how do I make a salty gravy less salty?

Question

W J. · Answer

Speaking as a chemist, technically, the solutions are to dilute with something, which will reduce the salt titer, or throw it away and start over again.

Adding things like potatoes, while it does serve to dilute the gravy slightly, doesn't remove or as some say "absorb" the salt. It just makes it seem to be a bit less salty to the taste.

Similarly adding sugar, vinegar, milk, lemon juice or whatever does much the same thing. None of these things actually reduce the salt that was in there to begin with.

Outside of a chemistry lab, whatever is in the gravy is going to stay there. And even with a fully equipped chemistry lab, breaking the emulsion (gravy is an emulsion of fat and water), removing the aqueous layer, and reconstituting the emulsion, while not practical, would result in a product that was substantially different from the starting material.

martinbrackett · Answer

Add raw potatoes to the gravy they will absorb some of the salt.

Houston · Answer

Sugar. And if it’s too sweet salt.

Lauren S. · Answer

I've heard that adding an acid will help, like vinegar or lemon juice, or adding dairy. I don't know if the dairy has special powers or if you're essentially just adding more liquid that way...

MMH · Answer

You could make a 2nd batch and combine the 2.

how do I make a salty gravy less salty?

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