# Cooking myths



## baking fool (Sep 15, 2011)

I wonder what cooking myths we can come up with? Off the top of my head I can think of:

1. Pepper heat is in the seeds. It's actually in the midrib that the seeds are attached to:






Anatomy of a Chili Pepper - Premium Hot Sauce

2. Browning meat keeps juices in. What makes the sizzling sound then? I think Harold McGee addresses this in On Cooking.


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## Andy M. (Sep 15, 2011)

Put a raw potato in a soup or stew that's too salty and the potato will draw the salt out.

All it does is absorb some broth (not just the salt out of the broth).  You could accomplish the same thing by taking out a ladle of broth and replacing it with water.


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## Silversage (Sep 15, 2011)

Myth: Searing a steak seals in the juices.


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## 4meandthem (Sep 15, 2011)

Rubbing the end of a cucumber on the counter will draw out bitterness.

Salt in pasta water will keep it from boiling over
Oil in pasta water water will keep the pasta from sticking to each other.
IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND! Don't believe it....try it! I have.

A watched pot never boils...It does....It is just boring! lol


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## JoshuaNY (Sep 15, 2011)

Myth: You should clean mushrooms with a brush, mushrooms soak alot of water if you wash them.

That is just not the case. They may take a little bit of water, but not enough to make it significant.


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## NotActuallyaHero (Sep 16, 2011)

One of the greatest myths I know of is that food needs to be complicated to be fancy. There is nothing better than something simple created with only two or three ingredients (spices included!) and presented in a beautiful way.

Cooking is an art. A very, very simple art.


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## GB (Sep 16, 2011)

I came to post the potato one Andy posted. Thanks for saving me the keystrokes Andy. 

Myth: leaving the pit in a cut avocado will keep it from browning longer. 
Truth: air is what browns the avocado. The pit will keep the area directly under it from browning because it is keeping the air from contacting it, but it does nothing for the avocado around the pit. 

Myth: all the alcohol cooks out. 
Truth: it is impossible to cook out all the alcohol. Quite a lot can remain depending on cooking method and time. Google alcohol cook off chart to see actual amounts.


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## Timothy (Sep 16, 2011)

baking fool said:


> Pepper heat is in the seeds. It's actually in the midrib that the seeds are attached to...


 
To be more precise, it's in the placenta which is attached to the mid ribs and the seeds. If you wash the placenta from the seeds and ribs, neither has very much capsaicin, (the chemical that makes peppers have a hot feel).


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## GB (Sep 16, 2011)

Also, too continue the more prcise route, it is true that the seeds to no contain capsaicin, however due to their proximity to the placenta where there is actual physical contact the capsaicin rubs off on the seeds. So even though the seeds do not produce the heat causing chemical, they are still hot because the chemical attaches to them.


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## baking fool (Sep 16, 2011)

I forgot all about the "alcohol cooking out" one & the rest I hadn't heard of before. keep 'em coming everybody


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 16, 2011)

Cooking a turkey breast side down causes the breast meat to be more juicy because gravity pulls the juices down.

Look at a turkey as it cooks.  You will see substantial liquid boiling, just under the top skin.  Removing the turkey at the proper meat temperature is what insures that the meat will be juicy and tender.

Also, look at a steak, or burger, or pork chop.  Where does the juice start to pool up?  It pools on top of the meat, not in the bottom.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## ella/TO (Sep 16, 2011)

Heard on a radio programme the other day that one should not wash chicken. That doing so, just moves the germs all around. That the cooking temperature kills everything.....what's your take on this DCers?


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## jusnikki (Sep 16, 2011)

ella/TO said:


> Heard on a radio programme the other day that one should not wash chicken. That doing so, just moves the germs all around. That the cooking temperature kills everything.....what's your take on this DCers?


 

I heard that on one of the cooking shows on foodnetwork. I'm not trying to hear that...my bird gets a bath!


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## GB (Sep 16, 2011)

That is correct Ella. The only thing rinsing chicken does is remove any large particles that might be on the surface. Any germs remain on the chicken, but are also transferred to the sink and counter and anywhere else that the chicken water touches. The FDA recommends that you do not rinse your chicken for this very reason.


