High Altitude Cooking

Verghese - High altitude cooking has cause many of us problems.
I currently live at sea level, but the year I sent in the
beautiful Colorado mountains were definitely a challenge.

Also, this question has been posted on TKL a number of times
in the past. One thing you might do is do a "search" of TKL
using the word "altitude." You'll see various previous
posts regarding the subject. If you want to look at the replies
for a post, scroll down to "show replies" and click on that.
You'll see all the responses to the question.

Another thing you might do is test the cooking temperature of
your oven. The examples you posted almost sound to me like
the cooking temperature may have been too high.

Below I have posted some general high altitude information
I found on the web. I hope it helps.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!. Do not hesitate to post any questions
on TKL.

____________________________________________Higher altitude areas mean less atmospheric
pressure because there's a thinner blanket
of air above. This translates to about
one-half pound less pressure for each
1,000 feet increase above sea level. This
decreased pressure affects food preparation in two
ways:

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.)
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. That's why cooking food in boiling water
takes longer. This usually is not a problem unless
you're canning food. But, when canning, you must
increase time or temperature to kill heat-resistant
bacteria. You must use a steam pressure canner for
canning meats and vegetables. Follow high altitude
directions available from all Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension offices.

When deep fat frying, decrease the temperature of
the oil about 15 degrees to prevent food from
over-browning on the outside while being
undercooked on the inside. Baking casseroles and
meats require no changes.

Baking 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 on the box. For
those with sense of adventure, read on.

Above 3,000 feet in altitude the lower atmospheric
pressure will affect cakes. The cake could rise too
much, which stretches its cell structure, making the
texture coarse. Or the cells can break before they
set causing the cake to fall. You usually can correct
this by decreasing the amount of the leavening
agent (such as baking powder or baking soda) and
by increasing the baking temperature 15 degrees to
25 degrees.

Because water in the batter evaporates quicker at
higher altitudes, cooks will find that sugar
concentrates in the recipe and weakens the cell
structure. That's why a small decrease in sugar and
an increase in liquid usually is recommend.

Cakes most likely to fall are those that are
wonderfully sweet, sticky and gooey rich. These
super rich cakes may require reducing shortening by one or
two tablespoons or by adding an extra egg. Some
recipes will work fine without changes, others will
take some experimenting. Here's information to give
you a starting point:

If you are at 3,000 feet elevation: For each
teaspoon of baking powder, decrease by one-eight
teaspoon. For each cup of sugar, decrease up to
one tablespoon. Per cup of liquid, add one to
two tablespoons of liquid.

If you are at 5,000 feet: For each teaspoon of
baking powder, reduce from one-eight to
one-fourth teaspoon. For each cup of sugar,
decrease up to two tablespoons. Per cup of liquid,
add from two to four tablespoons liquid.
If you are at 7,000 feet: For each teaspoon of
baking power, decrease by one-fourth teaspoon.
For each cup of sugar, decrease from one to three
tablespoons. Per cup of liquid, add from
three to four tablespoons.

Angel food and sponge cakes use air for leavening.
This comes from beating air into the eggs. Beat only
until they form peaks that fall over - not until the
eggs are stiff and dry, which causes the cells to
collapse. For baking these cakes at higher altitude,
use less sugar and more flour and a higher baking
temperature.

Why not just add more flour and water to cake
recipes, as is recommended 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.

What about those cookies? They often can be
improved by a slight increase in baking temperature,
a slight decrease in baking powder or soda, fat and
sugar, and/or a slight increase in liquid ingredients
and flour. Experiment a bit to see what works for
you

For more information about baking at high altitudes,
contact Gale Loeffler, Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension in Arapahoe County,
Colorado - Phone: (303) 730-1920; e-mail:
arapahoe@coop.ext.colostate.edu

You can request the publication, "High Altitude
Food Preparation" Pamphlet 41. This publication,
which also will list other high altitude recipe books,
is free of charge.