Sifting vs whisking

[Addie]

Question.

Do you sift your dry ingredients or do you go the new way of just whisking your dry ingredients together.

I still sift. I have a very old sifter that you crank the handle. It was given to me more than 50 years ago by a friend. She had two and gave one to me. Every time I use it I think of her.

 

[merstar]

I basically only sift if the recipe specifies it. Most of the time I don't whisk either - I just loosen up the flour with a fork or spoon. The only ingredient I sift or whisk often even if it's not specified, is cocoa powder, since it's loaded with lumps.

 

[lyndalou]

I usually whisk.

 

[Andy M.]

I rarely sift. Mostly to break up lumps.

 

[Oldvine]

I fluff with a fork, then measure.

 

[jabbur]

The only thing I sift is powdered sugar. I have one of those Tupperware sifters and I store some powdered sugar in it for those times when a sprinkle of the stuff is all you want. Everything else just gets whisked together either with a hand whisk or the beaters on low.

 

[Andy M.]

What you do really should depend on what the recipe says.

If a recipe calls for a cup of sifted flour, you really should sift then measure to get the right amount. If the recipe directs you to sift a cup of flour, you can probably get away with whisking.

 

[Addie]

I think the reason I still sift if due to the sifter itself.As I said it was given to me by an old friend. She was killed by a drunk driver. We had a lot of laughs together. I know she was using her grandmother's and I didn't have one. She had already owned the one she gave me for eons. I was using a hand held strainer. At that time sifting was part of every baking recipe that had flour. I feel that if I stop using the sifter, I am betraying her and trying to forget her. And besides, I find the cakes do come out lighter if I use the sifter. It has a double screen. It only takes seconds, and it brings back happy memories. So I will continue to use it and sift away.

 

[jglazebrook]

I usually do as I am told - if it says sift (especially flour/icing sugar) I do it. I am am being very lazy I whisk...or even more lazy and using the food processor I just let it do the work!

 

[FrankZ]

I rarely touch the sifter... I do whisk dry ingredients depending on what I am making.

 

[MrsLMB]

I only sift when it says I have to. I really can't remember the last time I sifted anything.