Food & Receipts

6 easy ways to fix oversalted food – Help! What to do when you accidentally add too much salt

Accidentally over-salting a dish is a common problem faced by many home cooks. However, not everyone knows the secrets to successfully fixing this salty situation.

Administrator

8 December, 2023

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Using vinegar or fresh lemon juice can easily neutralize the saltiness of the dish. However, if the dish contains dairy products, avoid using lemon to reduce saltiness, as lemon can curdle the milk immediately.

Egg whites help absorb saltiness

For overly salty soups or broths, drop a whole egg white from chicken or duck into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove the egg white, and you will find the dish becomes less salty. The amount of egg white used will depend on the saltiness of the dish.

Honey helps soothe the saltiness of the dish

Honey is a good way to reduce saltiness and create a special flavor for soups, braised dishes, and broths thanks to its natural sweetness. A small spoonful of honey can effectively solve the saltiness problem and make the dish more delicious. Although you can use alternative sweeteners like sugar, honey often enhances the desired effect.

Use water to neutralize saltiness

In case soups, broths, or braised dishes contain too much salt, you can fix it by adding a sufficient amount of water to neutralize the saltiness, then season with some necessary spices such as bouillon powder, pepper, or chili powder to keep the dish flavorful and appealing.

Use potatoes

Try adding some slices of raw potatoes, thinly sliced, to the soup or stir-fry that is too salty, and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. Potatoes will effectively absorb the salt, and then you just need to add a little bit of bouillon powder, the dish will be as delicious as before.

Use tomatoes

If you don’t have lemons or potatoes, you can also use thick tomato slices to put in the dish and soak it for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce the saltiness of the dish. However, note that using tomatoes will not be as effective as the previous methods, because the acidity of tomatoes is milder.