Cooking at high altitudes differs from cooking at sea level. Recipes that yield reliable results in Philadelphia may not turn out properly in Denver. The reason for this has to do with the differences in atmospheric pressure between locations. Show
Boiling Water Above 3,000 FeetThe higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure. Lower pressure, in turn, causes water to evaporate more quickly, and water actually starts to boil at a lower temperature. In general, each 500-foot increase in elevation translates to a decrease of 1 degree Fahrenheit in water's boiling temperature. So at 500 feet above sea level, water boils at 211 F instead of 212 F. But that small change won't be discernible to most people. At elevations higher than 3,000 feet, you may start to notice the difference though. At sea level, water boils at 212 F but it only needs to reach 207 F to boil at 3,000 feet. At 5,000 feet, bubbles start to break the surface at around 203 F, and at 7,500 feet, at 198 F. That 14 degrees of difference significantly affects how long it takes to cook something. At any altitude, the boiling temperature of water is as hot as that water will get. You can turn up the flame beneath the pot but the temperature will remain the same. So at 7,500 feet, you can't get water any hotter than 198 F. Therefore, you need to cook foods a bit longer than you would at sea level. Pasta, for example, may take seven minutes to reach the al dente state at sea level, but it could take nine or 10 minutes to achieve the same result at 3,000 feet. In addition to adjusting cooking times, you should also keep a tight-fitting lid on the pot when you cook at high altitudes. This is standard procedure when preparing braised dishes, but it's a good rule to follow at high altitudes because water evaporates so much more quickly. Roasting and Grilling Meats at High AltitudesBecause the reduced atmospheric pressure of high altitudes affects the boiling point of water, it's moist-heat cooking techniques that are affected the most. Dry-heat cooking techniques like roasting or grilling are not affected in the same way because high altitudes don't alter the way air is heated. So a roasted chicken recipe shouldn't require any adjustment at higher elevations. On the other hand, since water evaporates more quickly at high altitudes, meat cooked on the grill tends to dry out more quickly than when cooked at sea level. Note that the temperature isn't affected, just the moisture content of the food. So a grilled steak might be drier at high altitude than at sea level — even if it's not overcooked temperature-wise. There's not much you can do about that, other than to make sure that you give grilled and roasted meat a chance to rest so the juices redistribute before you cut into it. Cooking Eggs at High AltitudesYou'll also find that eggs take a bit longer to cook at high altitudes because they naturally have a lot of water in them. But since fried eggs or scrambled eggs are cooked with dry heat rather than moist, take care that you don't compensate by using a hotter pan, which will just result in burnt eggs. When it comes to eggs, cook longer, not hotter. Baking at High AltitudesAnother difference caused by the lower atmospheric pressure is that leavening agents such as yeast, baking powder, and baking soda have more rising power. That's because the thinner air offers less resistance to the gasses created by the leavening agent. Therefore, you should use less leavening (about 20 percent less at 5,000 feet) as your elevation increases. And because of the faster evaporation described earlier, you may need to increase the amount of liquid in a batter or a dough. You can do this by adding an extra egg or using extra large eggs instead of large. Using Microwaves at High AltitudesYou may also notice a difference in how microwave ovens work at higher altitudes. That's because microwaves cook by exciting the water molecules in food. So you may need to allow for extra cooking time in a microwave as well. SCIENCE — Physical Science Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by pradyumna from AL. pradyumna Wonders, “Why does at low atomic pressure water boils faster?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, pradyumna! Do you know how to
cook? No, making a
bowl of cereal doesn't count! We're talking about the skill of mixing various ingredients together and cooking them to create a
delicious meal. As humans, we know we have to eat to survive. With the modern conveniences of
restaurants and packaged and prepared foods at grocery stores, we don't really need to know how to cook in order to keep ourselves fed. In
fact, cooking is a
skill that many kids might not learn until they leave home for college or a career. If you find yourself in your twenties and your cooking skills begin and end with
microwaving a frozen dinner, your friends might tease you by saying you don't even know how to boil water. Of course, that's silly, right? Boiling water is one of the most basic skills that anyone can master quickly. All you need to do is fill a pot with water and place it on a
heat source until it begins to boil at 212° F. What could be simpler? If you decide to test out your water-boiling skills in Denver, Colorado, or at the top of a
mountain, however, you may learn that it's not quite as straightforward
as it seems. That's because water only boils at 212º F at sea level. At higher altitudes, the boiling point of water decreases, which leads to longer cooking times. The boiling point of water is one of the scientific "facts" you learn early in school. Everyone knows that the boiling point of water is 212º Fahrenheit or 100º Celsius. However, that
fact is true at sea level and is subject to change under different circumstances. One of those circumstances is a change in
altitude. At higher altitudes, air pressure is lower.
There's simply less air pushing down on us the higher we ascend into the atmosphere.
So why does this affect the boiling point of water? To boil water, you need to apply energy in the form of heat. As energy is transferred to the water molecules, they begin to break the bonds holding them together. The water will boil or turn to vapor as soon
as its internal vapor pressure equals the pressure exerted on it by the
atmosphere. When that occurs, bubbles begin to form and the water boils. When atmospheric pressure is lower, such as at a higher altitude, it takes less energy to bring water to the boiling point. Less energy means less heat, which means water will boil at a lower temperature at a higher altitude. Some people think that a lower boiling point means that foods will cook more quickly at higher altitudes. However, the opposite is true. If you want to boil an egg, it will take a bit longer at altitude. That's because cooking involves heating a food to a certain temperature for a certain length of time. If the temperature is lowered because of altitude (as in the case of boiling water), cooking time will have to be extended to complete the cooking process! Wonder What's Next?Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day is right there at the end of your fingertips!
Try It OutAre you ready to take your knowledge to a higher level? Grab a friend or family member and check out the following activities:
Wonder Sources
Wonder ContributorsWe’d like to thank: Olin, Shawn, Mitchell, Tamara and Jaxon Keep WONDERing with us! What are you wondering? Related Wonders for You to Explore
Is it easier to cook food at Hill?It is difficult to cook food on hill top as the boiling point of water decreases at hills due to decrease in atmospheric pressure.
Why cooking is difficult at mountains?The key factor is declining air pressure at higher altitudes. Falling air pressure lowers the boiling point of water by just under 1 degree Fahrenheit for each 500 feet of increased elevation. The lower boiling point means water will cook off more quickly, and at a lower temperature.
Why does it take longer to cook food in the mountain region?Since decrease in air pressure causes decrease in boiling temperature, because of which it takes more time to cook at hilly areas or high altitudes.
Where will water boil faster at the foot or on top of the mountain?At a higher elevation, the lower atmospheric pressure means heated water reaches its boiling point more quickly—i.e., at a lower temperature. Water at sea level boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit; at 5,000 feet above sea level, the boiling point is 203 degrees F. Up at 10,000 feet, water boils at 194 degrees F.
Why is it difficult to cook food in mountainous or hilly regions?This is because at high altitudes atmospheric pressure is low; therefore, boiling point of water decreases and so it does not provide the required heat energy for cooking.
Does meat cook faster at high altitude?Meat cooked by simmering or braising requires additional time at higher elevations. In general, 25% more time may be required at 5,000 ft than at sea level. Sea-level cooking times and temperatures can be used when oven roasting meats (dry cooking) because oven temperatures are not affected by elevation changes.
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Where does food cook faster land or mountain?
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