dishwasher would smell, baking soda to the rescue. I just throw some in before washing and odor gone. And I clean my coffee maker with baking soda and vinegar.

Cleans your coffee maker, and coffee stains on your counterPhoto byR.Gerner/Canva

I use it in the kitchen for other foods as well. To make your omelette fluffier, add 1/2 teaspoon for every 3 eggs. You can also fluff up those mashed potatoes with a pinch of baking soda, while you're mashing. If your Thanksgiving gravy tends to separate, add a pinch or two to take care of that problem. You can tenderize tougher cuts of meat by rubbing it in, let it sit for several hours, then rinse and cook. Works really well to clean the inside of that turkey too. You can remove most of the fishy taste, by soaking raw fish for at least a half hour, in a quart of water and 2 tablespoons of the soda. Rinse and pat dry before cooking. Baking soda does not leave a residue on your food.

I use it to cook cabbage, makes it more tender, with a pinch of soda added. Add 1 teaspoon to the cauliflower water helps to keep it snowy white and reduce the cooking odor. I add it to my baked beans to help stop the " gas" afterwards. Many people probably wash their fruits and veggies in a bowl with baking soda and water, to help eliminate dirt and pesticides. I find this a good practice.

helps remove pesticides and dirt from veggies.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

I use it in my pasta sauce and chili to reduce the acidity. I also add a pinch to my coffee, again to reduce the acid. Keep your iced tea clear, not cloudy, by adding a pinch of the baking soda to your teapot, while steeping. You can also make a fizzy fun drink for your kids, by adding 1/4 teaspoon to 8 ounces of any juice, orange or even lemonade, for the acid reduced fun drink for them.

OK, enough typing for today, more benefits coming, some you may never have thought of. I learned all this from my mother, and I've taught my kids the same. Hope you find some value in this tips.

Resource:

Mom's teachings.