How To Cook What Are The Most Common Mistakes When Seasoning Food - Recipe

Spices are what you add to food to improve its taste. They can be salt, pepper, herbs, spices or even citrus fruits such as lemon juice. Like many other things, you can make a mistake here that spoils the food.

Here are the six most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Do not add enough salt

The Iliad is one of the oldest works in European literature, but it also turns out to be the oldest cookbook in the world. It mentions how Achilles' friend Patroclus sprinkled salt on sheep, goat and pork ribs before roasting them over coals. Almost 3,000 years later, no one has come up with a better way to season roast meat.

There are many types of salt today, so it's important to try the dishes when you add the spice, and don't expect to hit the right amount on your own, because different types of salt have different concentrates to taste.

So season boldly, there is nothing worse than a salt-free dish and even if it can be added, it is best to do so during cooking.

2. You don't try

This is one of those mistakes that can easily be made and subsequently lead to a catastrophe.

There are some cases in which the dish can be repaired, but also others in which it is inescapable. So add the spices a little and try after a while, after they release their flavor, especially when it comes to salt - wait for the crystals to melt and then try, not immediately after salting.

If the recipe requires more spices, you can start by adding half of the specified amount and add the rest after you try.

3. Use pre-ground black pepper

Black pepper is one of the most important spices in cooking. For this reason, there is no excuse to use pre-ground pepper from the store.

Buying a pepper mill is a good investment.

There are several reasons why this type is better than the purchased one. Like all dried spices, it also loses its strength soon after use. So freshly ground pepper will be much more fragrant.

4. Add the dried herbs too late

Sometimes using dry spices is the only option, but it would be a mistake to add them at the wrong time.

When cooking with dried herbs, add them at the beginning of cooking. Add fresh herbs at the end if you use them. The reason is that fresh herbs need less cooking to release their aroma.

Dried ones, on the other hand, take a little longer to activate. And if you use them in a salad dressing, where there is no heat treatment, it can take several hours to completely release the flavors.

Therefore, the best way is to add the dried spices at the beginning of cooking to make sure that their flavors are completely released.

5. Your ground spices are very old

The ground spices you have in your cupboard are ground seeds, peels or buds.

The best way to ensure that they are still fresh is to dare yourself. You have to accept that all the spices are already obsolete before you buy them.

The solution is to buy a cheap coffee grinder and grind the spices yourself. This way they will stay fresh for a longer time, and you will grind only what you need.

6. Forget the lemon

Lemon juice is undoubtedly a spice that is about adding something special to the delicate taste of fish and seafood.

The same goes for vegetables: as a general rule, if there is a dish with added oil, it will enrich the taste if you add a little lemon juice.

Vegetables such as broccoli, beets, green beans, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms are especially suitable for adding lemon.

Lemon is also suitable for chicken, whether it will be in the marinade or located in the cavity of the chicken.

You can also add a little citrus to sauces and soups, even in places where it may be inappropriate, such as tomato sauce or potatoes.

If something seems missing in your dish, you can squeeze a little lemon before adding more salt.