Tutorial: What is cream of tartar and what can you substitute for it?

Cream of tartar, despite it's general availability in the US, is not easy to find in all areas of the world. So, what is cream of tartar? It's an acid. It consists of tartaric acid, which is the residue left over from wine making. Cream of tartar stabilizes egg whites, prevents syrup from forming sugar crystals, and when combined with baking soda, causes your dough to rise. It can also lend your sweet treats a bit of a sour note so they're not only sweet.

Cream of tartar looks like this. It's a white powder and is occasionally added to baked goods. The most common of these is Snickerdoodle cookies. I've never seen a recipe for Snickerdoodles that did not include cream of tartar.
Is it available in Germany? Not really. You can find it online listed as Weinsäure, but generally it's hard to find and quite expensive.

So, if you are unfortunate enough to live somewhere where it can't be found, what can you substitute for it? Let's go through the possibilities:

First, my personal favorite substitute: powdered citric acid. You can get away with a one-to-one substitution with the powdered form. 1 tsp of cream of tartar can be substituted by 1 tsp of powdered citric acid. It reacts very similarly to cream of tartar. It does taste a bit more strongly than cream of tartar, however.
 My second choice: liquid citric acid. Both of these citric acids are readily available in Germany. Any well-stocked grocery store should have them. The only difference to the powdered version, is that this is a two-to-one substitution. Liquid citric acid isn't as concentrated as the powdered version, so you need twice as much. Substitute 1 tsp of cream of tartar with 2 tsp of liquid citric acid.
 Another possibility: clear white vinegar. Same substitution in a two-to-one ratio as the liquid citric acid. The big negative of this one, however, is the taste. It doesn't taste as nice as citric acid or lemon juice, so it can leave a negative smell or taste to your baked goods. Proceed with caution.
 Finally, probably the most widely available: freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice in a two-to-one ratio for cream of tartar. So, 1 tsp of cream of tartar can be substituted for 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice. It's easy to find and leaves a pleasant taste. Probably the most popular.
I hope this information was useful for those looking for a substitute for cream of tartar.
To watch us talk about this on our YouTube channel, click here: https://youtu.be/Lmqi_nX4Qfs
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