Difference Between Cream of Tartar and Tartaric Acid

The main difference between cream of tartar and tartaric acid is that cream of tartar is less acidic than tartaric acid.

Cream of tartar and tartaric acid are not the same. Tartaric acid is naturally present in plants while cream of tartar is made by mixing tartaric acid with potassium hydroxide. We can describe cream of tartar as a weakened form of tartaric acid. Therefore,  it is not advisable to use them as substitutes for each other.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Tartaric Acid
     – Definition, Features, Uses
2. What is Cream of Tartar
     – Definition, Features, Uses
3. Difference Between Cream of Tartar and Tartaric Acid
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Cream of Tartar, Tartaric Acid

What is Tartaric Acid

Tartaric acid is a salt that naturally occurs in plants, especially in fruits like grapes, bananas, tamarinds, and citrus. To be more specific, it is a white, crystalline organic acid. Its scientific name is dihydroxy-succinic acid. We can also produce it by fermenting grapes, and other substances like pineapple and tamarind. During this process, argol (a white crust) is formed, and we can precipitate it to make tartaric acid. It was Carl Wilhelm Scheele who first synthesized in tartaric acid in 1769. He used boiled tartar, chalk, and sulfuric acid to obtain the final result.

As its name suggests, tartaric acid is quite sour. It is added to food as an antioxidant E334 to give a distinct sour taste. This also reduces oxidation in food. Tartaric acids can add sharpness to soft drinks like lemonade. In addition, it’s a major acid in wine. Furthermore, tartaric acid has uses in cuisine, tanning, ceramics, mirror making, photography and medicinal remedies.

What is Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is processed from the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid. We can basically describe it as a weakened form of cream of tartar. Despite the name cream of tartar, it’s not creamy. It’s a powdery and dry substance. Its’ scientific name is potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate.

Cream of tartar is a very useful ingredient in baking. Adding a small amount of cream of tartar when you are beating egg whites can speed up the formation of foam and help to stabilize the airy nature of the mixture. Therefore, we use cream of tartar in food like meringue pies, meringue cookies, and angel food cakes. In these recipes, lemon or vinegar can act as a substitute for cream of tartar. If your baking recipe calls for tartaric acid, you can use cream of tartar in roughly double the quantities. But we do not recommend cream of tartar as a substitute for any other recipes.

Furthermore, cream of tartar is also useful as a cleaning agent, especially when mixed with acidic solutions like white vinegar or lemon juice.

Difference Between Cream of Tartar and Tartaric Acid

Definition

Tartaric acid is a salt that naturally occurs in plants while cream of tartar is a crystalline acidic compound processed from the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid.

Processing

Tartaric acid is naturally present in plants while cream of tartar is made by mixing tartaric acid with potassium hydroxide.

Acidity

Cream of tartar is a weakened form of tartaric acid; therefore, it is less acidic than tartaric acid.

Uses

Furthermore, tartaric acid has several culinary and industry uses. It is used as a food additive and in baking powders; in addition, it has uses in tanning, ceramics, mirror making, photography and medicinal remedies. Cream of tartar, on the other hand, is used in baking recipes like meringue, and as a cleaning agent.

Conclusion

Tartaric acid is naturally present in plants while cream of tartar is made by mixing tartaric acid with potassium hydroxide. More importantly, cream of tartar is less acidic than tartaric acid. Thus, this is the main difference between cream of tartar and tartaric acid. Therefore, it is not advisable to use them as substitutes for each other.

Reference:

1. Greaves, Vanessa. “Cream of Tartar: What It Is and How to Use It.” Allrecipes, Allrecipes, 18 Jan. 2015, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “CommercialTartaric” By Rei at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “3617622” (CC0) via Pixabay