Questions re: Cooking with Sparkling Water

[Shel_B]

Just one of those thoughts that crosss my mind every now and then: Has anyone tried cooking with sparkling water, like club soda or mineral water? How has the finished product turned out? Can anyone think of a problem using sparking water in cooking? Does anyone else have strange thoughts and ideas such as this?

Edited April 5, 2013 by Shel_B (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I like to use it in tempura batter, haven't tried it with anything else.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Mineral water chocolate sorbet:

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144208-home-made-ice-cream-2013/page-2#entry1907196

[OliverB]

I sometimes used it in pancake batter instead of milk or instead of half the milk. Made a bit fluffier pancakes. But that's batter made from scratch, flour, eggs, salt, liquid. Not the stuff you mix from a box here, that was back in Germany. It did seem to make them a bit fluffier. I should try that again.

[janeer]

I like to use it in tempura batter, haven't tried it with anything else.

me too; I use it in my standard deep frying batter when I am out of beer or want a lighter taste. I don't buy cake mixes, but I know people who do and who use club soda to reduce the calories.

[heidih]

I have used it in making matzoh balls and enjoyed what seemed to me to be a pleasant lightness.

[liuzhou]

In batters, yes. Fairly standard technique.

[DTBarton]

I'll second the matzoh ball recommendation, definitely improves the texture. Have to try it in batter.

[Shel_B]

I'll second the matzoh ball recommendation, definitely improves the texture. Have to try it in batter.

Ahh .. I recall a matzoh ball recipe from Arthur Schwartz that used seltzer. Might try that and see what it does to my "sinkers."

[SobaAddict70]

RRO (rarerollingobject) also posted a recipe for scones that uses seltzer. have to dig it up though -- it's on my "to-do" list eventually.

[rarerollingobject]

RRO (rarerollingobject) also posted a recipe for scones that uses seltzer. have to dig it up though -- it's on my "to-do" list eventually.

Hey there. Just happened across this thread and saw this. My recipe, such as it is, is just 1 cup mineral/sparkling water, 1 cup Greek yoghurt or cream, 3 cups self-raising flour. Mix together with a knife, dump out and cut scone-like rounds, brush with a little leftover yoghurt and bake 15 minutes at 220C. They're not as flaky as butter-based scones, but very easy. I tend to make savoury scones (i.e. use this as a base to add cheese, green onions, chilli, bacon or whatnot, but for a sweet version, I just add some sugar. Makes perfectly nice scones, if you ask me.

My theory is that the carbonation gives the self-raising flour a little more lift.

[terryanny]

Sparkling water? Well not actually in cooking, no I haven't. But I do use it in all things jello.

But I did recently see something on the Dr. Oz show about substituting for the liquids in a Chocolate cake that sounds interesting. Imma gonna have to try that.

[Twyst]

Carrots Vichy is a recipe I think everyone is forced to learn in culinary school. Its pretty much just a standard glace, but you cook the carrots in bottled sparkling water. (vichy water if its around, perrier if not)

I honestly don't know that it nakes that big a difference, but its a pretty traditional recipe.

[Shel_B]

Carrots Vichy is a recipe I think everyone is forced to learn in culinary school. Its pretty much just a standard glace, but you cook the carrots in bottled sparkling water. (vichy water if its around, perrier if not)

Thanks for that tip! I looked up Vichy Carrots and was surprised at how many variations there are for what seems to so simple a recipe. People were using lemon-lime soda, adding molasses, par cooking the vegetables then sauteing in butter ... my, oh my.

I think what I'll try is cooking sliced carrots in sparkling water (Vichy, if I can find it, otherwise Perrier or San Pellegrino), adding a knob of good butter, maybe a teaspoon of sugar, and just simmer until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are nicely glazed, maybe let 'em brown a scosh, and then sprinkle over some fresh chopped parsely. I should be able to get some nice, fresh, sweet carrots, so the sugar may not even be neccessary. Does that sound like a way to go?

