Substituting cream of tartar in turkish delights?
I decided that my Sunday project would be trying making some rosewater Turkish Delights... I have all of the ingredients but cream of tartar. What could I substitute it with? Or can I leave it out completely?
I was thinking of lemon juice, but I am not sure about the proportions. Also, would lemon juice go well with rosewater? I would say so, but rosewater is not something I use very often.
Best Answer
You've certainly got the right idea - cream of tartar is nothing more than an acidifier and so any acid can be used as a substitute. It combines with water to create tartaric acid.
Two important characteristics of cream of tartar are that it is (a) dry and (b) mostly flavourless. Vinegar, lemon juice, etc. are all wet and add some flavour of their own.
The substitution ratio most often cited for baking is 3:1 - that is 3 tsp vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 tsp cream of tartar. Don't use the 1:1 ratio typically given for egg whites (meringue) - the whole point of this in candy is to actually lower the pH, not just stabilize a foam. Again, pay close attention to how much liquid you're adding, and if it's significant, adjust the water content accordingly.
(Note: Technically, lemon juice would normally have a lower pH than 5% white vinegar, but the actual pH of these is so variable that it usually ends up being pointless to worry about it. Consistency is one of the advantages of using cream of tartar.)
You could also use citric acid or ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Citric acid is far more concentrated than lemon juice, you would only need to use 1/4 (25%) of the amount of lemon juice. That ends up being about 3/4 tsp citric acid for 1 tsp cream of tartar. It's a much closer substitution and doesn't change the flavour much. I believe that ascorbic acid is the same. Both are normally sold in anhydrous (powder) form, similar to cream of tartar.
All that being said, cream of tartar really isn't hard to find, it's sold in the spice section of any grocery store. One little tin will probably last you many years, so just buy one next time.
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Quick Answer about "Substituting cream of tartar in turkish delights?"
The substitution ratio most often cited for baking is 3:1 - that is 3 tsp vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 tsp cream of tartar.What can I use instead of cream of tartar in Turkish Delight?
You may substitute citric acid with either the same volume of cream of tartar, or quadruple the volume of lemon juice. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice roughly equals \xbc teaspoon of citric acid. However, unlike citric acid or cream of tartar, lemon juice will impart some flavor to your Turkish delight.Is cream of tartar necessary for Turkish Delight?
Does it need cream of tartar? Most recipes for Turkish delight use cream of tartar, many insisting that it's very important for the recipe. My conclusion, after some investigation, is that the cream of tartar is only being used to acidulate the mixture.What can I use instead of cream of tartar?
The 6 Best Substitutes for Cream of TartarWhy did my Turkish delight not set?
If your Turkish delights did not set to what you want, do not throw it away. Here is how to fix that.: in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of water and the unset delights and turn the heat to low. Break up the delights with a spatula to help them melt back. Keep cooking and stirring every 5 minutes.Turkish delight Recipe | Turkish delight without cream of tartar | Sowfi's Recipes
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