A Tad Bit of Baking Soda

THINGS I NEVER KNEW @ BAKING SODA!!!


Today I learned that if you add a pinch of baking soda to water while green beans are cooking that the soda will help keep the beautiful green beans a nicer shade of GREEN.  

I went humf.  That's interesting.  I didn't know that this was a great trick to making a vegetable stay greener when cooked.



Watching a video where baking soda was added I questioned, what did they put in the water?  Then questioned, WHY would you do this?  

Looked this up on the net which said:

By adding baking soda, you make the water slightly alkaline (the opposite of acidic). 
This preserves a compound called chlorophyll, which gives vegetables like green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and broccoli their vibrant, green color.

THEN I READ elsewhere:
But adding baking soda to vegetables as they cook has two important negative effects – it adds sodium to them (the harmful component of salt) and it destroys much of their vitamin C and thiamine (also known as vitamin B1). Clearly, sacrificing the goodness of the vegetables for the sake of retaining their colour is NOT ideal.

So one will have to pick or choose if you want beautiful brighter GREEN COLOUR Green Beans with less nutritional value OR not as green veggies with a powerful punch more of nutrition.

Solution....eat raw if possible or steam them.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is widely used in baking. This is because it has leavening properties, meaning it causes dough to rise by producing carbon dioxide. Aside from cooking, baking soda has a variety of additional household uses and health benefits. 

OH BEANS...I knew about adding baking soda to beans to help combat gaseous issues to the humans consuming the beans.  

Read this:  
Soaking beans in plain water and then changing the water before cooking is just as likely to help. There is evidence that adding baking soda reduces some nutrients, particularly vitamin B. Baking soda also can make the beans taste saltier or even soapy, so they should be rinsed very well if you use it.

MORE INSIGHT ABOUT BAKING SODA:  History

French chemist Nicolas Leblanc invented the process of manufacturing sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda was used in Europe, and the English imported it to the American colonies. In 1846, a Connecticut doctor joined with a farmer from Massachusetts to establish the first factory in America to make baking soda.   Dr. Austin Church and John White continued to produce the product under the company that is now known as Arm & Hammer.

Benefits

The ability to safely add baking soda to food products is demonstrated by the other uses of the product within the air you breathe and the water you drink. Baking soda is used to help control air pollution since it can absorb sulfur dioxide and other gas emissions. Sodium bicarbonate is even used in water treatment. It can make water taste better since it reduces levels of heavy metals like lead.

Sodium

If you are on a low-sodium diet, you should use caution when adding baking soda to food. A half teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate has 616 milligrams of sodium. That is not a lot if you are adding it into a whole loaf of bread that you are going to eat one-tenth of, but keep this in mind when cooking with baking soda. The American Heart Association links high-sodium diets to a higher risk for stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure.

Mechanism

Baking soda is used to thicken sauces or make baked goods rise. When you combine it with lemon juice or another acidic agent, carbon dioxide will be released and absorbed into the food's cells. The gas will expand during the baking, expanding the cell walls as a leavening agent. Adding sodium bicarbonate to items such as cookies or muffins will make them rise to a taller and wider finished product.

Vinegar

The one item in your cupboard you want to be careful with when mixing with baking soda is vinegar. Arm & Hammer issued a warning that baking soda should not be mixed with an acid. Acids – such as vinegar – create an inert gas when put with sodium bicarbonate. While this is harmless in general, it can be extremely dangerous when the mixture is put in a container, or anything enclosed. The result can be a dangerous explosion.

To BE CONTINUED

One of the many wonders of the world...

Baking Soda.

BLESSINGS,

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