I know a lot of people believe it but it's a culinary myth that a potato will absorb excess salt. Robert Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, author of What Einstein Told His Cook, explains (edited for clarity):
Potatoes will soak up salty water but they don't selectively extract salt out of the water. Would you be surprised if a sponge placed in salt water came out tasting salty? Of course not. The concentration of salt in the water -- the amount of salt per quart -- is not affected.
Here are some options:
- You can add more sauce (assuming this is a tomato-based dish?). This is going to be the most effective, but you'll probably need more mushrooms, etc too. Not knowing exactly the dish you made, the extras will probably freeze well enough.
- If you don't mind a bit of cream or whole milk in the sauce, the fat could help the salty character. Don't re-boil the sauce after adding cream or milk though, and if your sauce is very salty it may not work.
- Some people swear by potatoes. You could chop up a raw potato and cook it within the sauce.
- If it makes sense, perhaps some acid (lemon juice or white wine).
The first option is likely your best bet, especially if it is inedibly salty at the moment. Good luck.
2 Comments
I know a lot of people believe it but it's a culinary myth that a potato will absorb excess salt. Robert Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, author of What Einstein Told His Cook, explains (edited for clarity):
Potatoes will soak up salty water but they don't selectively extract salt out of the water. Would you be surprised if a sponge placed in salt water came out tasting salty? Of course not. The concentration of salt in the water -- the amount of salt per quart -- is not affected.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A25891-2001Apr17
- You can add more sauce (assuming this is a tomato-based dish?). This is going to be the most effective, but you'll probably need more mushrooms, etc too. Not knowing exactly the dish you made, the extras will probably freeze well enough.
- If you don't mind a bit of cream or whole milk in the sauce, the fat could help the salty character. Don't re-boil the sauce after adding cream or milk though, and if your sauce is very salty it may not work.
- Some people swear by potatoes. You could chop up a raw potato and cook it within the sauce.
- If it makes sense, perhaps some acid (lemon juice or white wine).
The first option is likely your best bet, especially if it is inedibly salty at the moment. Good luck.