> "Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTSc...@gte.net> wrote

> > "Nancy Young" <rjy...@comcast.net> wrote

> >> I noticed there was a thread about putting vinegar in pie crust.

> >> The latest Cook's Illustrated addresses that practice.  In a
> >> nutshell:

> >> Apparently if you put enough water* into the dough to roll it
> >> out easily, it baked up tough, too much gluten was forming.
> >> They needed a way to tenderize the finished crust without
> >> reducing the amount of water.

> >> *8 tablespoons

> >> The article said the many recipes say that a teaspoon of
> >> vinegar or lemon juice (in other words, acid) can tenderize
> >> the dough, claiming the gluten formation is inhibited at lower
> >> pH values.  However, their science editor says that isn't
> >> true until the pH drops below 5.  Accomplishing that led to
> >> an incredibly sour crust.

> >> So what they needed was something that is not water but is
> >> still wet, to replace some of the water.  Answer: Vodka.
> >> 4 tablespoons each water and vodka.

> > Vodka is acid?

> No!  It's what they thought of to replace the acid people were using.