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## buckytom (Sep 16, 2011)

GB said:


> Also, too continue the more prcise route, it is true that the seeds to no contain capsaicin, however due to their proximity to the placenta where there is actual physical contact the capsaicin rubs off on the seeds. So even though the seeds do not produce the heat causing chemical, they are still hot because the chemical attaches to them.



thanks for that because i was just going to reply that i've had seeds that were so hot they'd blow your head off!

ok, how about you need a giant pot of water to cook pasta. you just need enough so that the boiling water covers the pasta until it's done cooking.

or anything with mayonnaise will go bad more quickly at room/warm temperatures such as tuna salad or mac salad.
actually, mayo is acidic enough to cause foods that contain it to last a bit longer than if there was no mayo.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 16, 2011)

GB said:
			
		

> That is correct Ella. The only thing rinsing chicken does is remove any large particles that might be on the surface. Any germs remain on the chicken, but are also transferred to the sink and counter and anywhere else that the chicken water touches. The FDA recommends that you do not rinse your chicken for this very reason.



Really?  I heard that chicken is rinsed in solution that has fecal matter, which could be large particles.  Thinking I still might be rinsing my chicken, with my bleach spray not far behind.


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## Timothy (Sep 16, 2011)

Timothy said:


> To be more precise, it's in the placenta which is attached to the mid ribs and the seeds. If you wash the placenta from the seeds and ribs, neither has very much capsaicin, (the chemical that makes peppers have a hot feel).


 


GB said:


> Also, too continue the more prcise route, it is true that the seeds to no contain capsaicin, however due to their proximity to the placenta where there is actual physical contact the capsaicin rubs off on the seeds. So even though the seeds do not produce the heat causing chemical, they are still hot because the chemical attaches to them.


 
Actually, you just said the same thing I said. The placenta is on the seeds and ribs. Wash it off and they are not nearly as hot.



buckytom said:


> thanks for that because i was just going to reply that i've had seeds that were so hot they'd blow your head off!


 
Like GB and I both said, the seeds are only hot because of the placenta that is stuck to them. Wash it off and the seeds are no longer very hot.

I feel like there is an echo in here.....


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## buckytom (Sep 16, 2011)

i always rinse whole chickens or turkeys, inside and out - especially inside, because they are cooked with their skins on. we generally remove the skin when we cook parts, so i figure you're dumping the nasties with the skin for the most part. 

but have you ever seen how many bits of guts and goo are left behind stuck inside a whole bird? or how factories process the beasts? they might as well be making auto parts.

one more rinse ain't gonna hurt, and i always wash any utensil or surface directly after doing so with antibacterial stuff, using disposable paper towels to wipe everything up.



another myth: raw foods are better for you.

well, it's really yes and no. mostly no.

when it comes to most veggies, slightly cooking them maximizes your ability to digest their nutrients. if left raw, their nutrients pass through you along with a higher dose of fiber. so it's better for you if you need fiber, but for the most part it's better to eat veggies lightly steamed or heated in some way so their cells can be broken open during digestion for the nutrients inside.

i heard an old saying once that goes that you can actually die quickly from malnutrition even if you ate your fill of raw potatoes everyday.


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## baking fool (Sep 17, 2011)

I see people brining chickens all the time. I think it's supposed to make the skin crispier. I guess it's not really the same as rinsing or washing since the salt probably kills some of the bugs that are on it.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 17, 2011)

Brining, with any kind of meat, is used to add flavor to the meat.  The brine solution has a higher concentration of salt and flavoring than does the fluids inside the muscle cells.  Osmotic pressure equalizes the concentration inside and outside the cells so that the flavor from the brine becomes part of the meat flavor.  Also, the muscle tissue absorbs aditional water, making the bird juicier.  Another way to obtain similar results is to inject the bird with a brine solution, or a broth made from bones and skin.  Let it sit for an hour or two to let the solution distribute itself evenly through the meat.

Crispy skin is cause by heat and fat.  The heat causes the moisture in the skin to evaporate, leaving a fat-crisped skin behind.  Many people rub oil, butter, or lard onto the skin to help make it more crispy. 


I don't use roasting bags because they trap the steam that would normally escape, creating a soft, steamed skin.

Myth - microwaves cook from the inside, out.  Microwaves transmit energy by exciting the molecules they touch.  The outside of foods radiated by microwave energy receive the most concentrated energy, absorbing it and heating.  The microwave energy penetrates the food, but gets weaker as it goes because it is giving up energy as it penetrates.  The outside gets hot first, but the inside is heated as well.  So the food cooks faster because there are two heat sources, direct energy from the microwaves, and thermal conduction from the hotter outside of the food to the inside.

