Salt can make or break a dish, but most importantly, it’s the quantity that plays a crucial role. There must have been times when you’ve put a pinch or a teaspoon of extra salt, which completely ruined the taste of the dish.
Although many dishes benefit from the trick of adding a little salt at first and adding more, if required later. However, in case of processed food it becomes a little difficult to add more salt.
Well, an excess of salt can spoil your food, and so we thought of sharing some quick tips to remove that extra salt from the dish.
Salt
Salt is the seasoning that pulls a dish together and enhances its flavour. So, when you sprinkle a little extra, it’s heartbreaking. Does that mean that all your hard work and effort should go to waste? Absolutely not!
Wasting food is not something anyone is proud of or want to do, but when these mishaps happen and you don’t know how to save the day, you resort to throwing the whole thing out. So, as you dread the next food adversity to strike, keep these kitchen hacks in mind.
Check out these little tricks to remove the excess salt from your food:
Potatoes
Potato
A few raw potato slices can absorb the salt within minutes. So, when you’ve added a sprinkle of extra salt in your gravy recipe, chop up a potato and throw it in the pan for 15-20 minutes over low flame. Then, discard the potatoes and go on with your cooking as if nothing happened. Although, do keep in mind that along with the salt, it also absorbs liquid so you might need to adjust that after discarding the potato slices.
Milk
Milk
Milk will hamper the classic recipes but it’s a great dish saver. Add some coconut milk to your food to neutralize the excess salt. It’s one of the best ways to remove the excess salt from the recipe, plus you get a reward in disguise of a creamier dish.
Water
Water
The easiest and simplest way to remove the excess salt is to dilute the dish by adding water to it and bringing it to a boil. The water will balance out the excess salt and will save your dish from an unfortunate
Lemon Juice
lemon juice
Lemon juice can easily mask your mistake and give it a tangy twist at the same time. Although this trick expands your recipe to something with a more wide palate, it’s a total game saver.
Yoghurt or Malai
Yoghurt
A couple of teaspoons of yoghurt or malai (fresh cream) is definitely handy when it comes to saving a dish from excess salt. It doesn’t change the dish a lot plus saves it to give you the flavours that you will enjoy.
Flour
Flour
This ingredient might sound a little off but works just the way you’d want it to. Add a little flour to the gravy, and watch as it absorbs the excess salt and floats up to the top. Scoop it out and continue with your recipe.
Dough
Dough balls
Just like the potatoes, add small dough balls in the gravy and they will absorb the excess salt right away. Unlike the potatoes, this does not soak up any liquid, but you need to be careful about how long you leave in it the gravy.
Sugar
Sugar
This trick is for the small mishaps. So, if you’ve added just a pinch of extra salt, you can add a pinch of sugar to balance it out. It’s a calculated move, therefore, if your recipe is really salty, you should refrain from using this trick as you can end up with a weird sugary dish.
Vinegar and sugar
Vinegar and Sugar
So, if it’s a bigger mishap, you can use a tablespoon of vinegar and sugar to balance out the flavours of your dish. The acidic nature of vinegar along with the sweetness of sugar evens out the excess salty flavour.
Make Extra
Make Extra
Another great way is to increase the serving amount of the dish by adding more of what you’re cooking. So, add extra vegetables or gravy or whatever the recipe calls for and multiply the share size.
Add starch to your recipe
Starchy food
Starchy foods like rice, pasta, quinoa, etc are salt absorbing machines. Add the cooked versions (unsalted) to your pan and simmer or bake them into the recipe with a splatter of liquid. They will easily absorb the excess salt and save your dish.
FAQs
A few raw potato slices can absorb the salt within minutes. So, when you've added a sprinkle of extra salt in your gravy recipe, chop up a potato and throw it in the pan for 15-20 minutes over low flame. Then, discard the potatoes and go on with your cooking as if nothing happened.
How do I remove excess salt from food? ›
Add an Acidic Ingredient
It won't reduce the sodium level of your dish, but adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even a tomato product, can neutralize the saltiness of a dish. Start with a dash or a squeeze, stir well to combine, and give it a taste before adding any more.
