Baking powder is one of those baking essentials that, unfortunately, has a pretty short shelf-life once it's been opened. If you don't use it often, your baking powder may deteriorate before it's used up. So if it's been awhile since you've done some baking with it, it's a good idea to check it prior to adding it to your recipe. It's a total drag when you're making some quick bread, or biscuits, or muffins and they don't rise because your baking powder has lost its punch.
The simple test is to put a teaspoon of baking powder in a cup of hot water. If it bubbles vigorously, the baking powder is still active.
If your baking powder fails the test, and you don't really want to run to the store (because there is no store), there are a couple of DIY options.
1/2 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon plain yogurt; OR
1 teaspoon baking soda plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.Neither of these is a great option from a prepper standpoint. The lemon juice and yogurt both require refrigeration. Fortunately, there is a third option. The individual ingredients are very shelf-stable; it's only when they are combined that deterioration becomes a problem.
Baking soda and cornstarch are inexpensive at the grocery store; cream of tartar gets to be a bit high in price for those tiny bottles. You can get it on Amazon for a little over $8.00 per pound, or at San Francisco Herb for $6.00 per pound.
If you are using the baking powder immediately, substitute the following for every teaspoon of baking powder that you need:
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
If you are mixing a larger batch to have ready to use:
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Store in a sealed container. Cornstarch absorbs water and prevents the baking soda and cream of tartar from clumping and reacting too soon.
Simple, right?
Bear in mind that this is single-acting baking powder. It is activated as soon as it is combined with the liquid ingredients in your recipe. If you forgot to preheat your oven or your batch is large and you need to bake in shifts, you're susceptible to a recipe failure here. Double-acting baking powder is what is most commonly sold in stores. It is activated a little bit when first mixed, but most of the action occurs due to the heat of the oven. So double-acting baking powder is much less susceptible to recipe failure.
Now you know.
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