/r/AskCulinary

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A place to get that "one right answer" to your cooking questions!

Welcome to /r/AskCulinary where we provide expert guidance for your specific cooking problems to help people of all skill levels become better cooks, to increase understanding of cooking, and to share valuable culinary knowledge.


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Here are some of our most popular discussions and a few other odds and ends. Check it too!


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/r/AskCulinary

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3

My wet caramel won't turn brown

I've gotten far enough that I can make a clear syrup consistency but it won't brown.

I've tried a deep nonstick tall soup pot, and my air fryer. I keep it on low heat and it bubbles but won't break down.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong. At first I thought it was my ratio of water to sugar (first too much, then too little so I just had hard sugar clumps).

I'm keeping it on a low heat the whole time do I need to change that?

7 Comments
2025/01/19
04:08 UTC

0

eating skin on pickled herring?

is it safe to eat? should I try to remove it first?

3 Comments
2025/01/19
03:28 UTC

0

Do I need to decrease ingredients if adding a streusel topping?

I’m making a muffin recipe that calls for 3/4 tsp salt. However I’m adding a streusel crumb topping that is not part of the original recipe and it calls for 1/4 tsp salt. Since I’m adding this topping, do I need to decrease the salt in the batter / original recipe? The streusel topping also calls for quite a bit of sugar/brown sugar. Do I need to decrease the sugar in the batter?

2 Comments
2025/01/19
01:44 UTC

0

How to get sharp vanilla taste

How to get sharp vanilla taste in my pannacotta and how to get sharp vanilla taste in general? I can try to use different kinds of vanilla and increase the amount of vanilla but it won't result in sharp vanilla taste, only in stronger vanilla taste.

8 Comments
2025/01/19
01:22 UTC

45

Can I take eight pounds of beef suet to a butcher and ask him to grind it for me?

I forgot to ask the butcher I bought it from to grind it before I took it home, so is it too late to go back to him and have him grind it?

40 Comments
2025/01/19
00:01 UTC

0

Frozen Fish

Is there a good place to order frozen fish from? I have a great local fish market but like to keep some Tuna in my freezer for times when I can’t make it. Is there a good place where I can order fish from? I would prefer a service that has domestically caught fish.

5 Comments
2025/01/18
23:45 UTC

1

Making very firm Polenta?

I’m making polenta from scratch and frying up slices after it solidifies in the fridge over night. The pre-cooked polenta tube I purchased from the store was very firm. I haven’t been able to get close to it, and I’d prefer to have it even firmer if possible. When I fry the slices, the crust separates from the soft insides when eating which I want to end.

I’m boiling 8 cups stock and then slowly stirring in 2 cups medium cornmeal. I reduce heat to medium-low and stir every few minutes on my small burner. Big burner is too much on low heat. I was able to make it a little firmer by adding 1/4 stick butter and a 1tsp cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking. I did see one recipe mentioning to use cold water mixed with the cornmeal and then turning on the heat, but it didn’t mention if it would increase firmness.

Is there something that could be done to make polenta really firm?

3 Comments
2025/01/18
19:57 UTC

3

Hard cookies help? Mine don't stay soft after cooling

The current running theory is my aunt, whose cookies stay soft even after cooling, uses butter with a higher water content than ours. She said she's noticed Costco butter seems to have gotten watered down recently. We use the exact same recipe save butter and oven brands. I don't think my family is especially consistent with what butter we get nor am I sure that matters so please tell me if it does!

We have a bunch of eggs so were talking about making cookies this weekend n I thought I'd pop in here to see if anyone has any ideas how to get nice soft cookies. Having searched the sub, I found a similar thread with comments talking about a higher brown sugar to white ratio so I was already thinking of mucking with that.

The recipe is:

1.5 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C butter
1 C crisco

2 eggs
4 C flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract

2 C of chocolate chips
Bake 325 for give or take 15 minutes

27 Comments
2025/01/18
18:35 UTC

2

Should I be using pure fat from pork for gravy?

