8 Common Mistakes in Cooking – How to Fix Them

Sometimes an accident in the kitchen can lead to the discovery of something delicious. However, most of the time, these cooking mistakes can result to spreading cookies, undercooked meats, and inedible dishes. Is it possible to save a dish after making a mistake? Let’s take into consideration eight of the most common mistakes in cooking, and learn how to fix them.

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1. Dish turned salty

There are several reasons why this scenario happens. You may have either accidently placed too much salt or you simply miscalculated the taste. Of course, there is nothing that you can possibly do in order to remove the salt. However, you can add some ingredients in order to balance its concentration. For soups that are salty, dilute it with water. Other ways include adding lemon juice or vinegar, which cuts saltiness with their acidity.

2. Dish too spicy

Just like the times you put extra salt on your food, sometimes you may add too much spice. In this case, add non-spicy ingredients to your dish in order to balance the taste out. Another technique is to add a dash of sugar in order to curb the heat level.

3. Baking problems

If you notice that your batter or dough is not baking evenly, this may be caused by an uneven shape. All you need to do is to try to roll the dough evenly and distributing it on the pan evenly. If this is not an issue, you may have to check on other potential mechanical issues, such as problems with your oven not reaching the appropriate temperature.

4. Not getting a good crust/sear

If you notice that you are not getting a good crust or sear, the reason may be because you are turning your food way too often. You will only know if your dish is ready for turning if the spatula can easily slide underneath. Therefore, it is very important to resist any urge to turn your dish often so that you can get a good crust on it, resulting in the beautiful browning on your food. Another reason may be due to the lack of heat on your pan. Turn up the heat to the right temperature in order to cook quickly both on the outside and the inside.

5. Food is soggy and does not turn brown

A lot of us make the mistake of overfilling the pan, especially if we are out of time. However, this makes it impossible for the steam to escape since food releases moisture. This means that it is important to ensure that the contents of your pan do not cover one another. If you want to save time, you may want to use two pans at the same time.

6. Spreading cookies

If you notice that your cookies pack on pounds after baking, the reason may be due to overly softened butter. The best way to avoid this is to allow butter to sit at room temperature for just an hour.

7. Egg whites do not whip up

Whipping egg whites is a challenging task. Egg yolks may even stop them from completely being whipped up. Instead of whipping egg whites at a cold temperature, make sure to allow them to sit for a few minutes at room temperature.

8. Overcooked/Undercooked roast

This is a very common mistake which can be prevented with the use of a thermometer. This way, you can monitor the temperature while cooking.