Young housewives, meeting the phrase "water bath" in the descriptions of various recipes, are at a loss to guess what it is!

And yet this is a completely simple thing that does not have any wisdom under it.

From this article, dear hostesses, you will learn what a “water bath” is and how best to make it at home.

What is a water bath?

When is a water bath used?

A water bath is used, for example, to melt chocolate or butter, or to make a soap base for soap making at home. In a water bath, the required ingredients are heated to a certain, usually relatively low (50-70 degrees) temperature.

Such technology is necessary for hair or hair: natural essential oils used in cosmetology do not withstand high temperatures, but when heated, they are absorbed much better and produce a more intense effect. The same applies to honey: with strong heating, honey loses its medicinal properties, therefore, if necessary (for example, when making a honey cake to warm the nose with sinusitis or chest with bronchitis), honey is heated in a water bath - this way all its properties are preserved and at the same time the required temperature is reached.

Various infusions and decoctions of herbs are prepared according to the same principle: it is impossible to boil the herb over an open fire - it becomes useless, and you can and should sweat in a water bath. And some foods - such as gelatin and egg yolk - change their structure when heated, and to prevent this from happening, they can also be heated only in a water bath.

How to make a water bath?

The action is very simple, but it also has its own rules and subtleties. A water bath is a structure of two containers inserted into one another. Usually these are two pots or two bowls, one of which is smaller and the other larger. A smaller saucepan (bowl) is placed in a large one, in which water is already poured and boiling.

Pay attention to the fact that the lower saucepan should have a thick bottom and thick walls, so that the boil is not so violent, and drops of water during boiling would not fall into the upper bowl with the ingredients. The bottom of the lower vessel must be covered with a napkin - linen or cotton, this is necessary so that the boil is even more moderate. The bottom of the upper pan should only touch the water boiling in the lower pan, while the walls should remain open and not touch the walls of the lower pan. It turns out the following: the upper vessel is treated with hot steam, and the water practically does not touch it.

You should also pay attention to the fact that you need to lower the upper bowl into the lower one only after boiling water in the latter, so as not to disrupt the required heating process and not spoil the result. Place a lid on top of a saucepan or bowl.

Pay attention to such a trifle: if the upper dishes barely fit into the lower ones, then it will be inconvenient to pull it out when it gets very hot. Maybe you should hang it over the second pan or come up with some kind of handles, that is, think over this moment in advance. In any case, after a while you will definitely adapt, and there will be no problems and difficulties.

We often come across the fact that in a variety of recipes on how to cook herbal tea or infusion of medicinal herbs, we meet the phrase “ prepare an infusion in water in a bath "... In this article we will talk about how how to brew herb in a water bath at home.

What does it mean to "brew herb in a water bath"

We often hear that it is necessary to brew herbs in a water bath, but not everyone understands what this means. And even if they do, they do not always know how to do it correctly.

So, if the bath is water, then the key word in this phrase is "water", that is, on the water. It means that you need to heat or cook not on fire, but on water. We all know that the boiling point of water is less than + 100 ° C.

It is this temperature that is most suitable so that the herbs that we need to brew are not boiled, but precisely brewed, that is, warmed up. Warmed up slowly and moderately, and so that at the same time all the useful substances that they contain were transferred to the infusion prepared in this way.

Water bath for herbs. How to make

If you need to make a water bath at home, take two containers, moreover, so that one of the containers can freely fit (enter) inside the other. This can be, for example, a saucepan and a Turk, a basin and a bowl, a ladle and a can, etc.

Containers need to be selected, for example, pots, large and smaller so that the smaller one fits into the larger one, but at the same time so that it does not touch the bottom. Pouring water is also not worth a lot. It is not necessary for a smaller saucepan to float in a large one.

If you use a jar, then at the bottom of a saucepan or some other container, you need to put some kind of rag, and put a jar with the prepared infusion on it. And in the gap that has formed between your jar and the larger container, you need to pour water.

Everything! The water bath is ready.

How to brew herbs in a water bath

Next, you need to put the prepared herbs in a smaller saucepan or jar, pour a glass of boiling water and put it in a large container. The herbs must be mixed according to the proportions indicated on the package.

Then pour water into the lower saucepan and over the fire. In the lower container, the water will boil, but in the upper one, the herbal infusion will just be brewed in a water bath.

