Help! Seasoned Salt Accident

[Gretchen]

If you will look above, I agreed with Andy who first posted that this was an old wives' tale. Yes.

 

[GB]

I was just responding to your comment to Jenny. It seems (and forgive me if I was wrong) that you did not unnderstand what she was saying since she never mentioned anything about pasta water or not salting it.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I also agree with making another unsalted batch & combining the two. Also, once the overly-salty batch is frozen & thawed again, it won't be quite as salty as it was before. Probably not "edible" unsalty, but less than it was fresh. Freezing tends to do that to seasoning.

But really - the "add an unseasoned batch to the salty one" is a terrific idea. Just mix them all together & freeze them in family-size portions.

I made the same mistake you did more than once, only with crushed red pepper flakes. I opened up the "spoon out" side of the container instead of the sprinkle side, & out came about a cupfull of crushed red pepper. Just like you, I scooped out as much as I could, but man, was that chili HOT HOT HOT - lol!!!!

 

[Bangbang]

I love salt. I have a salt block in my bedroom. Yummy

 

[GB]

OK new procedures...Anytime you make something too salty, send it to Bang!

 

[expatgirl]

Wow--what a funny deja vu moment!!!!!! I can remeber when I first posted many moons ago and suggested the potato sponge method to get rid of extra salt in response to a thread------was I ever set straight. Only then did I realize what a valuable resource this site was---so I suggest what everyone else is and just double it with the non-salt recipe or throw it out and don't tell anyone. Smiley face!

 

[Bangbang]

OK new procedures...Anytime you make something too salty, send it to Bang!

Thanyou.....I am waiting for the shipments. BTW...nice photos. Dominican Republic makes some great cigars.

 

[GB]

Thanks bang! The house manager offered to get us some good cigars, but she never came through

 

[FryBoy]

Also, once the overly-salty batch is frozen & thawed again, it won't be quite as salty as it was before. ... Freezing tends to do that to seasoning.

I have to question whether freezing can remove salt from food, or reduce the apparent saltiness of any item.

As for herbs and spices, that's a different matter, and in some cases I think freezing and reheating increases the flavors from those ingredients.

 

[Claire]

FryBoy, in my experience freezing INCREASES saltiness of foods. Because you loose some water, a slice of ham, for example, is much saltier after being frozen and thawed.

 

[KeyLimePaige]

you can also add some lemon juice. that tends to counter salty-ness in foods.

 

[Billdolfski]

Andy is right on. The potato trick is an old wives tale. It does not work. Potatoes do not selectively remove salt. They act exactly like a sponge. The sponge will soak up some liquid and salt along with that liquid, but the concentration of salt will not change.

The only way to reduce the saltiness is to dilute it somehow. Making another batch without salt and combining the two is your best option.

and I always thought it worked. Doesn't the acidity of wine or vinegar offset salt though?

 

[GB]

No, not really. Try it yourself to see. Make a salad and dress it with dressing (with vinegar) then take a bite. Then sprinkle some salt on and take a bite. You will notice the salt.