I've just finished roasting my pork. I was following Jamie Oliver roast pork recipe. I think it came out a bit burnt but I'm wondering about what's been left behind in the roasting tray, which seems to be just fat and onions, lots of fat. The recipe says to use what's leftover from the tray to make a gravy.

My instincts are telling me this is no good for a gravy as it is literally just pure pork fat. I'm thinking whatever liquid was in the tray must have evaporated. What is your opinion? Can I use this for a gravy. I think the fat must be quite flavourful as there were onions at the bottom of the tray as I was roasting. If not gravy, is there anything else I could use it for?

12 Comments
2025/01/18
18:11 UTC

9

Substitute for yogurt and sour cream in baked goods recipe?

I can't eat yogurt (not even soy or coconut milk) due to the probiotics used in it. Nor can I eat sour cream or any other "soured" or fermented products. Bummer, I know!

I want to make some baking recipes that use yogurt in it such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEexC5e2KU

Any suggestions for me on what I can use instead of yogurt? I can have other dairy like milk or cream cheese... it just can't be soured, fermented or contain cultures like probiotics.

12 Comments
2025/01/18
18:06 UTC

5

Was it dauphinoise potatoes?

A long time ago, I went to a fancy dinner and the potato side was basically a cake slice made up of finely sliced potatoes, baked long enough that the layers of potato were only barely distinguishable from each other. I don't remember it being creamy or cheesy, mostly just potatoes, butter, and herbs. Kind of like a big potato pave, but without the crunchy fry.

I'm looking to make it, and the closest I can find is dauphinoise potatoes., but most of the recipes I find are gratin or scalloped type dishes.

Did I have a type of dauphinoise potatoes, or is there a different name I should be searching?

9 Comments
2025/01/18
15:40 UTC

57

Can I "confit" beef chuck?

I'm thinking of setting my deep fryer to 120C, and fry off diced beef chuck in there. It's inspired by pork carnitas. I don't eat pork. That's why I thought of replacing it with beef. I don't have any beef tallow in hand, i will be using normal vegetable oil.

My worry is that the end product will be too dry. Has anyone tried it before?

7 Comments
2025/01/18
09:25 UTC

10

Tomato sauce tastes bitter

So, I have nine gallon bags of frozen tomatoes. I processed them with a food mill to remove skin and seeds, put them in two pots to be boiled down, and thickened them by boiling gently all day as to not accidentally burn the sauce.

Upon tasting, I noticed it’s a bit too bitter. Did I do something wrong? I’m aware of adding sugar to alleviate this and the idea of acidity being a problem. I tested this with a cup and added sugar and a pinch of baking soda but alas the bitter note remained. All feedback is appreciated.

40 Comments
2025/01/18
01:09 UTC

63

Do you rinse meat after using baking soda in marinade?

I’m making Mongolian steak. The marinade calls for .75 teaspoons of baking soda along with soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch, white pepper, and garlic powder. Do I need to rinse the meat after it’s done marinading or can I immediately cook once 2 hours have passed? The instructions didn’t say. Thanks in advance.

34 Comments
2025/01/17
22:53 UTC

0

How to remove a small spot of rust on cast iron?

I looked up how to remove rust from a cast iron and it told me to soak it in a vinegar solution for an hour. That seems like way too much for just a small spot which is what I have

8 Comments
2025/01/17
14:06 UTC

3

Can I use this risotto rice for bibimbap, and if so how should I prepare it?

I was going to make bibimbap today but the supermarket didn't have any sushi rice. I stood there for a few minutes trying to figure out if paella or risotto rice (I assume it's arborio, but doesn't explicitly say) would be better, and got the risotto rice.

Now I'm wondering if this was a poor choice. I obviously don't want it to turn out excessively gummy or creamy for this dish. I just want a nice bed of fluffy rice.

I've rinsed it a few times and I'm leaving it to soak. Will this work, and should I cook it in a particular way? I was going to use the absorption method using a microwave rice cooker.

This is all because I figured short grain rice would be better. I have jasmine rice as a backup.

