Through the years, a lot of cooking myths have surfaced and some have turned out to be rather persistent.
Chefs have all developed their own cooking myths throughout the generations. Of course, it’s inevitable that there are some myths about these methods.
When there are so many different ways to prepare a nice and delicious dish, there are also a lot of opinions around.
So, it’s high time that we debunk the eight biggest cooking myths once and for all! To help you get your facts straight, we’re going to reveal six cooking myths that are completely untrue.
1. MYTH: Microwaved food has fewer nutrients
FACT: Microwaves are so useful that we all just assume that there must be something wrong with them. From a health point of view, though, they’re completely harmless. When you cook food in the microwave, you’re actually exposing it to the heat for a shorter time than you would on the stove. For that reason, some experts actually suggest that microwaves can help your food to better retain its important nutrients.
2. MYTH: Salt can boil water quickly
FACT: Although every single chef seems to sprinkle a good amount of salt into the water before turning up the heat, the only effect this has is changing the taste. In fact, salt can even increase the cooking time, due to a phenomenon that’s known as ‘boiling point elevation’.
3. MYTH: Well-done meat is safer
FACT: There’s a reason why some experts shake their heads when you ask them to make sure your steak is well done. You’re not just ruining the taste and texture of the meat, but there also isn’t any evidence whatsoever that cooking the meat until it looks like leather helps to kill any more bacteria. All you need to kill the bacteria is a temperature of around 65 degrees C within the meat.
4. MYTH: Rinsing pasta with water
FACT: Although many people are convinced your should rinse your pasta with cold water to optimise the taste and texture of the pasta, this turns out to be very untrue. Rinsing the pasta also means you rinse away the natural starch that helps the sauce stick to it. This means your dinner will be considerably less tasty if you rinse the pasta.
5. MYTH: Flour doesn’t go bad
FACT: You might think the bag of bread flour you’ve been storing in your pantry for a few years already is indestructible, but it’s actually much more vulnerable than you’d think. Although it takes a long time, relatively speaking, flour can definitely lose its taste and quality, despite being kept in properly sealed packaging. The signs that your flour has definitely gone bad are a nasty smell coming off it and weevils being in there. These tiny insects look a little like larvae. So, haven’t used your flour in a while? Check it properly before you use it!
