SC - Question about higer elevation/answer

Wed Mar 21 13:59:55 PST 2001

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In a message dated 3/21/01 12:56:54 PM US Mountain Standard Time, 
jpollard at columbus.edu.co writes:

> Hope someone out there can help me.  I am living in South America at an 
> elevation of 1500m.  I am having a great deal of trouble with my North 
> American recepies.  They don't seem to work.  The taste is off.  muffins, 
> pies everything.  Also, things don't rise like they should.  Does anyone 
> know whether I should use more or less baking soda or is the problem 
> something else?
> Thanks
> janice
> 

I know that when I lived in Iran, we were at 3000 elevation, and had to use 
changes for muffins, etc. My Doubleday Standards of Cooking Cookbook, which I 
used at the time, states:

General Rules-
Whenever possible use receipes specifically geared for higher altitude. When 
in doubt, pre make and make written adjustments beside the receipe in a 
cookbook. Contact colleges and extension argicultural studies programs in 
area if in doubt.

Specific Rules-
When boiling at higher altitude cut the cooking time by making pieces 
smaller. Water boiles slower at high altitude. Keep the pot covered and add 
water frequently to keep from boiling dry...which it will tend to do once it 
boils. Boils achieved at high altitude are considered "fast" boils.

When deep fat frying at high altitudes of 1,000-5,000 feet, lower the 
recommended deep fat temperature by 5-10 degrees F. Above 5,000 feet lower 
temperature by 10-15 degrees F. There are no adjustments for pan frying.

When canning at high altitudes there are specifics of processing time that 
should be incorporated and generally are included in any canning receipe. 
When in doubt, contact the agricultural extension community.

When baking at high altitude beat your eggs slowly, carefully; the higher the 
altitude the quicker the eggs will incorporate and *overbeat*. Reduce your 
shortening content by 1 to 2 tablespoons for any rich cake or cookie receipe. 
*Do not use self rising flour* in any cake over 2500 feet; levening cannot be 
reduced in these mixes because it is pre-included in the flour and thus the 
cakes will "fall". Watch a yeast dough carefully; they will rise extremely 
fast in high altitude and fall if left to rise too long. A third rising is 
usually necessary for finely grained breads. Raise your oven temperature by 
10-15 degrees F above the recommended oven setting in any receipe up to 2500 
feet in altitude elevation. Above 2500-7500 feet 15-20 degrees  F should be 
added to the receipe oven settings.

Candy Making at High Altitude-
Cooked candies are so easily and variously affected by high altitude cooking 
that it is the recommendation of this publication not to use any receipe not 
specifically designed for use in candy making at your higher altitude in 
advance. 

Hope this helps.

Lars

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<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ff80c0">In a message dated 3/21/01 12:56:54 PM US Mountain Standard Time, 
 jpollard at columbus.edu.co writes:
 
 
 <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Hope someone out there can help me.  I am living in South America at an 
 elevation of 1500m.  I am having a great deal of trouble with my North 
 American recepies.  They don't seem to work.  The taste is off.  muffins, 
 pies everything.  Also, things don't rise like they should.  Does anyone 
 know whether I should use more or less baking soda or is the problem 
 something else?
 Thanks
 janice
 </BLOCKQUOTE>
 
 I know that when I lived in Iran, we were at 3000 elevation, and had to use 
 changes for muffins, etc. My Doubleday Standards of Cooking Cookbook, which I 
 used at the time, states:
 
 General Rules-
 Whenever possible use receipes specifically geared for higher altitude. When 
 in doubt, pre make and make written adjustments beside the receipe in a 
 cookbook. Contact colleges and extension argicultural studies programs in 
 area if in doubt.
 
 Specific Rules-
 When boiling at higher altitude cut the cooking time by making pieces 
 smaller. Water boiles slower at high altitude. Keep the pot covered and add 
 water frequently to keep from boiling dry...which it will tend to do once it 
 boils. Boils achieved at high altitude are considered "fast" boils.
 
 When deep fat frying at high altitudes of 1,000-5,000 feet, lower the 
 recommended deep fat temperature by 5-10 degrees F. Above 5,000 feet lower 
 temperature by 10-15 degrees F. There are no adjustments for pan frying.
 
 When canning at high altitudes there are specifics of processing time that 
 should be incorporated and generally are included in any canning receipe. 
 When in doubt, contact the agricultural extension community.
 
 When baking at high altitude beat your eggs slowly, carefully; the higher the 
 altitude the quicker the eggs will incorporate and *overbeat*. Reduce your 
 shortening content by 1 to 2 tablespoons for any rich cake or cookie receipe. 
 *Do not use self rising flour* in any cake over 2500 feet; levening cannot be 
 reduced in these mixes because it is pre-included in the flour and thus the 
 cakes will "fall". Watch a yeast dough carefully; they will rise extremely 
 fast in high altitude and fall if left to rise too long. A third rising is 
 usually necessary for finely grained breads. Raise your oven temperature by 
 10-15 degrees F above the recommended oven setting in any receipe up to 2500 
 feet in altitude elevation. Above 2500-7500 feet 15-20 degrees  F should be 
 added to the receipe oven settings.
 
 Candy Making at High Altitude-
 Cooked candies are so easily and variously affected by high altitude cooking 
 that it is the recommendation of this publication not to use any receipe not 
 specifically designed for use in candy making at your higher altitude in 
 advance. 
 
 Hope this helps.
 
 Lars</HTML>

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