It takes about 20 minutes to boil the herbal infusion, and after the infusion cools down a little, filter it, add boiled water to it, as much as it has boiled away, i.e. to the lost volume, and then take according to the scheme.

If bark is used in the infusion, then you need to boil for longer, about 30 minutes.

Can herbs be brewed in a thermos?

The answer is unequivocal - you can. Brewing herbs in a thermos can be a great substitute for brewing herbs in a water bath. Because the whole point of a water bath is precisely to keep the brewing temperature close to the boiling point and not drop.

Cooking recipes often refer to the term "water bath". Any hostess will answer the question "what is a water bath?" without thinking: a saucepan in a saucepan!

A water bath is a device in which a particular product is heated through an “intermediary” - boiling water. Such systems are used not only in the kitchen: there are industrial devices.

A water bath for a laboratory is a construction with water in which a flask or test tube with a substance is placed.

Such devices are used not only for heating, but also for thermostating the contents of containers during laboratory research (or analyzes).

Water at normal atmospheric pressure above 100 degrees does not heat up, which makes it possible to organize automatic control of the heating temperature of the test substance.

But not all studies take place at maximum heating temperatures. In many cases, it is required to heat the substance to a low temperature. In such cases, electric water baths are used, equipped with an automatic heating control system.

There is another type of laboratory water bath: rotary heater... Thanks to the rotor, the flask, placed in a container with water, rotates evenly. This technique provides uniform heating and more active evaporation of the substance.

Laboratory baths, like all industrial equipment, are not cheap: from 20 thousand rubles(the simplest design) up to 140 thousand rubles(for example, a device equipped with a shaker).

Bain-marie ^

Bain-marie with water heating can also be safely attributed to the group of industrial water baths. They are a bathtub designed for standard sizes of gastronomic containers.

In terms of capacity, these baths can be designed for one or more containers with ready meals. Such devices are used in restaurants, cafes, catering facilities of medical institutions, etc.

Heating of water to a predetermined temperature in bain-marie is done most often with the help of electric heating elements. Food placed in the food warmer does not burn or dry out. The flavors of the dishes are preserved without any changes.

The food warmers are inexpensive, but, as a rule, they are not equipped with gastronorm containers.

For example, bain-marie with a capacity of 1.4 kW will cost the buyer 15500 rubles, and power 3.6 kW - 21 thousand rubles.

Household water baths ^

The most popular water bath devices are infant formula warmers.

All of them are equipped with temperature regulators, which vigilantly monitor the constancy of the heating water temperature.

True, their size allows you to heat either a bottle or a jar of baby food: large dishes simply will not fit in them.

Water baths of this type cost from 1200 to 3000 rubles.

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Water bath for chocolate ^

You can melt chocolate for culinary needs only in a water bath: it does not tolerate direct contact with heaters.

There are special small devices on the market for this delicate procedure. In particular, the Matinox water bath.

It is a vessel consisting of an inner and outer shell. The space between them is filled with water. The vessel diameter is only 16 cm, and its height is 12.5 cm.

The company's water bath has a slightly larger size. de Buyer... Its diameter is 17 cm, and the height (outer) is 15 cm.

The device has a hemispherical bottom; a visual plastic indicator is provided for monitoring the water level.

Such a water bath is very convenient for performing the following operations:

• making custards, sauces;
• heating the first and second courses;
• uprovaniya porridge from various cereals, etc.

Costs this "unit" only 1500 rubles.

"Ben-marie" ^

Such a mysterious name is given to a wide, low pan, which is tightly closed with a lid.

This pot, a quarter filled with water and set on the hob, holds smaller pots with sauces, soups and other dishes.

Benmari is intended for dishes that should be served hot.

Water bath at home ^

What if you were not lucky enough to be the owner of a water bath? Experienced housewives do it very simply: they take two pots, pour water into one, and put the other inside the first.

It turns out a water bath for which you don't have to pay a single ruble. But everything is not so simple: there are some nuances that must be taken into account so that instead of a delicious sauce you do not get serious burns with steam.

1. If a water bath is needed only to warm up a dish or prepare a decoction of herbs, and this process does not require periodic stirring, then in principle it does not matter what the ratio of the diameters of the pots will be.

A wooden stand or a napkin (cloth) folded several times is placed on the bottom of the outer pan, on which the inner container with the product is placed.

The process is monitored by the clock, the internal container with the finished product is removed only after the water vaporization stops.

