High Altitude Cooking

At high altitudes, the barometric pressure is less and the boiling point of the liquid will be reached at a lower temperature. To check the temperature of the boiling point of water at your altitude, place a thermometer in boiling water (don’t let it touch the sides or bottom of pan). Leave the thermometer in water for a few minutes, to allow the thermometer to reach its maximum temperature. This lowered boiling point amounts to 1.9 degrees for each 1,000 feet increase in altitude.

Boiling point of water

Altitude
Sea level (0)
212º
100º
2,000 ft.
208º
98º
5,000 ft.
203º
95º
7,500 ft.
198º
92º
10,000 ft.
194º
90º
15,000 ft.
185º
85º
30,000 ft.
158º
70º

Adjustments for Baking

Altitude
(feet)

Oven temp

Baking Powder/ Baking Soda for each cup

Sugar for each cup
Liquid for each cup

Other

3,000
Increase 25º

reduce by 1/8 tsp

reduce by 1 Tbsp

increase by 1-2 Tbsp

5,000
Increase 25º
reduce by 1/8-1/4 tsp
reduce by 2 Tbsp
increase by 2-4 Tbsp
7,000
Increase 25º
reduce by 1/4 tsp
reduce by 1-3 Tbsp
increase by 3-4 Tbsp
10,000
Increase 25º
reduce by
1/4-1/2 tsp

reduce by 2-3 Tbsp
increase by 3-4 Tbsp
add 1-2 Tbsp
flour +
1 egg

Note:for altitudes over 3000 do not overbeat eggs to reduce volume.           

 

Popular Recipes

Check our most popular recipes of this week

Creamy custard cake slice on a plate with a dusting of cinnamon, with the rest of the cake in a baking pan in the background.

Apple Slice

45 min • Easy • 8 to 10 servings

Bowl of miso soup with salmon, tofu, mushrooms, and crab sticks, accompanied by a small dish of soy sauce with sliced red chili.

Satisfying Burp Feast

50 min • Easy to Moderate • 4 to 6 servings

Cheesy baked casserole with colorful vegetables in a white dish on a wooden countertop, perfect for a comforting family meal.

Catherine’s King Ranch Chicken

60 min • Easy to Moderate • 6 to 8 servings

Bowl of vibrant red beet soup with chunks of beets, placed on a beige cloth near a pot and wooden spoon on a kitchen counter.

Borscht

65 min • Moderate • 4 to 6 servings

Rustic rhubarb galette on a plate with baking tools and ingredients in the background.

rhubarb galette cookie

70 min • Moderate • 6 to 8 servings

From Our Table to Yours

Explore the Moments That Matter Most

Discover Stories