Tips to save burnt food: 6 clever methods to try (2024)

FAQs

Tips to save burnt food: 6 clever methods to try? ›

Slow down the cooking process

Start with a low heat and then gradually turn to medium or high. Or, if you like your food a little charred, you can start with high heat, and then switch it to medium and low to finish cooking. Stirring is also a great way to prevent your food from burning as it doesn't let the food stick to the bottom of the pan.

You'll need baking soda, water, and white vinegar, and a scouring pad and scraper, such as a wooden spatula. One method uses a fresh lemon, cut in half. Baking soda is your go-to for cleaning a burnt pot or pan because it has mild abrasive properties and its alkaline pH can help neutralize acidic burnt foods.

You could try adding a few ingredients to balance the flavor. Adding a bit of sweetness (like a spoonful of honey or sugar), acidity (such as lemon juice or vinegar), or richness (like a splash of cream or butter) might help mask the burnt taste.

Hold the area under cool running water for about 10 minutes. If this isn't possible or if the burn is on the face, apply a cool, wet cloth until the pain eases. For a mouth burn from hot food or drink, put a piece of ice in the mouth for a few minutes. Remove rings or other tight items.

The freezer trick works with anything toasted, including all nuts, coconut, breadcrumbs, tart shells, blind baked pie shells, cookies, bread for toast, and other pasty and baked goods. Keep the item in the freezer until cooled completely, then continue, totally burn free.

That said, burned food, and food cooked at high temperatures, are much higher in a number of carcinogens, including heterocyclic amines - the same carcinogens found in grilled and barbecued foods. Occasionally consuming burnt food won't likely shorten your life appreciably, but it would be best to avoid.

How to save burnt steak? ›

Mask the burnt flavours

Another option is to try and drown out the strong charcoal flavours using ingredients that are equally as dominant. For example, vinegar, red wine or white wine. You could also try chilli or garlic, depending on the dish.

Well, it's due in part to the Maillard reaction, the chemical reaction responsible for browning food. Paul Breslin, a doctor at Monell Center, told Epicurious that people have a psychological response to this reaction, even when taken to the extremes — aka, when your food goes from browned to burnt.

Pour either white vinegar or baking soda into a couple of bowls and place them around the rooms where the burnt smell is particularly strong. Leave them out for a few hours or overnight. The burnt smell should be mostly gone by the time morning comes around.

There's no denying the fact that some foods can increase the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer. For many years now, burnt foods have been classified as a carcinogen—a substance capable of causing cancer in the tissue.

To burn these off, you may need to plan for about 40 minutes of cardio, 50 minutes of biking, or 98 minutes of walking. Alternatively, 40 minutes of vigorous swimming or 64 minutes of weightlifting will also help you get rid of those extra calories!

You can do this by adding additional spices, more tomatoes or tomato sauce, some sugar, or any dairy such as half and half. Butter also works well. One of the quickest ways to fix a burned sauce without masking the taste or altering it with more flavorings is lemon juice.