2. If the recipe provides for any actions with the product standing in a water bath (for example, whipping proteins or regularly stirring the product), then the selection of pots must be approached responsibly:

the top pan should have a rounded bottom as much as possible and fit into the outer container in such a way that so that there is no gap between them.

Otherwise, it will be very dangerous to perform various manipulations with the prepared mass, and it is simply physically impossible: steam and splashes of boiling water will not allow you to keep your hands in the working area.

Bowls with rounded walls are best suited for the role of an internal container;

there should be a gap of at least four centimeters between the bottoms of the upper and inner pans;

it is desirable that the outer and inner containers have handles;

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Oven water bath ^

A water bath for the oven is arranged in a slightly different way:

• water is poured into a large container up to half its height;
• the lattice is also placed there;
• a smaller container is installed on the grill;
• depending on the recipe, the containers are left open or covered with food foil. Sometimes it is necessary to tightly close the inner container and leave the outer one open. In this case, foil can also be used;
• the height of the outer container must be greater than or equal to two-thirds of the height of the inner mold. It should be noted that too high external forms worsen the temperature regime inside the structure;
• the inner shape must be solid. If you have to use a detachable form, then it must first be well wrapped in foil;

Not every material is suitable for making an oven bain-marie. Containers made of thin sheet steel have too much heat transfer, while glass, on the contrary, conducts heat poorly.

The best option is thick aluminum cookware.

Another important point: if a dish is being prepared in a water bath in the oven, you cannot sharply open its door and stand directly in front of it.

This way you can scald your hands and face with steam. The correct procedure is to stand on the side of the oven and carefully and slowly open the door.

Very often, when reading any recipe for cream, delicate dough or cosmetic mask, we come across the expression "water bath". It would seem that everyone knows from childhood what it is, but, nevertheless, the question of how to make a water bath correctly does not lose its relevance, especially for young housewives who are just starting to comprehend the basics of culinary art.

So, let's try to understand the intricacies of this process. The first question is when and why a water bath is needed. It is worth paying attention to exactly this method of heating and cooking in those cases when:

• it is necessary to melt food sensitive to high temperatures in such a way as to prevent them from burning and sticking to the walls of the dishes. With the help of a water bath, chocolate, butter or for homemade soap making are melted.
• It is necessary to warm up any ingredients to a relatively low temperature (50-60 °). This is often necessary when making hair or face masks that contain natural oils - when heated, they are better absorbed and have a much more noticeable effect.
• It is necessary to prepare decoctions or herbal infusions without losing a large amount of useful ingredients that are destroyed during boiling.
• There is a need to heat products that are prone to change in structure under the influence of temperature - yolk, gelatin, etc.

In all of the above cases, as in a number of others, it is very important to know how to make a water bath. It also has its own subtleties and rules, knowledge of which will help to avoid common mistakes.

First of all, a water bath will turn out to be great if the dishes are chosen correctly, but these are not all the details that are worth paying attention to.

• The bottom saucepan or bowl should have a thick bottom and, if possible, thick sides. In this case, the boiling will not be so violent and drops of water will not fall into the mass you are preparing.
• Be sure to cover the bottom of the lower dish with a clean linen or cotton towel - this will make the boil even smoother, namely, it is the key to how to make a water bath.
• The upper pan should be of such a diameter that the bottom touches the water column, but the walls remain in the air. In this position, the effect will be maximum - the upper bowl will be treated with hot steam, and the water will practically not touch it. Choose in advance the dishes that fit each other in diameter, and remember this "pair" - next time you will save time looking for suitable vessels.
• A home water bath involves constantly stirring the mixture in the upper bowl. This helps control all changes in consistency and does not miss the moment when the bowl needs to be removed from the heat.
• You should lower the bowl into a large saucepan only after boiling water in it, otherwise the heating process of the mixture being prepared will be disrupted, and the result may not turn out at all as we would like.
• When preparing decoctions of medicinal plants, you do not need to stir the mixture continuously, since burning will not happen here. It is better to cover it with a lid so as not to allow essential oils, which are often the main active ingredients of traditional medicine, to evaporate.
• If the diameter of the upper pan practically coincides with the lower pan, you should worry in advance about how it can be pulled out after heating. Perhaps it is worth hanging it above the water with a thick thread or making improvised handles if there are none.

These are the basic rules about not making mistakes. But even if you don't succeed the first time, don't worry. Two - three times - and you will develop the necessary skill that allows you to do everything quickly and easily.

