Baking soda helps degrade certain pesticides so they can be washed away. A simple baking soda and water soak for 12 to 15 minutes is enough to remove 80 and 96 percent of certain pesticides from apples - better than tap water alone or bleach. Here are just some of its many uses.Īs a produce wash Forget the pricey, fancy produce washes on the market. ( 3)īaking soda is considered a versatile product for good reason. When used in baking, baking soda acts as a chemical leavener, producing carbon dioxide in reaction to an acid (like vinegar), which produces bubbles that help the cake or cookie rise to tender, moist, and fluffy perfection. (1) According to the company, it was in 1972 that people everywhere started stashing a box of baking soda in their refrigerator to keep things fresh. (Want to see the 34th edition? Check it out here.) Funnily enough, “Do not buy baking powder” was one featured section! ( 2)īy the 1920s, Arm & Hammer was advertised in women’s magazines in an effort to spread its popularity. They began to distribute mini-cookbooks, with recipes for bread, cakes, cookies, puddings, and more - some of which were family recipes. By 1860, Arm & Hammer wanted to show the population just how versatile the ingredient was. The product, which was made in Dwight’s kitchen, was called Arm & Hammer Church & Co’s bicarbonate of soda. Austin Church and John Dwight, teamed up to distribute baking soda. Its rise is largely credited to one big brand. (Spoiler: It “explodes” in fizz.) Baking soda is a staple in practically every household, but how much do you really know about this seemingly simple ingredient? What Is Baking Soda, and How Did It Become the Household Staple It Is Today?īaking soda is an alkaline white powder that’s ubiquitous in modern kitchens. And you may have even combined baking soda and vinegar in a school science project way back in the day. You may have taken it when your stomach hurt or cleaned your laundry with it, too. You probably keep a box of baking soda in the back of your fridge and break it out when you need to make a batch of cookies for your family.