Bakers Resources

Baking Powder If you have an unopened can of baking powder, please reference the expiration date on the bottom of the can. This date is two years after the day it was manufactured. If you have an opened can of baking powder, please use it within six months.

There is no easy test for determining the acceptance of baking powder beyond the use-by date on the bottom of the can.  If your baking powder has been opened for more than 6 months, it may not have enough leavening action to leaven your recipe. You can test a small amount of powder in warm water to see if it fizzes, however, this is not a definitive way to test your powder. The baking powder may have enough leavening action to react in the water, but may not have enough to leaven a cupcake. If you are not sure how long your can has been open, we recommend replacing it so that you can avoid preparing a recipe that doesn’t leaven.

Baking powder, soda or corn starch should be stored in a dry cupboard away from heat and excess moisture. You should only measure with a dry utensil and replace the lid promptly after each use. If you use a utensil that has any moisture on it, you can cause a reaction inside the can and your baking powder may not work properly. Storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not recommended, as the condensation from your refrigerator can also cause moisture to form inside the can, causing a reaction.

Baking soda is pure bicarbonate of soda also known as sodium bicarbonate. It is an alkaline ingredient, and when mixed with acidic ingredients, it reacts and releases bubbles of carbon dioxide. Baking soda is single acting, it only reacts once it is combined with moisture. It has baking and household uses. Baking powder is used for baking. It is made up of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda); an acid salt which reacts with moisture or heat, or both – such as tartaric acid, mono-calcium or combination of acid salts; and cornstarch (used to keep ingredients separated). Baking powder is double acting, it reacts once when mixed with moisture and again when it is exposed to high temperatures.

There are several products made by Clabber Girl that are certified Kosher. The labels for certified Kosher products will display a Kosher symbol. Please check the label for the certified Kosher symbol.

Baking Powders differ in their reaction to moisture and heat depending on their formulation. Rumford Baking Powder’s reaction is approximately 70% with moisture (or in the bowl) and the rest when heat is applied. Clabber Girl’s reaction is approximately 40% with moisture and the rest when heat is applied. Some people prefer the Rumford brand because it does not contain the acid ingredient sodium aluminum sulfate.

For recipes calling for single acting baking powders, you may substitute a double acting baking powder. Leavening can happen by single and by double acting agents. In a single action product, such as baking soda, once exposed to moisture, it reacts once. In a double action product, such as baking powder, the products reacts once when it is exposed to moisture and then again when exposed to heat.

There should be an expiration date with month, day and year; additionally, the five digit code is the production date. For example, code #15017 would translate as the year 2015, the 17th day of the year or January 17, 2015. Download the Julian calendar to translate your day code to the month and day it was manufactured.