Club Soda Makes the Fluffiest Matzo Balls Ever
Ball soup is an integral part of seder tables around the world, and each recipe is based on a sinker or float preference. Thick, chewy “sinkers” are a natural consequence of mixing matzo flour and water, making the matzo balls harder to remove.
Sourdoughs ( chametz ) are strictly prohibited during Easter, so it can be tricky to shove air pockets into dishes that will get a little overrun. Fortunately, there is a cheap and easy way to physically get gas bubbles into the matzo mix: club soda. It provides the carbon dioxide you get from traditional sourdough processes without making your food non-kosher, and it really works. I’m not Jewish, so my experience of the matzo ball soup is limited to the plate I eat every year at my friend’s seder – she always uses the club soda, and to be honest, her recipe ruined me for everyone else. (I had no idea that matzo balls could be anything but soft pads until I read otherwise.)
Most recipes that challenge the soda club suggest about a quarter cup of bubble material per cup of matzo meal, so you don’t need a lot. If you are doing a floater-assisted seder and have never tried this trick, try it this year – you won’t regret it.