The amount of salt and pepper is up to each person. How many times you or someone you know, overseasoned food? That is pretty common, so here you will find some tips to save your overseasoned food
Learning confidence to season food is part of learning how to cook, or becoming a better cook, thus, seasoning mistakes are likely to happen. Read on to discover how to fix your dishes.
1) Too much salt
It is easy to over-salt food, especially when you cook soups, stews, or sauces since they have several components. Many store-bought stocks contain some salt, even more, if they are meat-based. So, these are the things you should take into account:
Pay attention to the ingredients you use as they may contain sodium. So, you should wait to add any salt the recipe calls for until you have tasted it at the end
If it is too late, there are a few things you can do:
- If it is a little bit too salty, sometimes a touch of sweetness can help. Honey, sugar, or maple syrup can work well.
- If the food is extremely salty, starch will be your ally. Put chunks of par-cooked potatoes in, let the dish simmer for a few minutes, taste, and then remove them.
2) Too much acidity
Salt and acids play with each other and an acid ingredient can make a dish taste saltier than it is. So remember that when you season food. Acid food includes vinegar, citrus juices, wine, and pickled and fermented vegetables, and to fix a dish that is too acidic, you should add something neutral like potatoes, or something sweet like caramelized onions or honey.
Another trick to ease acid is using baking soda. According to experts, a teaspoon or less of baking soda will immediately react with the acid and turn it into salt. This is a great option If a sauce is too acidic.
3) Too much heat or spice
Overseasoning a dish with any kind of spice or herb can be fixed by adjusting the amount of salt, acidity, or other complementary spices.
Too much heat? Don’t worry, that also has a solution. If you have added too many chiles or any other hot ingredient to your soup or stew, peel an apple and add it to your food. The flesh absorbs some of the excess seasonings while it gives a bit of sweetness to help balance the flavors.