Too salty

[CWS4322]

I made a Cuban pork and garbanzo bean soup last night. Too salty. How do I neutralize the saltiness?

 

[joesfolk]

They say you can add potatoes to the soup to take care of that problem but frankly it has never worked very well for me. Maybe I didn't add enough potatoes.

 

[Zhizara]

I made a Cuban pork and garbanzo bean soup last night. Too salty. How do I neutralize the saltiness?

Add unseasoned chicken stock.

I've also heard add uncooked diced potatoes.

If you don't want to cook the beans and meat any more, put your colander in a bowl and take them out of the broth, then cook the potatoes in the too salty broth.

 

[jennyema]

Potatoes don't work. They aren't smart enough to absorb only the salt.

They just absorb liquid. Which won't solve the problem.

The best way to make it taste less salty is to make up a half batch without salt and combine the two.

 

[Claire]

Jenny, brava. Potatoes don't work, whoever started that rumor decades ago? That is the only way I know of to reduce saltiness (or making something too hot, chili-wise). Make a batch without the salt, then stir it in. Ditto for hot peppers or any other spice. Increase the volume of the soup. Make sure when you put in another can of garbanzos, you rinse them thoroughly to get rid of any salt in the can. Make sure any stock you add is salt-free. And from now on, taste as you go!

 

[LindaZ]

Potatoes don't work. They aren't smart enough to absorb only the salt.

They just absorb liquid. Which won't solve the problem.

The best way to make it taste less salty is to make up a half batch without salt and combine the two.

Try carrots instead of potatos, I've never had luck with potatos - and if appropriate you could add red wine to tone down the salty flavor -

 

[CharlieD]

Potatoe do not work, but rice might. But even that is questionable. Making more is really the only way and then mix two.

 

[AnnieDrews]

I had some luck using potato once. Here is what I did after searching the internet: I put one whole, peeled potato in the dish and let it simmer for a while. It did seem to help. From what I understand, potatoes are "salt suckers". Of course, you will want to discard the potato after using it in this manner. Actually, if you try it, why don't you cut off a piece and see if it tastes salty?? I didn't do that last time and it might be interesting to try.

 

[luvs]

i, too, would make another unsalted batch, then gradually combine them

 

[Rocklobster]

Solution by dilution.

 

[Caslon]

Fresh lemon or yogurt, or sugar or balsamic vinegar work.

I think the idea that potatoes absorb salt comes from people adding just a pinch of salt to boiling potatoes and having them come out extremely briney tasting.

That then got translated into potatoes absorbing salt. Howerver, it's the boiling of the potatoes and salt that make the potatoes absorb the salt. Adding just raw potato to an already cooked meal will do little IMO.

 

[jennyema]

Neither potatoes, nor carrots nor rice SELECTIVELY absorb just the salt from liquid. They absorb the liquid with whatever seasoning is dissolved in it.

So you'd achieve the same effect if you dropped a kitchen sponge in the liquid. Or, even easier, if you ladled out some liquid.

Really, the only way to fix it is by dilution.

 

[GB]

Neither potatoes, nor carrots nor rice SELECTIVELY absorb just the salt from liquid. They absorb the liquid with whatever seasoning is dissolved in it.

So you'd achieve the same effect if you dropped a kitchen sponge in the liquid. Or, even easier, if you ladled out some liquid.

Really, the only way to fix it is by dilution.

As always, Jenny is absolutely correct. For those who need more of an explanation please read this page.

 

[CWS4322]

I'm going to try balsamic vinegar. I used sodium-reduced stock--not homemade, didn't add any additional salt, but because I don't use a lot of salt, it tastes salty to me. Thanks everyone.