Found a way to salvage over-salted stock without tossing it

Last week I was making a big batch of beef stock for a special dinner service and accidentally added too much salt. I remembered an old trick from a chef I worked with years ago about putting a raw potato in the pot to soak up extra salt. I tried it with two peeled potatoes simmered for about 20 minutes, and it actually pulled back the saltiness just enough to save the stock. The flavor was still rich and not watery at all. Has anyone else tried this trick with different types of stock or broth?

3 comments

3 Comments

evaallen20d ago

That potato trick is a lifesaver honestly. I did the same thing with a chicken broth I messed up last month, threw in two whole potatoes cut in half and it worked better than I expected. The salt level dropped enough that I could still use the broth for soup. I've also heard people say you can toss in a bit of apple or some carrot slices to help balance things out if it's still too salty after the potato. It's not a perfect fix every time but it's saved me more than once when I got heavy handed with the salt shaker.

avery_lopez20d ago

Evaallen, has anyone tried freezing the broth after fixing it with potatoes, or does that mess up the texture later?

masonm7020d ago

A little salt never killed anyone though right? I mean unless you dumped the whole box in there I bet most people couldn't even tell the difference. My wife thinks she oversalts everything and I can barely notice it. Seems like a lot of extra work to peel potatoes and boil them for 20 minutes over something that probably wouldn't ruin the dish anyway. I just add more liquid if it's too salty or serve it with something bland like rice.