7 Comments
2025/01/17
11:28 UTC

1

Making pasta dish ahead

I’m hosting a bunch of ppl for dinner on Saturday and am making lasagna and a separate blistered cherry tomato and garlic rigatoni for the vegetarians. I’ve prepped the lasagna early so it’ll just be a pop in the oven. For the other dish, it’s best served fresh, but I don’t want to cook in front of my guests. I’m planning to make late in the morning day of the get together. How do I make the dish early and prevent it from drying out when reheating? How should I reheat it?

6 Comments
2025/01/17
07:11 UTC

66

Pre-mixed everything before making Kibbeh to see what ingredients I still needed. Forgot to rinse the bulghur wheat and its already mixed in with the spices. Is my Kibbeh ruined?

Its a very simple recipe. Essentially after soaking the wheat, what I was supposed to do is mix with spices and meat and then just throw it in the oven.

Title essentially. Its a family recipe and it says to soak wheat for one hour. It wasn't even rinsed... Is it ruined? Making a huge batch for 50+ people and don't have much money to buy more spices.

Edit: Thank you so much for all of your advice! The mesh strainer idea worked!

6 Comments
2025/01/17
06:25 UTC

0

Zojirushi Rice Cooker

10cup pressure lid model. I've been loving putting garlic and salt in while making my rice. My wife says the salt could damage the metals? Is there truth to this? Any vegs/herbs/spices that could cause damage to the cooker by surprise?

6 Comments
2025/01/16
23:41 UTC

5

Why aren't my lemon juice pearls staying strong? And separated?

They seem to glob on each other, mush up easily, can't be handled, and difficult to rinse off without destroying them. And aren't strong durable for plating. It's more like a glob of pearls(some burst) versus a pile of little pearls that are separated.

I've even added a little extra Agar the second test but same effect and problem. I'll continue to test more but today was frustrating to say the least.

Whats my issue? More Agar? Cool down the product longer then 10 mins before dropping? Boil longer? Any tips greatly appreciated!

Here is the recipe

Lemon pearls

Freeze oil in tall glass container for 3+ hours

100 mil water- 6.6 tablespoons 1/2 tsp of agar 1 tsp sugar Juice one lemon Dash Y food coloring or turmeric

And bring to a boil while whisking and cut it off and whisk. Rest for 10mins and syringe drop into cold oil. Rinse with water.

9 Comments
2025/01/16
22:23 UTC

213

TIFU, started a fire, put it out the wrong way, got lucky I didn’t kill anyone.

Dropped olive oil into a hot pan and it went poof. Fire. Moved the flaming pan to the sink, Covered the fire with flour till it was small enough to sprinkle water on. Fire went out but definetly did it wrong.

I have an electric stove, set the pan to high (like the recipe book said) and added oil when the pan was hot (like the recipe book said), and I was using an All-Clad D3 stainless steel sauté pan (3qt).

Things I’ve learned/need to learn;

  1. i need a better fire suppression process. A. I have no idea where my fire extinguisher is. Def need to change that. B. The lid was right next to the stove. I panicked.

  2. I need a thermometer to tell me how hot the pan is, and then make sure that’s x% under the smoke point for what I’m cooking.

A. Thermometer recommendations? B. Any recommendations for what x should be?

  1. is the pan ruined? Is there a way to check?

  2. any other tips for what I can learn from this or other common mistakes that lead to fire?

82 Comments
2025/01/16
20:26 UTC

24

How do I make pizza dough not stretch as easy

It might be me not being very good at stretching it but, when i try to pick it up, the part thats not in my hands instantly stretches all the way to the counter, is there a way I can fix this or do i need to learn how to stretch it better. I need the dough as strong but not as stretchy, any way I can do this? Thanks!

