5 Tricks to Fix Food that's too Salty

Rescue your over-salted dishes with these simple techniques suited to soups, sauces, casseroles, meat and vegetables.

29 May 2017

Seasoning is integral to the success of a dish. However, even the most competent cook can make a mistake and be a little too heavy handed on the salt. Fortunately, knowing a few little tips can easily overcome a salty excess, and turn the inedible into the edible.

5 Tips to fix food that's too salty

1. THE POTATO

^{PHOTO FRÉDÉRIQUE VOISIN-DEMERY / FLICKR}

Grandmother's tips are always the most trusted and probably the most effective. This tip works well for too-salty soups or casseroles. Wash and peel a raw potato and cut it into 5mm slices. Place the slices in the bottom of your dish and leave until the flesh becomes transparent. Once the salt is absorbed, remove the potato slices and enjoy your dish brought back from the brink of salty mayhem.

2. SUGAR

If you don't have a potato on hand, opt for sugar. Place a sugar lump on a spoon and let it soak a few seconds. Be careful not to let the sugar melt or fall into the sauce.

3. THE BREAD CRUST

Third solution: soak a stale crust of bread in a sauce for a few minutes to absorb the excess salt.

4. RINSE WATER

This solution is most effective for steamed meat and vegetables. Place them in a pan and pour water until the salt 'comes out', then drain the water. The vegetables will turn out less crisp and meat less tender, but the sacrifice will be worth it for a dish that's more evenly seasoned.