tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post7564274785656118123..comments2023-10-15T15:55:52.817-06:00Comments on The Homestead Laboratory: Eggshell (Calcium Carbonate) Leavening, Part 2Jakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05302653400986920552noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-92138090843377727492022-01-25T15:14:05.081-07:002022-01-25T15:14:05.081-07:00Love that you tried this, and 'published' ...Love that you tried this, and 'published' your results. I also like how thorough you attempt to experiment with these concepts. I was researching DIY baking powder (for waffle batter), as I had run out. However, all the recipes are only single-acting, so I was curious if CaCO3 from eggshells would help provide a double-acting effect if mixed with some baking soda and acid. Your results have indicated to me that this might not be worth it (although I've already ground and sifted a small quantity of eggshells). I guess even under the heat of baking, the reaction is too slow to act as a good leavening. I will say, though, as someone who is at higher altitude, a weaker leavening agent does sound enticing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-24556940218023535972016-03-24T06:43:58.620-06:002016-03-24T06:43:58.620-06:00Thanks Jake, good information.
Have to agree the...Thanks Jake, good information. <br /><br />Have to agree the baking soda biscuits are best. So while I'm glad to have an alternative if needed, I'm stocking up on baking soda nonetheless. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-17116385898418025142016-03-22T21:56:33.229-06:002016-03-22T21:56:33.229-06:00It's definitely turned out to be a bigger unde...It's definitely turned out to be a bigger undertaking than we expected! The main motivation is if we wanted to use it for something else where we wouldn't really want the rest of the impurities hanging around, like toothpaste or scouring powder. Even for that, it's probably more trouble than it's worth!<br /><br />But yep...same jar of ground eggshells from 2013 actually! There wasn't any grittiness, even with the coarser-ground stuff. I think it was actually reacting pretty much all the way with the vinegar during baking, just not fast enough to do good leavening.<br /><br />To your question about the powder size and heaviness, you're right that it would have been better to compare by mass instead of volume. But unfortunately, our kitchen scale isn't that sensitive! :-)<br /><br />But we can calculate what ratio we should have used, at least for the store-bought calcium carbonate. For example, <a href="http://www.powderhandling.com.au/bulk-density-chart" rel="nofollow">this</a> chart gives the bulk density ratio of baking soda:calcium carbonate as about 1.13:1 (actually, 801:700). Then, you could say that baking soda is about 52% CO2, while calcium carbonate is about 44% CO2. Combining those numbers, we should use about 35% more calcium carbonate to get the same leavening effect.<br /><br />We did actually try it with 4x the calcium carbonate loading (recently added a note at the end), and it did help. But still not close to the baking soda biscuit. :-)Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302653400986920552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-39940442180786828432016-03-22T16:27:44.082-06:002016-03-22T16:27:44.082-06:00It seems to me that trying to extract the CaCO3 ei...It seems to me that trying to extract the CaCO3 either way is a fairly big undertaking, although for the sake of the experiment, well worth it. <br /><br />Just to clarify the edit - you used eggshell powder like you made in the original eggshell post (Feb. 2013)? Was it pretty much a true powder? Any grittiness? What I'm wondering is if it was heavier than, say, baking soda and if that would effect the rise. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-76972212235316597892016-03-11T00:06:33.957-07:002016-03-11T00:06:33.957-07:00We ate all of them. :-) They tasted pretty simila...We ate all of them. :-) They tasted pretty similar, except the baking soda ones tasted more...baked, or, more toasted, I guess. The other three tasted more like the dough/batter.Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302653400986920552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778487044098443919.post-43070929393460995982016-02-29T19:12:42.249-07:002016-02-29T19:12:42.249-07:00Not sure I would want to try eating the grey ones....Not sure I would want to try eating the grey ones...just saying! But the other ones look worth a try. Did you try eating any of them? Did they taste different?<br />ckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095704599976248495noreply@blogger.com