26 Comments
2025/01/16
20:05 UTC

2

When to add the sauce to a curry when oven cooking to prevent too much evaporation

I am cooking a beef curry. The beef requires 3 hours at 180°C. Usually I sear the beef with spices, add it to a casserole, add the sauce for the curry and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Invariably this method results in too much moisture loss from the sauce which needs to be rehydrated with water/yogurt or cream at the end. On the flip side if I don't add the sauce till the beef is cooked it's not going to take on all those delicious cooking flavours and fat from the meat. I cant help thinking there must be a better way to do it. Should I add a light beef stock for the first 2 hours, then add the curry sauce only for the final hour? What's the received wisdom from slow cook curry?

7 Comments
2025/01/16
19:27 UTC

3

Marinating 20 chicken breasts ?

I need to make about 20 chicken breasts for tomorrow. I was going to marinate them overnight (approx 5pm-9am). I was going to do Olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. But now I'm reading marinating that long with an acid is bad. If so, I will omit the lemon juice. So if just using olive oil and herbs, is it still too many hours marinating?

18 Comments
2025/01/16
18:56 UTC

5

Cracked filled pasta (frozen).

So, I've been making my own filled pastas for quite some time, but I usually just make them & eat them night of. I got the bright idea to make a double recipe and freeze 1/2 for a later, easy dinner night, and noticed that some of the exteriors of the pasta started to hairline crack, when dumped into the simmering water, the cracks expanded (I assume from hydrating) and let some of the filling out. My recipe is from Flour + Water "rav dough", I make the dough according to their spec, roll it out a portion at a time, etc... and place the filled pasta on a 1/2 sheet, lined with a tea towel dusted in flour, then, once that tray's full, straight into the freezer, then once frozen, into a plastic bag.

Is there anything I can do to prevent the cracking?

8 Comments
2025/01/16
16:59 UTC

2

Remoulade Question

Not a seasoned cook by any means, just a guy that cooks at home with a question. I like a simple egg sandwich in the morning and I usually mix up a sauce of mayo with yellow mustard, lemon juice, smoked paprika and dill seed. No matter how I work the ratios, the mayo flavor is still very forward. Any ideas on how to neutralize it more? Thank you in advance.

14 Comments
2025/01/16
14:40 UTC

41

Baking Frozen Pot Pie

Hi! I made a pot pie recipe that said I can freeze it before baking. I did this, but I did so in a glass pan and I didn’t read the part in the recipe that advised to do it in a foil or metal pan. I’m worried about the glass breaking in the oven. How should I bake it?

8 Comments
2025/01/16
12:28 UTC

1

Bitter pate

Hi guys,

So i came into the posession of some beef liver from someone that has a small farm but doesn’t like liver. I’m not a fan of liver either but i do eat pate and i also hate food waste so i thought i’d give it a go. So i started with equal parts of onion and liver, friend them (too much i think), added butter and some cognac. It turned out pretty good except it’s kinda bitter. Also i have A LOT of it. I started with 4 pounds of liver so you can imagine that there is a lot of the final product.

I have tried using some lemon juice but it did nothing in terms of reducing bitterness.

Is there any hack that could help me reduce the bitterness? I would hate myself for throwing away so much food (in adition to the liver, there is at least 1.5 pounds of butter in there)

I have thought about balsamic vinegar but i would like to get some opinions before doing anything else

Edit: i have learned that soaking and not overcooking are good ideas, however in my situation it’s a bit too late for that so i’m looking for solutions that can fix my already prepared and bitter pate

Edit 2: i kinda fixed it. I’ve put a lot of honey, salt and lemon juice and got it to a decent point

7 Comments
2025/01/16
11:52 UTC

0

Did I fuck up my cast iron pan?

I was cleaning my cast iron pan, my first ever, and dried it like normal with a tea towel after scrubbing with soap and water. When oiling it however, I saw that the middle part had a sort of ring that wasn’t coming off. I sprayed it with more oil and it is still the same ring around the centre.

What can I do to fix it?

22 Comments
2025/01/16
11:42 UTC

5

Slushie machine

I am using my slushie machine but it is not forming into slushie. After how many attempts it is still liquid. What went wrong?

14 Comments
2025/01/16
10:16 UTC

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