Found a cheap trick for fixing salty soups without adding more liquid

I was making clam chowder last Tuesday and dumped in way too much salt by accident. About 8 cups of stock already in the pot, so diluting more would have ruined the texture. My old prep cook suggested tossing in a raw peeled potato and letting it simmer for 10 minutes. It actually soaked up a decent amount of the salt and I pulled it out before serving. Has anyone else tried this or got a better fix for over-salted stocks?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabetha9229d ago

Yeah I used to think that was a myth but you're right it actually works.

robinson.leo29d ago

Actually that's a common trick but it's not the salt the potato is pulling out. Potatoes absorb water and some of the salt dissolved in it, but they don't magically remove sodium. You're basically just redistributing the salt water into the potato's starch cells. If you really oversalted, try adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice - the acidity helps balance the saltiness on your tongue without changing the volume much. Also, a pinch of sugar can trick your taste buds into noticing less salt.