Cooking In Humid Weather

Cooking and baking in hot weather is never great. Add humidity and it gets even worse. Yet, we all want a hot meal or make a cake or cookies for a graduation or shower. There are ways to work with the weather. The end result will be dishes and treats not affected by a steamy, tropical day.

What is humidity? It's the amount of moisture in the air. Warm air, like what we're experiencing now, is capable of holding more moisture than cool air.There's a certain amount of it when we cook meats like chicken and it's important in cooking any kind of meat.It insures a moist , juicy middle and a dry crispy exterior. This principle doesn't; work for a barbecue. First of all , never leave meats out for a long period of time . Humidity is a great breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria. Keep any meat, whether hot dogs or ribs in the fridge until they're ready to be cooked. The dampness may also make it hard for coal or wood chips to ignite as well. Any home griller should stick with charcoal lumps, eggs or briquettes. These don't soak up as much water as wood chips which absorb a lot of humidity. Store charcoal in air tight plastic containers so they're not affected by the atmosphere. Sides, especially those having a lot of mayo in them, can also be affected by humidity. Keep salads and slaw in the fridge until they're ready to be served. As soon as the meal is over , put the leftovers back in the fridge. Thoroughly wash everything, from plates to pans in warm soapy water to eliminate any chance of leftover bacteria.

Humidity is the enemy of both baking and candy making. It is important in bread making,The dampness softens the dough an makes it expand more . Humidity gives loaves a lighter , airier texture than cool dry air. If there's too much humidity, the bread may take longer to rise and bake. if that's the case, add an egg. Home bakers living in hot  , humid climates swear by it . Another help is switching to finely ground wheat bran instead of wheat flour.Cakes are another matter. For a better crumb, reduce liquids by 1/4 . If the batter does look too dry then add a small amount of whatever is called for, whether milk or water. This will ensure a perfect cake. Candy is super tricky to make during a tropical heat wave.The finished product is usually too soft thanks to it reabsorbing moisture from the atmosphere.It also will not set properly and be more like sauce.. Also just regular sugar will absorb the humidity , resulting in damp sticky clumps. Keep the air conditioner on high in the kitchen and also store the sugar in plastic air tight containers with a desiccant such as sodium chloride.. This will maintain the consistency and keep the granules from adhering to each other. This should ensure for a thicker consistency and less gumminess.

Don't let this tropical heat wave deter you from cooking and baking. You still grill cook and bake your faves when the weather gets hot and sticky. It's just a matter of readjusting recipes and keeping ingredients dry.