So what is a water bath and what are its benefits? This is a fairly simple but effective way of heating food at a controlled temperature. This method prevents the contents from burning or boiling.

The principle of operation is to transfer heat from one object to another through an "intermediary", which is ordinary water.

The design consists of two containers of different diameters, into one of which water is poured. The other is installed from above so that its bottom touches the water.

The advantages of the "bath" include:

• food warms up slowly and evenly;
• substances are not subjected to strong heat treatment, do not lose their useful properties;
• burning of the product is excluded.

Water cannot be heated above 100 ° C. Accordingly, the bottom of the upper container, in which the main cooking process takes place, also cannot warm up above this value. Means nothing can burn or burn. This method is often used in the pasteurization of products - for example, home pasteurization of jars of pickles.

How to make a water bath at home

To do this, you need to take two containers of different diameters and perform the following manipulations:

1. take a deep saucepan of a larger size;
2. install another container of a smaller diameter on top, so that its bottom does not touch the bottom of the first;
3. pour no more than half of the water into a large saucepan.

It is better to select the pots so that the upper rests with its handles on the rim of the lower one. Handles must be metal, otherwise there is a risk of burning.

Instructions for use

• put a large saucepan on the stove, pour about a quarter of water into it;
• bring water to a boil;
• put the food you need in a pot with a smaller diameter, put it in a larger container with boiling water.

What does it mean to warm up in a water bath and what is the advantage here? Food can be reheated to a temperature of 40 to 90 ° C, depending on the intensity of the boiling water. It is believed that food heated in this way is more useful than food that, for example, was cooked in the microwave, also because it excludes burning and exposure to microwaves, the harmful effects of which are still debated.

Let's consider how this process works using the example of beekeeping products: honey, wax, propolis. Since it is with these products that people have the most difficulties.

How to melt honey

How to melt wax

In cosmetology, handicrafts and folk medicine, wax is very often used. With the help of it, they make epilation, make scented candles, objects of art, and are used to treat diseases of the joints.

If you try to melt natural wax on a fire, it can easily burn. To avoid product spoilage, the use of a water bath is the only correct solution.

It is necessary to work with wax very carefully. Not only can you easily burn yourself with the steam from the bath, but the melted wax also carries an increased burn hazard.

Take the required amount of wax and place it in the container that you will use for the melting procedure. The wax should be constantly stirred until the desired consistency is achieved. Use it carefully, but quickly enough.

How to melt propolis

Widespread in folk medicine - a resinous substance, which contains about 200 substances useful for humans: flavonoids, aromatic acids, trace elements, vitamins. During storage, propolis begins to harden, and then completely turns into a fragile mass, similar to rosin. It is almost impossible to use it in this form - and here again a water bath will help out.

During heating, phytoncides begin to be released from propolis - substances that are effective in the treatment of diseases such as bronchitis, rhinitis and other diseases of the lungs and nasopharynx. It is for this reason that propolis is often used for inhalation.

In some recipes, it is precisely the liquid form that is needed - for example, for the manufacture of medicinal ointments. Depending on the recipe of one or another folk remedy, butter or vegetable oil can be added to propolis.

Propolis begins to melt at 80 ° C. Numerous studies have shown that even after boiling, the product does not lose its medicinal properties. But when preparing some medicinal products, propolis must be mixed with other ingredients - here the best option would be to use a water bath.

It is recommended to heat propolis with a closed lid and it is better if it is made of glass - it is easier to control the melting process. After bringing the product to the desired consistency and adding all the necessary ingredients, it is recommended to strain the product through a sieve.

What else can you use

Gentle heating of products is very much in demand in cooking, when there is a need to subject products to heat treatment, which should not exceed 100 ° C. It is also used for the preparation of various creams, sauces and even cheeses.

In folk medicine, using this process, decoctions of medicinal herbs are prepared, ointments are made. This method allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients and achieve the greatest healing effect.

The best utensils for a "bath" are pots made of thick-walled stainless steel. If a smaller pot is not available, deep bowls or mugs can be used. Top container handles should be made of metal.

If the top container has no handles or is too small to fix properly over boiling water, place a folded cloth napkin several times in the water at the bottom of a large saucepan. In this case, the upper container is placed on a napkin.

A water bath at home is sometimes simply irreplaceable. It is easy to make it, and with a little practice, you can independently learn how to make various culinary delights, cosmetics and folk remedies.

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