It has happened to all of us- you're in the kitchen and the meal you've been preparing for guests is set to go on the table in a few minutes. The doorbells ringing, guests are arriving, drinks are served, but when you go to test out the dish to make sure the seasonings are on point, all you taste is an overpowering salty flavor. What do you do? How to fix over-salted food? Throw it all away or serve your meal that tastes like ocean water?
A good rule of thumb is to season as you go, but sometimes we all go a little too far with the salt at times. Let's face it, salt is a pretty powerful ingredient and a little goes a long way to bring out the flavor and enhance a dish.
Well, the good news is that there are many ways to rescue over-salted food. Don't panic or throw away dinner and call take out. Instead, check out these ways to save your over-salted food.
How to Fix Over-Salted Food
1. Dilute with Unsalted Liquid
This trick works great if you're making a soup, stew, sauce, or braising liquid. Add in any type of unsalted liquid: cold water, unsalted broth, even wine and let it simmer for a few minutes. Start with a small amount of liquid at a time because you don't want to end up losing all the flavor you made. .
I also like to stick to buying ingredients labeled low-sodium like broth or soy sauce, since they do tend to be super salty. It makes it easier to control the amount of salt taste with low-sodium ingredients too.
2. Make More
If you have the ingredients and the time, just make another batch of the recipe (without salt) to even out all the flavors. Once the mixture is combined, re-season with kosher salt or sea salt.
3. Add More Greens
For over-salted soups and stews, throw in some greens like kale, spinach, or mustard greens. They cook fast and will absorb some of the salt.
4. Add a Starch
Save your meal by adding in a starch to help absorb the salt. Ingredients like uncooked rice, quinoa, barley, pasta, or couscous will soak in the excess salt like a sponge. They're also pretty tasty, too.
5. Toss in a Potato
Yep, you read that right- use up those spuds. If you're making a soup, stew, or curry, toss in a few pieces of raw, peeled potatoes and fish them out when your dish is done. The potatoes will soak up the excess salt.
6. Stir in Something Acidic
If your meal tastes like ocean water, adding in an acidic ingredient will help cut that flavor. Think white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or mustard. Make sure to only add a little at a time because you don't want your dish to turn out too sour and salty.
7. Rinse Under Water
If you were a little too generous with the salt shaker on something like steak, pork, ribs, or chicken, there's nothing wrong with rinsing off the meat under cold water.
This also works for over-salted steamed vegetables or meats that have been sitting in brining liquid. No harm in starting over, right?
8. Add in Something Sweet
A little sugar, brown sugar, or honey can sometimes do the trick. The sweetness will cut down in the salty taste. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
9. Add Dairy or Another Creamy Component
Milk, heavy cream, sour cream, coconut milk, almond milk, and plain yogurt are creamy and rich which helps balance the strong flavor of excess salt. Add in a few tablespoons to your next dish.
Watch:Do You Know the Different Types of Salt?
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