Rescuing Ruined Meals

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated July 11, 2022)

There are some meals that need to be dumped in the garbage—particularly those that are burned beyond recognition or those that are found to have spoiled ingredients—but not every food mistake has to become trash. Here are some quick fixes for meals that you might think are ruined.

Bitter Spaghetti Sauce

If you made a spaghetti sauce that is on the bitter side, don't worry. Try adding a pinch of sugar. Sugar brings out the flavor of cooked tomatoes in your sauce and combats the bitterness.

Over-salted Soup, Stew, or Gravy

Have you added too much salt to your food? There's no need to throw it out. Simply cut a raw potato into medium-sized chunks and toss them into the pot for about 10 minutes. The potatoes will soak up much of the salt. Remove the potato chunks when they start to soften, and your meal will be saved.

Garlicky Sauce, Soup, or Stew

If you've made a perfect meal but added too much garlic, just put a few parsley flakes in a tea infuser and place the infuser in your food for a few minutes. Parsley absorbs the garlic flavor, and your meal will be as good as new.

Curdled Sauce

If your cream sauce has curdled, you can save it by straining it through a fine sieve or muslin.

To save a curdled Hollandaise sauce is a bit more complicated, but it can be done. You can add 2 tablespoons of boiling water to the sauce and beat it with a wire whisk until it's smooth again; or you can set the pan holding the sauce in a big bowl of ice water, whisk until it's smooth, and then warm it very gently over lightly simmering water, whisking constantly.

If your mayonnaise curdles, beat up an egg yolk in a separate bowl and slowly add the curdled mayonnaise to it, beating the mixture all the time.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Dealing with Aggressive Dogs

Dogs can be intimidating and especially when they are aggressive. If confronted with an aggressive dog, you need to know ...

Discover More

Pack a Little Litter Tray When Traveling with Your Cat

Traveling with pets is never too much fun, but there are ways you can reduce the stress. You should pack a little litter ...

Discover More

Getting the Best Lashes of Your Life

Having beautiful lashes can make you look more glamorous and striking. By trying something new with your eye makeup ...

Discover More
More Cooking Tips

Choosing a Farmers' Market

Going to the local Farmer's Market can be a fun experience. Choosing the right market for you might be a bit confusing. ...

Discover More

Cooking in a Small Kitchen

If you have a small kitchen, consider storing pots and pans, as well as dinner ware, in another room in order to give you ...

Discover More

Kitchen Accessories

Accessorizing your kitchen can make all the difference in utility and décor. Decorate using sleek and silver accessories ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)