Baking soda in food

Baking soda also has other uses in cooking. A pinch added to tomato sauce while cooking, or coffee while brewing, will reduce acidity. A small amount added to the soaking water of beans will hasten the softening and cooking processes and reduce the beans’ propensity to cause flatulence in the eater. Baking soda is an effective meat tenderizer. It can be added to stews or rubbed directly on a cut of meat, and then rinsed off before cooking, to make the meat more tender. When heated, baking soda undergoes a chemical reaction that gives off carbon dioxide, which makes it useful in extinguishing small grease or electrical fires.