Hobbies are something all of us have that we love to do in our spare time. For some, it is gardening or traveling and for others, it could be cooking or baking as well. However, baking hobbyists might have several questions arise during the process.
Below are some of the commonly asked questions and relevant information for you to read.
Can you use the fridge and freezer baking soda for baking?
Although fridge and freezer baking soda can be used for baking due to its properties, it is strongly recommended not to do so. It emits carbon dioxide which causes the dough to fluff like kitchen baking soda. Regardless, fridge and freezer baking soda is a deodorizer and not meant for cooking.
It is quite common for people to confuse between baking soda and fridge and freezer baking soda since both of them react similarly due to the sodium bicarbonate in them.
Since both of them react with acid to release carbon dioxide, making the dough rise, you may believe that both can be used for baking.
Unfortunately, they are not to be used interchangeably because the fridge and freezer consist of granules of activated charcoal that remove the odor along with the sodium bicarbonate. On the other hand, baking soda contains pure sodium bicarbonate and so makes it ideal for baking.
Arm and Hammer baking soda, however, is a slightly different case because although it is a cleaning and deodorization soda, it consists of 100% pure sodium bicarbonate.
This property allows arm and hammer baking soda to be used both for deodorization and baking along with meat tenderization and cooking purposes as well.
Is fridge and freezer baking soda edible?
While it could be tempting to make use of your used fridge and freezer baking soda before disposing of it, you need to consider the factors about the soda and what impacts it can make on your health.
Fridge and freezer baking soda may be edible but should not be used for baking due to its differing sodium bicarbonate ratio.
However, in the case of cooking, other than the different ratio – the fridge and freezer contain other granules besides the sodium bicarbonate that serve to keep the refrigerator odor-free. Normal baking sodas consist of pure sodium bicarbonate, so it is kitchen-friendly.
After the fridge and freezer have been used for quite a while, it becomes no longer eligible to be used for cooking. This is because the freezer has accumulated enough odor and germs in the meantime that could pose a health risk to you.
3 reasons why you can’t use fridge and freezer baking soda for baking
Fridge and Freezer baking soda has the word baking soda in its name which would confuse a lot of people into thinking that it can be used as baking soda as well. However, there are some complications regarding its usage which will be discussed below:
Different compositions of Sodium Bicarbonate:
To first clear the confusion, both of the products have the word baking soda in them because both of them contain Sodium Bicarbonate. However, there is a significant difference in both of them regardless of their commonality in ingredients.
The kitchen baking soda consists of 100% Sodium Bicarbonate whereas the Fridge and Freezer baking soda contains a differing fraction of this ingredient which makes it less effective for baking.
Odor in baking soda:
If you store your baking soda in the refrigerator, then this difference will become more visible to you. Fridge and freezer baking soda is designed in a way that would suck out bad odors from the inside of your fridge with the help of many ingredients in it including sodium bicarbonate.
As a result, if you keep it in your refrigerator for a long time it will accumulate the odor and have a distinctly bad smell to it which is both unhealthy and ruins your baking experience.
Presence of additional chemicals:
As mentioned before, the fridge and freezer additionally contain ingredients such as active carbon besides sodium bicarbonate. Although sodium bicarbonate is edible when processed, other chemicals are not.
And any food baked in the fridge and freezer baking soda can potentially have adverse health effects and upset stomachs.
Is fridge and freezer baking soda and baking soda the same?
Both the fridge and freezer baking soda and regular baking soda contain common ingredients but they are not the same and should not be used interchangeably.
The fridge and freezer were not designed for cooking or baking purposes therefore it consists of many ingredients that are unnecessary for cooking.
Fridge and freezer baking soda contain granulation which is most effective for deodorization and keeping food fresh in the refrigerator.
However, kitchen baking soda serves the primary purpose of tenderizing meat, in frying food to make them crispy as well as softening beans for faster cooking.
Regardless, although fridge and freezer baking soda can be used in place of kitchen baking soda, the differences between them should be kept in mind.
Fridge and freezer baking soda and kitchen baking soda are not the same but can be used if no suitable replacement of kitchen baking soda is available.
Fridge and freezer baking soda vs baking soda – what are the differences?
There are several visual, smell, and tangible differences in both the packaging and the contents of fridge and freezer baking soda and regular baking soda. These differences will help you identify one from the other in case they get mixed together.
Package naming and outlook:
The most obvious difference between the two products that you will notice is that the packaging will specify whether it is fridge and freezer baking soda or regular baking soda on its body.
Besides that, fridge and freezer baking soda packages are perforated for odor absorption whereas the regular ones are plain.
Smell and odor:
If the fridge and freezer baking soda are new, it will be much more difficult to differentiate it from the regular baking soda by smell alone.
Newer fridges and freezer baking sodas are fresh and thus do not have any odor absorbed, however, the older ones have enough odor absorbed to make them smell bad.
Powder Texture:
One of the common visual differences between regular baking soda and fridge and freezer baking soda is that the regular ones come in powdered form since they are used in cooking and baking.
Its powderiness allows it to be mixed well in the dough and cover the surface of the food.
But fridge and freezer baking soda are not designed for use in baking or cooking, therefore they come in granular shapes which allows them to absorb odor more efficiently.
Chemical Composition:
This one cannot be said by looking at the product directly but if you inspect closely at their packaging, you will notice that they have the composition of chemicals in them besides their ingredient list.
In regular baking soda, there is mostly sodium bicarbonate, whereas the fridge and freezer contain additional chemicals as well.
Arm hammer baking soda fridge and freezer ingredients:
There are many kinds of fridge and freezer baking soda available in the market, all serving the purpose of deodorizing your refrigerator.
However, there are several deodorizing baking sodas sold in the market that not only deodorize your refrigerator but also consist of distinct fragrant smells.
The fridge and freezer baking soda manufactured by Arm and Hammer, however, does not have any scented variants of their deodorizing baking soda as of date. And for this reason, their fridge and freezer baking soda consists primarily of sodium bicarbonate.
However, the manufacturer strictly points out that fridge and freezer baking soda should not be used in baking or cooking.
What can I use if I don’t have baking soda?
If you are running short on baking soda but are too lazy to head to the grocery store to restock your supplies, then fret not! There are several good alternatives for you to use instead of baking soda, some of them are listed below:
Mixing potassium bicarbonate and salt:
Since potassium bicarbonate has similar reactions, it can be used as an ideal alternative to sodium bicarbonate. However, it does not contain sodium which may cause your food to taste a bit bland but that can be solved by adding a bit of salt.
Baker’s ammonia as a substitute:
Baker’s ammonia is the traditional name for the chemical ammonium carbonate and has similar effects as sodium bicarbonate. It adds crispness to baked food, however, you should note that it might not taste well for all foods.
Final Thoughts
Fridge and freezer baking soda has some commonalities with the ingredients of regular baking soda. Although it can be used for baking, it is highly recommended not to do so. It can fluff up the dough as well similar to regular baking soda but fridge and freezer baking soda is a deodorizer.