Common Cooking Myths Busted By Experts Including Washing Meat And Bread Storage

For those of us looking to save money this year, eating out less and cooking from scratch is a good start.

Even before the cost-of-living crisis, people were becoming more interested in cooking at home due to the impact of the pandemic-related lockdown.

Google searches for the phrase 'cooking tips' are up 171% over the past year, reports Wales Online, but it's hard to tell if some tips actually work or are just a myth.

To dispel some of these myths and misconceptions, the experts at Wren's Kitchen commissioned an investigation into the most popular Brits who believe it's true.

Whether you need to wash chicken before cooking or chill bread, here are some popular cooking tips that have been debunked by experts.

Common myths about cooking

Mushrooms should not be washed

If you soak the mushrooms completely before cooking, they may feel slimy.

However, you should wash them gently to remove any dirt or grime covering the outside when growing in soil. You can do this by wiping the top with a damp cloth.

Spices make the meat more tender

That's not true: the marinade changes the flavor of the meat, but doesn't significantly affect the texture.

This is because the marinade rarely reaches the meat too far below the surface.

However, highly acidic marinades can break protein bonds on the meat surface. If the amount of acid in your marinade is too high, the opposite effect can occur.

Hands of young men and women making fruit and vegetable smoothie in plastic cups

Smoothies need ice

Adding a few ice cubes to your smoothie before or after blending will make it runny so you don't have to.

As an alternative to getting your drink nice and cold, try frozen fruit, which has a cooling effect but without excess water.

The chili seeds are the hottest part

Although many people think the seeds are the hottest part of the chili, it's actually the inner membrane.

This part often has the highest concentration of capsaicin, which is what gives chili peppers their pungent flavor.

If you want to use chilies in your dish but don't want them to be too spicy, use the outer flesh rather than the inner.

Washing chicken removes bacteria

Rinsing chickens under the tap can have the opposite effect of reducing the risk of bacteria.

Once your chicken comes into contact with water, these bacteria have a much greater chance of contaminating your kitchen and your hands, so should be avoided at all costs.

Using a knife on a cutting board, cut the avocado in half

The avocado pit prevents the fruit from turning brown

If you cut an avocado in half and want to keep a portion fresh, the side of the pit won't always be greener.

The holes only keep the avocado in the contact area of the air, but the rest of the avocado will not benefit.

Adding oil when cooking pasta prevents sticking

Oil and water don't mix. If your pasta is cooked and you add oil, it won't stick to it.

The oil will stick to the pasta after draining, preventing the sauce from sticking. The key to perfectly cooked pasta is adding sea salt to the boiling water without adding any oil.

Cooking removes alcohol from dishes

It's true that some of the alcohol evaporates from food during cooking, but some lingers hours after cooking.

It's believed that about five percent alcohol remains in any dish you cook, even after it's been cooked.

Cooking vegetables removes all of the nutrients

Vegetables lose some of their nutritional value during the cooking process. Vegetables with the most water-soluble vitamins lose most of their nutritional value.

However, vegetables with more fat-soluble vitamins lose less nutritional value. Frozen veggies tend to be as nutritious as raw veggies, which is worth mentioning if you can't use fresh veggies.

Keeping bread in the fridge keeps it fresh

Chilled bread won't stop it.

In fact, the starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at low temperatures, causing bread to freeze faster in the fridge.

Instead, store bread in a cool, dry place.

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