Kitchen MYTHS - debunked

[ChesterV]

NOTE:

All information in this thread is from online professional sources.
That does not mean that they are absolute, but these myths have been tested for proof of accuracy.

In some instances I have added my own comment, but on the whole, these are all from online sources which tested these myths.

We were all raised with some sort of kitchen myth, wives tale, or some sort of hint handed down from the previous generation that has ended up being untrue.

Whatever the myth might be, it might have been true at the original time of use, or it might have been something that worked for one person but not everyone......but where ever they came from or how they got started, modern technology has allowed for greater scrutiny and testing of many kitchen myths we have been raised with or learned from teachers.

 

[ChesterV]

The first myth is one of the biggest ones circulating on the planet.

Alcohol cooks/bakes out of foods, and therefore is ok for children.

False !!

Like any ingredient (except water), alcohol does not completely cook/bake out of a food item during the heat process. The ONLY thing that ever completely evaporates from any cooked or baked item during the heating process is WATER.

read the results:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index...doesnt-really-cook-out-of-food-in-most-cases/

 

[ChesterV]

Leaving the pit in guacamole keeps it from turning brown.

False. Once an avocado has been exposed to air, it will start turning brown. The rate of it turning brown will depend on the freshness of the avocado and what other ingredients might be in it.

Adding other ingredients such as lemon juice, lime juice, mayonnaise, or vinegar might slow down the browning process, but does not stop it!

The ONLY way you can keep guacamole, or an avocado from turning brown once it's been cut, is to eat it in one sitting.

 

[ChesterV]

Putting bread in the fridge keeps it from spoiling sooner.

False. Storing bread in the fridge doesn't increase its shelf life — it actually makes it go stale faster. Bread turns stale when it absorbs too much moisture and the starches in the bread begin to crystallize, giving it a stiff and crumbly texture.

To keep bread fresh longer, wrap and store it somewhere room temperature.

 

[ChesterV]

Boiling live lobsters/crabs makes them scream.

False. Lobsters don't have vocal chords.
The sound you're hearing when boiling a lobster is steam escaping from the lobster's shell (much like a tea kettle sounds like whistling).

 

[ChesterV]

You shouldn't prepare raw meat on a wooden cutting board.

Many people advise against using a wooden cutting board as the raw meat juices and bacteria may absorb in the porous wood. However, as long as you sanitize your cutting boards correctly, wooden is just fine.

Once I wash my cutting board with hot soapy water, rinse it.....I wash it down with some bleach water, then rinse it again, and dry it completely before using again. I've never had any problems.

 

[ChesterV]

Adding salt makes for sweeter melons.

While salting a melon doesn't make it sweeter, the salt draws out the water content, making each bite more intense. Salt also causes you to salivate, making the watermelon taste juicier and more flavorful.

 

[ChesterV]

Adding oil to boiling pasta keeps it from sticking.

Since water and oil don't mix, the oil will sit at the top of the pot, which is less than helpful to prevent sticking. It will also grease up the pasta and prevent it from absorbing sauces, compromising the flavor of your dish. To prevent pasta from sticking, the best solution is to stir during the first few minutes of cooking when the pasta is most starchy, and then every few minutes after.

 

[ChesterV]

Cooking in a microwave lessens foods' nutrients.

Actually, any heated cooking method will do this. And because a microwave uses less heat and shorter cooking times, microwaved food can actually retain more nutrients than other methods.

 

[ChesterV]

You should never rinse mushrooms.

Some chefs advise against washing mushrooms because they're porous.
In reality, as you don't soak them for long periods of time, they will retain their shape and flavor.

 

[ChesterV]

Searing meat seals in juices.

Searing steak locks in the flavor not the juices. Searing meat actually causes it to lose more moisture than cooking it slowly over lower heat.

For a juicier piece of meat, let it sit for five minutes after cooking.

 

[ChesterV]

Salting water makes it boil faster.

Salting water doesn't change the temperature or help the water boil faster. It is, however, important to help add flavor to dishes like pasta, rice and veggies.

 

[ChesterV]

Using a sharp knife is more dangerous.

Sharper knives require less force to work with so you're actually less likely to have an accident with a super-sharp knife. When a knife is dull, you need to exert more pressure, which can result in slips and cuts. Of course, working with any sharp instrument can be dangerous if not handled correctly.

 

[ChesterV]

A potato will not soak up salt.

There's a myth that you can add a potato to the soup and it will somehow remove the salt. Really, it's just adding a very bland substance to the soup, one that needs a lot of salt to taste right. Removing the potato at the end will remove liquid as well as salt without radically altering the balance. You might as well just add water, which achieves the same effect. Or you can go ahead and add the potato, and leave it in. Either way, you're basically just adding more soup to the soup to dilute the salt.

 

[ChesterV]

Lard is very unhealthy.

Lard has less saturated fat, more unsaturated fat, and less cholesterol than an equal amount of butter by weight. It also contains no trans-fats while Margarine and Shortenings do. The 'lard is bad for you' myth was started by the hydrogenated vegetable oil producers who wanted to push butter and lard off the shelves to make room for their chemical crapola.

 

[ChesterV]

Marinades or special concoctions tenderize meat

Neither one permeates the meat very deeply. Don't believe me? Buy a cheap cut and some 'tenderizer', pour food coloring into the solution, and put your meat into it. A day later cut it open - only a very shallow outer layer will be dyed. Marinades adhere to the outside and permeate into the meat fractions of a millimeter, but they flavor, not tenderize, the meat.

 

[ChesterV]

Adding vinegar to the water makes hard-boiled eggs easier to peel.

It actually does nothing except waste vinegar. What makes them easier to peel is the starting temp of the water. Despite Betty Crocker's advice, starting with boiling water makes them easier to peel. Bring a pot of water to a boil and gently lower the eggs in (fry spider works well), let them boil for about 30 seconds then drop the temp to a very low simmer simmer (around 185 degrees F) and let them cook for 10 to 11 minutes. Then shock them.

 

[ChesterV]

Continuously keep whipping cream or it "falls apart."

When whipping egg whites or cream, stopping in the middle and picking it back up a few seconds later (when that arm gets too heavy) doesn't make your whip fall apart. If anything, it helps by allowing the structure to set and firm up a little. Just don't remove your whisk, leave it inside your liquid at all times, and restart at medium speed, not at full bore. You don't need a special whisk for stuff. Get the one with the most spokes, cheap or expensive, and if you still find yourself having issues use two whisks at once, you'll see the insane difference.

 

[ChesterV]

Pasta should be rinsed after cooking.

THAT one is one persistent myth. Many people I know seem to like to cook their pasta, then shock it. And that, firstly, doesn't stop the cooking process as quickly as one would assume, and - secondly - washes off all that nice starch covering the outside of the pasta. This, in turn, leads to thinner sauces, lack of sauce-pasta adherence, and to a drying of your pasta. Cook until 80% done al dente, then just remove and let stand and finish cooking while you set up the sauce.

 

[ChesterV]

Salt will break down your yeast.

Cooking school myth. 'Don't put salt on the yeast, you'll kill it.' Active dry yeast, double-rise yeast, all those kinds, don't get too bothered by salt. If you are using bakers-loaf yeast (the alive kind in a block), salt can act as a desiccant and implode your yeasties, but if you bloom or add into dough just the packet yeast everyone else uses don't worry about salt touching it.