The Apple Hack That Will Easily Salvage Your Over-Spiced Soup

Spice mishaps in the kitchen can take a perfectly good recipe and turn it into something unpalatable, even for people who love food that brings the heat. Fortunately, there's an effective hack that can temper the heat of over-spiced food without having a major impact on the flavor, particularly when it comes to stews and soups. In this case, an apple is just the solution you're looking for.

Begin by peeling the apple, as removing the peel ensures the apple can absorb as much liquid as possible while resting in your soup. Next, cut the apple in half, as you don't want to deplete the liquid level too drastically. You can add a little water to counter the absorption of the apple, which will also help reduce the spice level of the dish you're cooking. Allow the halved apple to remain in the mixture to soak up as much spice as possible, then remove it when you're satisfied with the heat level. While knowledge of this trusted hack will serve you well in the kitchen, it also helps to know why it's so effective at repairing overly spicy recipes.

Apples are effective at combatting over-spiced food due to their inherent components. This fruit is known for being quite starchy, and starch is highly effective at absorbing water thanks to its molecular makeup, which allows the starch molecule to effectively absorb any water molecules it encounters. As the starchy apple absorbs the water in your soup or stew, it will also soak up any excess spices floating around. 

When it comes to flavor balance, the slight sweetness of apples is excellent at reducing the level of heat, which can occur when you add too much cayenne pepper or paprika to your recipe. Additionally, sweet ingredients are helpful for balancing food that's too bitter, such as kale and other cruciferous vegetables. Apples are also relatively acidic, and acidic ingredients are another common fix for too-spicy food. To this end, apples are a great alternative to citrus juices if you're concerned that lemon or lime juice will impart too strong a flavor to your recipe.

While adding too much spice to a recipe can be disastrous, adding too much salt is just as much of a cooking catastrophe. In this case, apples are just one option you can use to improve the finished meal. 

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but this fruit can also salvage a meal that has been spiced or salted within an inch of its life. Additionally, potatoes are also effective at remedying an overly salty soup, stew, or broth. Like apples, potatoes have a high starch content, so they're equally effective at absorbing water. Unlike apples, potatoes impart no sweetness and are relatively neutral in flavor. That makes them ideal when dealing with a delicate balance of flavors, which could potentially be disrupted by the infusion of even minor sweetness.

To make use of the potato hack, take a raw spud and cut it into wedge-sized pieces. Deposit the potato pieces into your soup or stew and allow them to cook for about ten minutes or so. At this point, you can use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes without taking out too much water. You should also taste the soup to ensure it's been effectively desalted. If it's still too briny for your taste, repeat the potato hack and taste again.