Q: I moved to the mountains, and now my baked goods don't come out right. How do I adjust recipes for altitude?
A: At higher altitudes, the air has less atmospheric pressure. Starting at around 3,000 feet – in the Texas Panhandle, for example – that difference can affect how a cake bakes. It may cook too quickly on top without setting in the middle, or turn out dry because water boils at a lower temperature and evaporates more quickly. The cake also might inflate and then collapse because gases from leavenings rise to the surface faster.
Every recipe is different; there is no universal solution. But there are several things you can try. Start with minor adjustments, and keep notes on what works and what doesn't. You may need to make one change or a combination of them. In general, the higher the elevation, the greater the modifications should be.
To counteract faster evaporation, try increasing the liquid by 1 or 2 tablespoons per cup at 3,000 feet, and up to 4 tablespoons per cup at 10,000 feet (in Breckenridge, Colo.). Evaporation concentrates the sugar, so you'll need to decrease each cup of sugar by 1 to 4 tablespoons. Increasing the baking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit may also help. To keep baked goods from rising too much, too quickly, reduce the amount of baking soda or baking powder by 1?8 teaspoon at 3,000 feet and up to 2?3 teaspoon at 10,000 feet.
For more information and a collection of recipes tested at various altitudes, read "Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes," by Susan G. Purdy, or visit her website at highaltitudebaking.com.
Q: I'd like to grow a hardy kiwi plant. What climate does it require? Is the fruit as tasty as those in the market?
A: Hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) is a vine that does well in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. It requires full sun, well-drained soil and average moisture. Like a grapevine, it produces heavy, twining stems and requires sturdy support, such as an arbor or pergola. Fragrant white flowers bloom in midspring, and the resulting fruit needs a ripening period of about 150 days. Smaller than supermarket kiwis (Actinidia deliciosa, hardy only to Zone 7), they have hairless edible skin and a flavor that's sweeter and more aromatic.
Hardy kiwis are dioecious (female and male plants are separate), so you should have at least one male for every eight females to yield fruit. The best-tasting varieties – try "Issai" or "Ananasaja" – come from specialty nurseries. Green fruit is most common. Some have red skins, such as those that grow on "Ken's Red" (the color can bleed when cooked, so these are best eaten fresh). Harvest can be a game of hide and seek, as the kiwis often hang in clusters behind large leaves.
Q: When I line-dry my laundry, the towels end up stiff. Are there any tricks to keeping them soft?
A: You're smart to line-dry your clothes. Among home appliances, only refrigerators and washing machines use more electricity than dryers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Although the airy scent is a plus, line-dried towels can feel stiff. Try using less detergent, especially if you soften your water. Or add 1/4 cup of white vinegar or baking soda to the wash (the vinegar smell dissipates during the rinse cycle). Before hanging each towel, and again once it's dry, shake it firmly – you should hear a sharp snap. Drape one short end over the line so it overlaps by several inches, and then clip. Towels hung this way dry faster and have fewer wrinkles.
If these steps don't produce fluffier results, toss the towels in the dryer while still a bit damp, for about five minutes.
Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 601 W. 26th St., 9th floor, New York, NY 10001. Questions may also be sent by e-mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered in the Ask Martha column, visit www.marthastewart.com.
Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.