High Altitude Adjustments
Source of Recipe
Colorado State County Extension Office
Recipe Link: http://www.arapcsuext.org/cfe/highaltit.html Welcome to Colorado, where the mountains rise and cakes fall,where the wheat spreads across the plains and the cookies across the pans. Cooking in Colorado can be a challenge but with a few tips it can be mastered. Our higher altitude means lower atmospheric pressure due to the thinner blanket of air above. There is about 1/2 pound less pressure for each 1,000 feet increase above sea level. This decreased pressure affects food preparation in two ways: 1. Water and other liquids evaporate faster and boil at lower temperatures. (It's not your imagination - the coffee really isn't as hot as it was in Atlanta.) 2. Leavening gasses in breads and cakes expand more. At sea level water boils at approximately 212 degrees F. In the Denver area, water boils at around 203 degrees F. Therefore, cooking food in boiling water takes longer.
Canning
This is usually not a problem unless you're canning food. Time or temperature must be increased in order to kill heat-resistant bacteria. A steam pressure canner must be used for canning meats and vegetables. Follow high altitude directions available from all County Extension Offices.
Deep-Fat-Frying
When deep-fat-frying, lower the temperature of the oil about 15 degrees here to prevent food from over-browning on the outside while being under-cooked on the inside. Baking casseroles and meats require no changes.
Cake From Scratch
Are you ready for the real challenge? A cake made from scratch! If not, continue to use box mixes and follow the high altitude suggestions. For those with sense of adventure, read on.
Above 3,000 feet in altitude the lower atmospheric pressure will affect cakes. There may be excessive rising which stretches the cell structure of the cake, making the texture coarse, or the cells can break before they set causing the cake to fall. This can usually be corrected by decreasing the amount of leavening agent and by increasing the baking temperature 15 degrees to 25 degrees. Because water in the batter evaporates quicker here, there is more of a concentration of sugar in the recipe which weakens the cell structure. Therefore we usually recommend decreasing sugar and increasing liquid. The cakes most likely to fall are those wonderful sweet, sticky, gooey rich ones. These super rich cakes may require reducing shortening by 1 or 2 tablespoons or by adding an extra egg. Some recipes will work fine without changes, others will take some experimenting. Here's a table* to give you a starting point.
Adjustment
Reduce baking powder, for each tsp., decrease at:
3,000 feet: 1/8 teaspoon
5,000 feet: 1/8-1/4 teaspoon
7,000 feet: 1/4 teaspoon
Reduce sugar, for each cup, decrease at:
3,000 feet: 0-1 tablespoon
5,000 feet: 0-2 tablespoons
7,000 feet: 1-3 tablespoons
Increase liquid, for each cup, add:
3,000 feet: 1-2 tablespoon
5,000 feet: 2-4 tablespoons
7,000 feet: 3-4 tablespoons
* Table from High Altitude Food Preparation- pamphlet 41
Angel food and sponge cakes use air for leavening. It comes from beating air into the eggs. Beat only until they form peaks that fall over - not stiff and dry, which cause the cells to collapse. Again, use less sugar and more flour and a higher baking temperature. We're often asked why we don't just add more flour and water to cake recipes like they do with box mixes. Isn't this more complicated. Have you ever tried to take some of the leavening or sugar out of a box mix? The only option on a box mix is to strengthen the cell walls by adding flour and water.
For more information on baking at high altitudes, ask for "High Altitude Food Preparation" Pamphlet 41 from your Colorado State County Extension Office. There is no charge. It will also list other high altitude recipe books available from Colorado State Cooperative Extension.
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