When you start learning to cook, you will also learn some kitchen tips from your mother, sister, or find some tricks on the Internet. These tricks may include using cooking utensils correctly, preparing meals to be delicious and time-saving.
One of the most popular cooking tricks is putting a wooden spoon on a boiling pot to prevent overflow. By placing the wooden spoon on the pot’s mouth, you can confidently do other tasks without worrying about the water overflowing.
Just a wooden spoon, and everything becomes much simpler.
At first, it may seem strange, but this cooking trick is really useful. The question is, do you know why a wooden spoon has such “magic” effects?
When cooking certain types of food, substances in the food are released and form bubbles that rise in the pot. This foaming process creates bubbles that increase in size and surface area until they overflow. Foods like Italian pasta, eggs, or milk are typical examples. If you forget about it for a moment, you’ll have a headache thinking about cleaning up the mess afterward.
When the bubbles rise to the top of the pot, they can spill over the surface. However, placing a wooden spoon horizontally on the pot will prevent them from overflowing. But why?
The reason is that the wooden spoon breaks the surface tension of the bubbles, preventing them from spilling out of the pot. The bubbles burst upon encountering a non-absorbent surface, which the wooden spoon provides.
In addition, the thermodynamic properties of wood and water also play a role in this phenomenon. Wood has poor thermal conductivity and will work for a limited period of time. When in contact with water bubbles at 100 degrees Celsius, the cooler temperature of the spoon causes the water vapor to condense immediately, returning to a liquid state.
This is in contrast to using a metal spoon. Metal is an excellent heat conductor. When placed in a pot, it quickly heats up, sometimes faster than the water. In such cases, the water in contact with the smooth, hot surface of a metal spoon will overflow the metal barrier and spill out.
However, it’s still important to keep an eye on the boiling water while cooking. If the water overflows, the spoon will get wet, covered in bubbles, and become ineffective. This allows the bubbles to continue forming and the pot to boil over again.
(Source: Scienceabc)
Ancient ancestors never forget these 3 spices when boiling vegetables, so boiled vegetables are always fresh, and extremely eye-catching
How can you ensure that a boiled vegetable dish meets the standard of being crisp and not too mushy, with vibrant green color?
9 Highly Effective Kitchen Tips From an Expert
Take note of these 9 small kitchen tips in your notebook right now, as there will surely come a time when you’ll need them!
Place a wooden spoon over a boiling pot, a simple trick that everyone should know
Not just for stirring, serving food, it also has another special function that makes cooking much simpler and safer. Just place a wooden spoon across the boiling pot, and it will prevent the liquid from overflowing.
What Does Placing a Wooden Spoon Across a Boiling Pot Do?
By simply placing a wooden spoon across the top of your pot while cooking, your culinary endeavors will become easier and less prone to mishaps.
What is the purpose of placing a wooden spoon over a boiling pot?
With just a wooden spoon placed across the pot while cooking, your cooking experience will become easier and less risky.
