There are tons of Arm & Hammer products out there, each one incorporating the same ingredient—sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. You have to wonder if Arm & Hammer baking soda is truly edible when it can be used for so many purposes. That said, Arm & Hammer has been a trusted brand since the late 1800s and is a staple in pantries throughout the world. So, can you use Arm & Hammer baking soda for baking?
Yes, and we’re going to explain why.
Table of Contents
- Where Does Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Come From?
- Different Kinds of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
- Arm & HammerBaking Soda Uses
- Can I Use Fridge-N-Freezer Baking Soda for Baking?
- Wrapping Up
- FAQs
Where Does Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Come From?
Sodium bicarbonate has a long history of use as medicine and in cooking. In 1846, Dr. Austin Church and John Dwight (who were brothers-in-law) came up with a plan to sell sodium bicarbonate commercially and called it Arm & Hammer. Dr. Church understood that baking soda is a naturally occurring substance that can assist with maintaining pH, making it great for neutralizing acids.
Today, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda comes from a natural mineral called trona, which has to be mined. Processing trona into baking soda or soda ash is minimal and only requires water and carbon dioxide. This means that the sodium bicarbonate produced is indeed pure, as Dr. Church and Dwight intended, making it safe for human consumption.
Different Kinds of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
Arm & Hammer has been selling baking soda for over 170 years, which tells you they are doing something right. From kitty litter to pure baking soda for baking, Arm & Hammer has your needs covered.
They have multiple products that utilize baking soda, including:
- Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda (available in a box, resealable bag, and shaker)
- Fresh-N-Natural Deodorizer
- Arm & Hammer Air Filter
- Arm & Hammer Fridge-N-Freezer Odor Absorber
- Clear Balance Pool Tablets
- Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh (and other pet-related items)
Bakers and cooks are most likely interested in Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda and Arm & Hammer Fridge-N-Freezer. Both products have several uses, though only one is edible.
Arm & HammerBaking Soda Uses
If you guessed that Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda is the one you should use for baking cookies, you’re right. Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda is the only food-grade sodium bicarbonate product made by the company. In other words, you can use it for cooking and baking, as well as cleaning. When you mix pure sodium bicarbonate with an acid—lemon juice, vinegar, tartaric acid—it releases CO2.
Baking soda is often used as a leavening agent, but it also does the following in the kitchen:
- Helps dough rise and makes baked goods airy and delicious
- Crispier fried potatoes
- Fluffier mashed potatoes
- Tenderizes meats and beans
- A pinch of baking soda added to a pot of boiled vegetables helps retain the vibrant coloring
- Gets chicken skin brown and crispy
- Cuts acid in tomato sauce
Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda isn’t just for baking. You can use it for deodorizing trash cans, unclogging drains, cleaning floors, cleaning your teeth, and soothing upset stomachs.
Can I Use Fridge-N-Freezer Baking Soda for Baking?
No, you can’t use Arm & Hammer Fridge-N-Freezer for baking purposes. Why? Because the granulation of Fridge-N-Freezer is designed to deodorize. Even though both Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda and Fridge-N-Freezer have only 100% sodium bicarbonate listed in the ingredients, you will notice that Fridge-N-Freezer is made of larger, more dense granules than the variety made for cooking.
Fridge-N-Freezer is easy to use. Place the box inside the fridge or freezer. The sodium bicarbonate will immediately begin drawing in the scents of food through the special double-sided vents. Change out the box every 30 days to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh.
Therein is the second reason why you should not use Arm & Hammer Fridge-N-Freezer for cooking and baking. The smells absorbed by the baking soda would continue to linger in your baked goods. Obviously, if you do the same thing with an opened box of Pure Baking Soda, the result would be similar.
Lastly, it says clearly on the box that you should only use Fridge-N-Freezer for deodorizing and cleaning.
Wrapping Up
Can you use Arm & Hammer baking soda for baking? If you are using the one labeled Pure Baking Soda, the answer is yes. Arm & Hammer produces food-grade baking soda mainly for baking and cooking, but sodium bicarbonate has a broad range of uses. Just don’t confuse Pure Baking Soda for their other products that are designed only for cleaning and deodorizing! When in doubt, read the box for the intended use, and learn more about “Is all Baking Soda the Same?” on our blog!
FAQs
Is any Arm & Hammer baking soda edible?
Yes, Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda is edible. The product contains only 100% sodium bicarbonate in small granules that can be consumed directly as an antacid or to food items. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about any bad effects when consuming Arm & Hammer baking soda. Just be sure to use the Pure Baking kind.
Is Arm & Hammer baking soda really meant for food?
Yes, Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda (not to be confused with Fridge-N-Freezer baking soda) is meant for food. The granulation of pure baking soda is formulated for cooking and baking. When used together with an acid, like lemon juice or cream of tartar, baking soda reacts and releases carbon dioxide (much like yeast), causing dough to rise.
Even when Arm & Hammer baking soda isn’t added to recipes, it is safe to consume when you have an upset stomach or want to use it as a mouth rinse.
Is Arm & Hammer baking soda aluminum-free?
never find aluminum in any pure baking soda product, be it Arm & Hammer or a competitor. Many people assume baking soda contains aluminum. They accidentally have confused it with baking powder, which is actually a different product.
