Questions tagged [ingredient-selection]

Questions about selecting desirable ingredients (e.g. checking fruit ripeness). Please do not use for "which ingredient should I use in my dish" - this kind of question is subjective and will be closed.

The tag is for those looking to improve their "catch" when out picking ingredients, usually at the market. Questions about gauging the ripeness of a particular fruit or recognizing when a particular vegetable is still fresh are welcome topics in this tag.

This tag is not meant for general recipe-modification questions, i.e. "what can I add to X?" Those questions are likely to be closed, unless they focus on a very specific type of improvement. In that case you should a tag that describes the modification instead, e.g. or .

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Will artificial sweeteners work in a coffee syrup recipe?

Here’s the recipe for coffee syrup Ingredients for 1 cup of coffee syrup 2 cups sugar 1 cup strong coffee Directions Mix sugar with the coffee Boil mixture down to the consistency of thick syrup To use put 1-2 teaspoons in a cup of hot water and…
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What went wrong with my yuzu cheesecake?

Having seen an episode of The Great British Bake Off, I decided to bite off more than I could chew and made a yuzu cheesecake. As yuzu was described, on the program, as having a taste somewhere between mango and kiwi I was expecting a nice, fruity…
Matt W
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Where to source Tapioca balls for Homemade Milk Tea?

Looking to make some bubble tea at home, not sure where to source the tapioca balls from. Local grocery stores don't seem to have them. Are these generally "balled" at home, or bought already in ball form? I'm in the Toronto, Canada area.
sjakubowski
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What are the 'acidity controllers' used in canned whole tomatoes?

I was looking at the label on a can of Italian roma tomatoes (similar to San Marzano) and I noticed an ingredient called an 'acidity controller'. This makes perfect sense to me, but it doesn't go as far as to say what that ingredient consists of.…
Tim Post
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Which sugar for brining?

I've come across various brining solutions that include sugars: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, etc. Are these sugars interchangeable? Is one sugar more desirable for a certain kind of meat over the other?
CookingNewbie
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What spicy ingredients hit the sinuses?

My sinuses are constantly congested. I know some spices can help with clearing them. However, I also know that some types of spice affect my nose and sinuses while others merely burn my mouth (not helpful at all). What types of spices hit the…
temporary_user_name
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Culinary term for non-flavor defining ingredients

In a strongly flavoured soup/stew, curry, or sauce, or salad, you sometimes add other ingredients (eg mixed vegetables) that do not strongly influence the flavor of the end result, but are chosen for color/looks, nutrition, texture or bulk. The…
rackandboneman
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How is jin jun mei (a Chinese tea) made?

I'd like to know whether jin jun mei (golden beautiful eyebrow, a Chinese tea) is kosher. To know that, I first need to know its ingredients and how it's processed. What are the ingredients in Jin Jun Mei? How are the ingredients processed?
Shnitzman
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Why add flour to grilled onions?

I enjoy a dirty rice recipe that has you sauté onions, celery and green peppers in sausage grease and then add a tablespoon of flour. What does the flour do?
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What is the difference between preserves and conserves?

I will start off by admitting that I do see technical definitions here, but I did not actually learn that there was such a thing as conserves until today. I am used to putting jelly, or jam or preserves on my toast in the morning, but apparently I…
demongolem
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What is the "Chili sauce" ingredient in this recipe?

I want to make this Copy Cat A1 Steak Sauce but I'm not exactly sure what one ingredient is. What is it calling for when it says Chili sauce? Also, if it turns out I don't have the chili sauce they are referring to, are there good substitutions for…
MatthewD
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Does sugar give moisture?

I have seen a discussion regarding a replacement for sugar in brownies to give moisture. Does sugar give moisture when baking?
Terry
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Where to find Tara gum?

I'm looking for a source for "tara gum" powder. It is used like xanthan and guar gum, but reportedly increases the general benefits and adds a "creamy" taste. The only providers I have located only sell in mass quantities. I am a care giver for a…
auz2
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Key ingredients for classic Sauce Bolognese (Ragù Bolognese)?

What are the ingredients, both main and optional, for a classic Ragù Bolognese? I tried getting an answer to this question. First I looked around this site. I found one question about a "secret ingredient", a specific question about the type of…
Jeroen
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What are the effects of using different types of ground mustard?

I made a cheese souffle recipe that called for 1 tsp of dry mustard. I used ground mustard that was 40% yellow and 60% black.(And it wasn't fine like powder) Everything went perfectly with the souffle but the taste wasn't all that amazing. In fact,…
Jeff
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