[Twyst]

Carrots Vichy is a recipe I think everyone is forced to learn in culinary school. Its pretty much just a standard glace, but you cook the carrots in bottled sparkling water. (vichy water if its around, perrier if not)

Thanks for that tip! I looked up Vichy Carrots and was surprised at how many variations there are for what seems to so simple a recipe. People were using lemon-lime soda, adding molasses, par cooking the vegetables then sauteing in butter ... my, oh my.

I think what I'll try is cooking sliced carrots in sparkling water (Vichy, if I can find it, otherwise Perrier or San Pellegrino), adding a knob of good butter, maybe a teaspoon of sugar, and just simmer until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are nicely glazed, maybe let 'em brown a scosh, and then sprinkle over some fresh chopped parsely. I should be able to get some nice, fresh, sweet carrots, so the sugar may not even be neccessary. Does that sound like a way to go?

What you describe is the "right way" to do a classic carrots vichy. Would definitely add a little sugar as it makes a better glaze. I'm not sure the mineral water really adds all that much, but even if it doesnt you'll still have delicious carrots!

Edited May 8, 2013 by Twyst (log)

[Shel_B]

I think what I'll try is cooking sliced carrots in sparkling water (Vichy, if I can find it, otherwise Perrier or San Pellegrino), adding a knob of good butter, maybe a teaspoon of sugar, and just simmer until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are nicely glazed, maybe let 'em brown a scosh, and then sprinkle over some fresh chopped parsely. I should be able to get some nice, fresh, sweet carrots, so the sugar may not even be neccessary. Does that sound like a way to go?

What you describe is the "right way" to do a classic carrots vichy. Would definitely add a little sugar as it makes a better glaze. I'm not sure the mineral water really adds all that much, but even if it doesnt you'll still have delicious carrots!

Upon reading about Vichy water, I learned that it has a somewhat high mineral content which can impart a taste to some cooking, which suggests that mineral water, rather than tap water or plain, chemical-free, bottled water may provide a somewhat - maybe subtle or even imperceptable - authenticity to the dish. In any case, my tap water, even though it's filtered, does have a slight "off" taste, and lately I've been using bottled spring water for some of my cooking. Since I'm paying for bottled water, I might as well try some Perrier, which I bought today along with the carrots.

Now, about that glaze: some time ago someone suggested a little orange juice to glaze and enhance the flavor of carrots. While I intend to make a more traditional version of the dish, I may also try a version without sugar, using orange juice instead. Might make an interesting variation ... <shrug> Any thoughts on how orange juice might work in this dish?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As I recall from MC, it is the alkalinity of the water from Vichy that makes the dish authentic. I don't have MC in front of me however.

[ePressureCooker]

I've used club soda instead of beer in batter for fried fish (as in, fish and chips). To my palate, it has a much lighter, more appealing taste in the batter than beer does. (Promptly ducks while all the beer batter lovers toss their bottles at me.)

[judiu]

IIRC, Perrier comes in flavoured versions, as well as plain. Maybe try the lemon-lime version? Also, Le Croix makes flavoured, unsweetened seltzer that is very good. HTH!

[Plantes Vertes]

To my taste Vichy water is far saltier than Perrier, so that could be part of the attraction in cooking.

Edited May 23, 2013 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[furzzy]

I agree with most here that I don't have a whole lot of uses for sparkling water beyond tempura-like applications.

The traditional Vichy Carrots that we learn early in school, I've tried with all the others mentioned above, except never flavored ones. Will have to give that one some thought. Also, Shel, don't eliminate the bit of sugar...it promotes the caramelization that's so important in this dish

[Shel_B]

Also, Shel, don't eliminate the bit of sugar...it promotes the caramelization that's so important in this dish

When I made the carrots, I got some nice caramelization. I'm sure I used a bit of sugar. The results were pretty good, and gave me an idea to something more with roasted, caramelized carrots.