What to Do If You Have Added Too Much Salt While Cooking
The American Heart Association recommends the average person consume no more than 1.5 teaspoons of salt per day although the average American consumes much more salt than that. If you find that you tend to add too much salt when you cook, there are several simple ways to reduce the saltiness of your food. Does this Spark an idea?
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Water
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If you have added too much salt to a soup or stew, adding more water can help to dilute the salty flavor. Be sure to add the water a cup or two at a time so that you do not water down the soup too much.
Oil or Vinegar
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A salad dressing or other recipe that is too salty can often be fixed by adding a bit of extra oil or a little bit of white vinegar. The white vinegar will help to cut the saltiness of the food, and you will simply end up with more food than you expected.
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Potato
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Although some chefs disagree, many people find that a peeled potato can help to reduce the saltiness of a soup. If you do not want to actually add the potato to the soup, simply peel it, cut it in half and let it simmer in the soup until the flavor is less salty. Then remove and discard the potato.
Prevention
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The easiest way to repair food that has been over-salted is to avoid the problem in the first place. Start by using less salt than you think is necessary, and taste your food while you are preparing it. Tasting your food during cooking will allow you to adjust the salt and spice level without going overboard and having to fix it.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit salt image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com