Just so you know, microwave energy is simply the same electro-magnetic energy used to transmit radio signals.  It falls within a specific frequency range.  Radars transmit microwave energy in a directional path, and have an antenna that is tuned to the specific frequency that is transmitted.  The radar picks up the reflected radio waves and the electronics turns that reflected energy into a displayed reading on a screen, telling how far, and in what direction the object reflecting the energy is from the radar.  

In my home town, at the height of the cold war, we use to have a radar that was so powerful, that if you dripped a cow in front of the transmitter, is would be cooked before it hit the ground.

Is there any wonder that the first microwave marketed was called by the brand name - Radar Range?

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Kayelle (Sep 17, 2011)

Knowing what we do, it's a wonder that any of us eat chicken!!  

I'll continue to wash mine however, if only because it makes me feel better.


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## powerplantop (Sep 17, 2011)

Hot pan Cold oil prevents sticking. 
It has to do with temperature of the oil when food is put into the pan not the temp of the pan when the oil is added. You can take a cold pan add oil heat it up and you will get the same result. If you add the food before the pan/oil is hot it might stick.


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## powerplantop (Sep 17, 2011)

Never salt meat before cooking...

I salt my steaks at least one hour before cooking. Do they lose some mositure? Yes but they taste a lot better.


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## powerplantop (Sep 17, 2011)

You can not fry with Olive oil due to its smoke point. 

This depends upon how much the oil has been processed. EVOO is not a good choice but other OO are just fine unless you are frying at a very high temp. 

pompeian


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 17, 2011)

powerplantop said:


> Hot pan Cold oil prevents sticking.
> It has to do with temperature of the oil when food is put into the pan not the temp of the pan when the oil is added. You can take a cold pan add oil heat it up and you will get the same result. If you add the food before the pan/oil is hot it might stick.



Please test your hypothesy.   Personal experience has taught me that if I heat the oil with the pan, foods stick to my SS pans.  If, however, I heat them dry, and then add just a little oil, running it all over the cooking surface, foods slide across the pan like a puck on fresh ice.

I believe that the oil polymerizes when it hits the hot pan surface, creating a very smooth and slick, oiled surface for the food to rest on.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## powerplantop (Sep 17, 2011)

Goodweed of the North said:


> Please test your hypothesy.


 
I have. Besides I think I am like most people when using cast iron before I put it up I add a thin layer of oil. So next time I use the pan it has oil in it that was added when the pan was cold. 

What I think happens is people put the pan on the burner, add the oil then when it gets warm they add the food. It makes a bit of noise and sticks. 

But try this put your SS pan on the burner, add enough oil to give a thin coating of oil and turn on the burner. When you start to see it shimmer start watching it close. (yes this is when we are told to add the food but its not hot enough) when you see it starting to pull away from the middle swirl the oil around in the pan and add your food. 

Normally I add my oil just before adding the food but I do that to keep from burning the oil. When using my wok (that was put away with a light coating of oil) I heat it up until it just starts to smoke then add my oil swirl then add my food.


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## Claire (Sep 17, 2011)

> Myth - microwaves cook from the inside, out.  Microwaves transmit energy by exciting the molecules they touch.  The outside of foods radiated by microwave energy receive the most concentrated energy, absorbing it and heating.  The microwave energy penetrates the food, but gets weaker as it goes because it is giving up energy as it penetrates.  The outside gets hot first, but the inside is heated as well.  So the food cooks faster because there are two heat sources, direct energy from the microwaves, and thermal conduction from the hotter outside of the food to the inside.
> 
> Just so you know, microwave energy is simply the same electro-magnetic energy used to transmit radio signals.  It falls within a specific frequency range.  Radars transmit microwave energy in a directional path, and have an antenna that is tuned to the specific frequency that is transmitted.  The radar picks up the reflected radio waves and the electronics turns that reflected energy into a displayed reading on a screen, telling how far, and in what direction the object reflecting the energy is from the radar.
> 
> ...



I love it, you're so cute.  In case anyone is really that naive, I lived right under one of those Dew Line radars for 3 years.  I now glow in the dark!  Seriously, no one I know had any medical problems.  And I mean literally right under it!  My kitties did fine, too.


