It’s back-to-school season and that means bake sales, prepping family dinners, packing lunchboxes and preparing after-school snacks.
But did you know that your water might be affecting the taste of your food?
Hard water can leave you with spotty, filmy dishes, but you may not be aware that high levels of chlorine often found in municipal water supplies also affects your cooking and baking. Here are the top three reasons filtering hard water makes a big difference in the kitchen:
Taste the Difference
Does your tap water have a foul odor or taste? The culprit could be chlorine and impurities in your water. When you use tap water to wash your fruits and vegetables or cook pasta, the undesirable taste of the hard water doesn’t disappear. Instead, it’s absorbed into your food and affects the flavor. By filtering your hard water, the impurities and chlorine are removed and you’re left with higher quality, better tasting water for washing your produce or preparing family dinners. Specifically, you’ll notice that your pastas and rice will cook faster and have a creamier texture.
Baking and Hard Water
Are you frustrated with your baked goods not turning out right? Before you place blame on your culinary skills, know that your hard water may be the problem. Hard water minerals such as calcium and magnesium or chlorine-rich tap water affect the performance of some ingredients, including yeast. Minerals in your water change the gluten structure of dough, making it tough or slowing the fermentation process. Filtered and softened water gets rid of unwanted minerals in your water, so you can bake better bread and have softer cookies for the school bake sale.
Dull Food
Are your veggies losing their vibrant color? The high chlorine level in your hard water is likely the culprit. Why? Chlorine is an ingredient in bleach, so it makes sense that it would strip the colors from your food, leaving them a faded, yellowish color. Filtering hard water removes chlorine, so your food maintains its vibrant color.
Don’t let your hard water prevent you from creating the winning bake sale cookie. By installing a 2-in-1 softener and whole home filtration system, you can easily remove chlorine and other impurities while improving the taste of your food and the appearance of your home.
To learn more about selecting the best system for your home, visit EcoPureHome to view water softener solutions or test the water in your home with our free water quality test strip here.