How to make food less salty? ›
“You can add something acidic, such as lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or processed tomato products to foods to reduce the salty flavor,” says Edwards. “This doesn't reduce the sodium intake, but it does reduce the perception of the salty flavor.”
How to get rid of salty taste in food reddit? ›
If it's only slightly too salty, sugar can help balance the flavor. Depending on what it is add either lemon juice or I often find a potato works to absorb the salt! It depends on what it is. If you made a soup or sauce you can throw in raw potatoes that will absorb the salt as they cook.
What is the fastest way to get rid of excess salt? ›
“The body naturally removes sodium through sweat, tears and urine.” To even out your sodium level, get sweaty by exercising or sitting in a sauna. Drink plenty of fluids and cut out salt and salty foods right away.
How is excess salt removed? ›
When sodium is high, the kidneys release some in urine. If the kidneys can't remove enough sodium, it builds up in the blood. Sodium attracts and holds water, so the blood volume rises. The heart must work harder to pump blood, and that increases pressure in the arteries.
What is the salt reduction strategy in India? ›
India has committed to a 30 per cent reduction in sodium intake by 2025. Evidence based strategies for population sodium intake reduction require a moderate reduction in salt in – home cooked foods, packaged foods and outside-home foods.
How to remove excess salt in dal? ›
Make small balls by mixing 2 tablespoon all purpose flour or wheat flour. Drop these into the curries and boil for 15-20 minutes. Take out these balls in the end. Tehy'll absorb the excess salt from the gravy.
How can I eat less salt in food? ›
Buy fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables with no salt or sauce added. Choose packaged foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added” when available. Compare the amount of sodium in different products by reading Nutrition Facts labels. Choose the options with the lowest amounts of sodium.
How do I stop eating salty food? ›
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Skip or limit frozen dinners and other high-sodium fare such as pizza, fast food, packaged mixes, and canned soups or broths. Choose fresh or frozen skinless poultry, fish, and lean cuts of meat rather than those that are marinated, canned, smoked, brined, or cured.
Or is it like the idea that holding a slice of bread in your mouth when you chop onions will stop your eyes from watering? Well, potatoes don't pull salt out of anything. They do absorb water, though—and if that water happens to be salty, they'll absorb salty water. But they're not absorbing salt in particular.
How to fix salty curry? ›
Utilize Raw Potato
The humble potato comes to the rescue when your curry is too salty. Simply wash a potato, peel it, cut it into pieces, and add them to the curry. Allow the potatoes to sit in the dish for at least 20 minutes. They'll absorb the excess salt, leaving your curry perfectly balanced.
What cancels out salt? ›
2️⃣ Sugar! Sweet can balance salty. 3️⃣ Dairy! A splash of cream or dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream) can mellow it out.
What absorbs salt in food? ›
Other ways to remove salt from food
In addition to potatoes, you can use other starchy vegetables like carrots or parsnips to absorb excess salt. Dairy products like milk, cream, yogurt, or sour cream can help balance out the saltiness of a soup or stew.
Does onion absorb salt? ›
Add either raw or fried onion and it will soak the excess amount of salt.
How do you fix food after adding too much salt? ›
Try some of the following tips to salvage your recipe:
- Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. ...
- Drizzle in a mild vinegar like all-purpose vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar to help mask the salt with acidity by distracting the taste buds.
- Sprinkle some citric acid in your dish.
Stir in some cooked (unsalted) rice, barley, quinoa, pasta or couscous. These salt-thirsty ingredients will absorb quite a bit from a sauce. Depending on the dish, simmer or bake it with a splash of liquid to meld the flavours and allow the grains to absorb the excess salt.
How do you cover up the taste of too much salt? ›
Here are ways to fix salty food:
- Dilute by adding more water or broth to reduce saltiness.
- Addition of acidic ingredients such as tomato sauce for the counterbalance of flavors.
- Addition of starchy ingredients such as potatoes.
- Add Sugar for balance.
- Add fatty ingredients such as dairy to complement and neutralize.
