"Scooter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> We recently moved to the Southwest, altitude approximately 5000 ft
> above sea level. Are there any general rules of thumb I can use to
> adapt recipes to my new surroundings?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scooter
>

Anything that cooks in water takes longer, because water boils at a lower
temperature. If you tend to cook things like dried beans or really tough
meats, you might want to think about a pressure cooker. Waiting for noodles
to boil is just a slight annoyance, but the first time I made navy bean
soup, it was a two-day event. Same with some tough stew meats.

If you cook with a stopwatch, you'll need to readjust your cooking times,
but if you cook by "feel" you'll just notice that things take longer.

Breads rise faster and higher, and cakes are a little weird, too. Has
something to do with the air pressure, I think.

I find that water boils out faster, but that might be because of the lack of
humidity here rather than the altitude.

I also find that things cool off a lot faster. Which is fine if you want
them to, but not such a good thing if people want a second helping of mashed
potatoes.

You're right at the edge of needing to use high altitude directions, so you
might be able to go along with your regular recipes, just keeping in mind
that the timing might be a little off. But if you bake a lot of cakes, you
might want to get yourself a high altitude cookbook.

Donna