Better baking powder for the boat. Okay, maybe it’s not something you were worried about. Or at least you weren’t until your biscuits were better suited to anchoring the dinghy than being eaten.
The grocery store near me recently began selling Rumford Reduced Sodium Baking Powder and yes, two of the three reasons I like it are valid anywhere, not just on a boat:
- Lower sodium. Just half the sodium of other baking powder, but no change in how it works. You use the same amount as the recipe calls for and I haven’t noticed a bit of difference in how things turn out. Dave and I both have to watch our sodium and I know many TBG readers do, too.
- Aluminum-free. There are at least some studies that seem to link aluminum in food to Alzheimer’s. I’m certainly not an expert, and don’t want to stir up a big controversy here, but if I can get something that works just as well without the aluminum, why not?
- Smaller cans. Most baking powder is sold in 8-ounce cans, and the Rumford Reduced Sodium comes in a 4-ounce can.
It’s this last fact that makes it particularly good on a boat. You see, most baking powder is what’s called “double acting” — it reacts once with moisture and once with heat. And if it has already reacted with moisture in the air (and we all know that boats tend to be in humid places), it won’t react with the liquid ingredients in the recipe and you’ll have disappointing results.
With the larger cans — and I did everything I could to protect them from humidity — I almost always had to throw the can away before it was empty. Not the case with the smaller cans.
Even with the small can, be sure to put it inside a Ziploc and only take it out briefly while you measure out enough for your recipe.
Many grocery stores carry the Rumford 4-ounce cans, but if yours doesn’t, you can get it on Amazon:
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
Judie Ashford says
If you have the space and the right size container, you can slip the whole can into a lock and lock container. If you use a zip bag, you can push out most of the air as you seal it, perhaps.
Miatapaul says
I have been using Bob’s Red Mill, available at any health food store, and many grocery stores. It does not come in a can, but a bag, so less packaging. No Aluminum, not sure about sodium. I may try this stuff.