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## babetoo (Sep 17, 2011)

i always heard that if you sprinkle salt in a hot pan, it will not let the meat stick. not true!!


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## Caslon (Sep 17, 2011)

Let us not forget this myth,  adding a raw potato to a stew or stock to absorb saltiness.   I was taken in by that one.


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## Andy M. (Sep 18, 2011)

Goodweed of the North said:


> Please test your hypothesy.   Personal experience has taught me that if I heat the oil with the pan, foods stick to my SS pans.  If, however, I heat them dry, and then add just a little oil, running it all over the cooking surface, foods slide across the pan like a puck on fresh ice.
> 
> I believe that the oil polymerizes when it hits the hot pan surface, creating a very smooth and slick, oiled surface for the food to rest on.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North




We had a similar discussion a couple of years ago.  I my testing, there is no difference in sticking whether you add the oil to a cold or hot pan.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 18, 2011)

Claire said:


> I love it, you're so cute.  In case anyone is really that naive, I lived right under one of those Dew Line radars for 3 years.  I now glow in the dark!  Seriously, no one I know had any medical problems.  And I mean literally right under it!  My kitties did fine, too.



That's because, my dear freind, you weren't in the direct path of the transmitted radiation.  the microwave beam transmitted by the radar is thin and directional.  I've worked around Omani-directional antennae that had to be turned off due to radiation danger, and they transmitted a fraction of the energy pushed out from those gargantuan radars that the airforce had running.  

In the early days of radar gun use by police, several officers were made sterile because the transmitter (the radar gun) wasn't turned off before being set down in the squad car.  The microwave energy damaged the men permanently.

Think of it this way.  My microwave unit produces 1500 watts of microwave energy.  It will blow up an egg in less than a minute.  Those big radars produced mega-watts of microwave energy, enough to blow up many, many, many eggs, instantaneously.  Electronics techs who worked around radar, radio, and waveguides had to be very careful to make sure the units were turned off before working on them.

Oh, and if I remember correctly, the strength of the signal decreases directly by the square of the distance.  Close up, those big transmitters were deadly.  But that power dissipated quickly with distance.  That's why they had those gargantuan parabolic dishes, to capture as much reflected energy as possible.

Myth - Goodweed knows everything.  There may be some small thing that I've missed in this universe.  There might even be two small things.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## 4meandthem (Sep 18, 2011)

Chicken myth: If you buy Foster Farms chicken you are getting a safer product. Same goes for some other major brands but when they were tested foe salmonella bacteria allmost all samples from the large brands contained it (Tyson too). I wash my chicken and treat it like it has salmonella no matter what. It prbably does.I now shop for price and have been consistaly been able to find leg quarters for .57lb frozen. Hard to pass that up and i am generally marinating or rubbing it anyway.


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## jennyema (Sep 19, 2011)

4meandthem said:


> Chicken myth: If you buy Foster Farms chicken you are getting a safer product. Same goes for some other major brands but when they were tested foe salmonella bacteria allmost all samples from the large brands contained it (Tyson too). I wash my chicken and treat it like it has salmonella no matter what. It prbably does.I now shop for price and have been consistaly been able to find leg quarters for .57lb frozen. Hard to pass that up and i am generally marinating or rubbing it anyway.


 
Washing chicken doesn't make it safer.  It just risks cross-contamination of your kitchen.  The USDA tells you not to do it.

COOKING chicken to a safe temperature is what kills bacteria.


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## 4meandthem (Sep 19, 2011)

jennyema said:


> Washing chicken doesn't make it safer. It just risks cross-contamination of your kitchen. The USDA tells you not to do it.
> 
> COOKING chicken to a safe temperature is what kills bacteria.


 
I agree and never disputed that. I will however continue to wash my chickens. There are enough nasty bits inside one that I want to remove.


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## powerplantop (Nov 12, 2012)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> Please test your hypothesy.   Personal experience has taught me that if I heat the oil with the pan, foods stick to my SS pans.  If, however, I heat them dry, and then add just a little oil, running it all over the cooking surface, foods slide across the pan like a puck on fresh ice.
> 
> I believe that the oil polymerizes when it hits the hot pan surface, creating a very smooth and slick, oiled surface for the food to rest on.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North



Tonight I cooked a chicken breast after putting cold in in a cold pan. 

Cooking Myth Hot Pan Cold Oil Prevents Sticking - YouTube


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