We’ve all been there—had kitchen emergencies that seemed like the end of the world. And when they happen we go into panic mode and usually end up throwing the food away or starting over. But there are some quick fixes to kitchen emergencies that don’t involve wasting food. After you calm down, here are three solutions to common cooking mistakes.
Food Burned on the Bottom of the Pan
You’ve probably made rice, pasta, or quinoa and had it stick to the bottom of the pan. Instead of freaking out and starting over, get the pan off the heat and don’t stir it because it may ruin the rest of the batch. Then taste the top and see if it’s okay. If it’s fine, transfer it to another pot and finish cooking it. Fill the burned pot with warm, soapy water and let it soak.
Food is Too Salty
If your food is too salty, add more of the primary ingredients like tomatoes for tomato sauce or beans for bean soup. If that doesn’t work, add a quartered potato, simmer it, and then get rid of the potato. This will absorb the salt. For oversalted meats or veggies, rinse them off, pat dry them, and then reseason them.
Sauce or Soup is Too Thin
For sauce that’s too thin, simmer it until it’s thicker or makes a slurry of one tablespoon cold water with one tablespoon cornstarch. Put a little into the sauce or soup and stir it until it becomes thick enough.
