Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-01-05
Bicarbonate of Soda.

As this article, better known, perhaps, in
the community as baking soda, has become
of such general use in Europe and America,
as a substitute for yeast in the preparation
Of bread, cakes and other articles of cookery,
some general remarks on its properties aud
uses may prove interesting to families.
This very useful article is manufactured
from common SALT by expensive and scientific
chemical manipulations. Soda being one of
the constituents Of the blood, its judcious
use is adapted to the promotion ofhealth.
Directions for its use in making bread,
biscuit or cake.-For each quart of -four take
one heaping tea-spoonful of the soda and two
heaping tea-spoonful of cream tartar, with
the usual quantity Of salt; mix them to-
gether dry, and then rub them Intimately
into the -four, and make into dough for bread
or batter for cakes by the addition of sulii-
ciently warm mot bot) water or sweet milk.
II for bread, knead it well and let it stand
from 20 to 30 minutes, or it may be left an
hour or two without injury but il for batter
cakes, it should be baked in l5 or 20 minutes
after mixing. And, owing to the alkaline
properties of b-carbonate of soda, good
bread may be made by mixing it with sour
Hour, or with sweet -four and using cream,
milk or buttcrmilk that is slightly sour; but
in these cases the cream of tartar is to be
omitted. SO likewise when batter, in which
common yeast has been used, has become
sour by standing too long, its sweetness may
be instantly restored by stirring in il little
of the ki-carbonate, There are many other
purposes in cookery for which this chemical
compound is useful.
Thus in baking or stewing very sour fruits
by adding a little to the fruit the acid is
neutralized and less sugar will be required to
sweeten them; and milk may be prevented
from becoming sour by adding little to each
pan containing it. Green peas and corn are
much improved by the addition of little
to the water in which they are boiled. II
lermented drinks, such as wine, beer and
cider, become too acid, the addition Of suffi-
cient soda to neutralize the excess Of acid
will greatly improve their flavor, and lemon
ade is greatly improved by putting quarter
of tea-spoonful into each tumbler. Molas
ses candy is not only greatly improved in
taste by the addition Of tea-spooniul o.
soda for every pint of molasses at the close
OF the boiling, but it then becomes much NOR,
beneficial as remedy for coughs and colds
Soda Sdleratus is an article also greatl,
IN use as substitute for yeast, and for ma
King bread and cakes, is IA valuable article
but for other purposes is not as useful a.
bi-carbonate of soda.
Owing to the medicinal properties of tn,
bi-carbonate, being antacid and deobstruent
it is frequently given in diseases attende,
with acidity Of stomach, such as gout, ali,
certain forms of dyspepsia and gravel, an,
has also been found highly beneficial il
whoopng-cough, scrolula and bronchocele
and as reEedy for preventing and removin;
worms, both in children and adults. In mos
cases of acidity of stomach aud heartburn i
is more effcacious than maguesia. Whe
used as medicine, it is taken in doses q
from ten grains TO an even tea-spoonful, dis
solved in tea-cupful of sweetened water @
4 glass Of mineral water, p