Is this just a food myth? Lettuce should be torn not cut.

 I have usually torn my lettuce rather than cut it but after doing a bit of research I have to accept that it makes no difference.  The edges of the lettuce do not go brown faster when cut.  So this does seem truly to be a food myth.

Watch out lettuce, I'm going to be coming after you with my trusty knives now!  And no, it won't be a non-metallic knife either.

Is this just a food myth?

Should you wash chicken before cooking it?

Julia Child always washed her chicken before cooking.  But I don't – if it feels moist I'll pat it with a paper towel.  Luckily it seems that my approach is ok since the US Department of Agriculture has said it doesn't improve the chicken – and in fact it creates a real risk of spreading bacteria on the chicken around your sink and benchtop.

What do you do?

Is this just a food myth?

Green vegetables need to be cooked with lots of salt.

Many people believe that if you cook green vegetables in heavily salted water the vegetables will retain their fresh colour better.  Tests have shown that this may not be all that effective (or good for you?).  The main way to ensure veges keep their colour is to have the water boiling vigorously and then to cook the vegetables for as short a time as possible.

If I am then going to use the vegetables in a salad I also then shock them in cold water to make sure that they don't keep on cooking.

What techniques do you use?

Is this just a food myth? Don't put good knives into the dishwasher!

I have always heard that you shouldn't put your chopping knives into the dishwasher but have never been sure of the validity of this.  And it is a nuisance having to hand wash your knives. 

But after some research I found out that in fact your knifes will be less sharp if you run them through the dishwasher because they are pushing around by the water and will rub up against the racks of the machine or against other pieces of cutlery.  If your knife handles are wooden then that is another reason to keep them out of the dishwasher.

Of course, the same logic applies to keeping your knives in a drawer rather than on a magnetic rack.  So all round a fail by me!

Is this just a food myth?

 

Don't swim after you eat

I along with almost all New Zealand kids was brought up believing that it was dangerous to swim within 2 hours of eating a meal.  The risk was getting a bad cramp that meant you would sink in the water and drown.

The jury's out on this one.  The experts say that a cramp like that is not likely but that doing any heavy exercise straight after a meal could cause discomfort.  But the sort of gentle swimming I'm likely to do will not be an issue.

Do you swim after meals?

 

Is this just a food myth?

The theory:  Brown eggs are better for you than white eggs

Are brown eggs healthier or do they taste better?  The experts say that there is no difference in taste or quality.  But because brown eggs sell better you don't see many white ones in the shops. 

Do you have a view on this?

Is this just a food myth?

The theory:  An apple stored with your potatoes will stop them sprouting.

Apparently this is the opposite of true.  I do believe in storing potatoes quite separately from your onions and/or garlic since I think both will keep better as a result.

What do you think?

 

Is this just a food myth?

The theory:  Bread keeps longer if you store it in the fridge

This, apparently, is the opposite from true.  Bread will go stale about 5 times as fast if you store it in the fridge.  Don't you think that is weird?  Bread stored in the fridge will toast well.

For longest storage, bread should be stored at room termperature in a bread tin or wrapped in a paper towel inside a paper bag.  In the real old days houses used to be designed with a safe which was ventilated to the outside to keep food cooler in the summer (the days before everyone had fridges).  I guess that would be a good place to store bread.

Is this just a food myth?

The theory: A teaspoon in the neck of a champagne bottle stops it going flat. 

Boy, my parents believed in this implicitly.  Apparently this is a complete myth.  If you don't have some of those specialised stoppers, just drink the bubbles up – or at the least keep the bottle very cold in the fridge which will help.

Is this just a food myth?

The theory: Plastic chopping boards are more hygenic than wooden ones.

Plastic boards have some advantages – they are easier to clean and can be popped into the dishwasher.  But if they develop scars or cut marks on their surface, bacteria will be lurking in there.  So you need to throw away your plastic boards as soon as they have scars – so you'll be spending a lot on replacements. 

Wooden boards on the other hand soak up some of the meat juices drawing bacteria away from the surface.  Wood also has natural anti-bacterial qualities.  And if you chopping boards are small enough you can put wooden ones through the dishwasher too.

Is this just a food myth?

The theory:  Sear meat to seal in the juices

Searing meat does not seal in the juices, it just causes more juices to escape.  But searing meat is still a good idea – the caramelisation will result in tastier but not juicier meat. 

What do you think?

Is this just a food myth?

The theory:  Don't mix the grape and the grain when you are having drinks.

For many years I have told myself that to avoid hangovers you should stick to the grain or the grape but not mix them.  So a mix of champagne, cognac and wine is ok because they are all grape based but adding vodka would be a big mistake. 

Apprently there is no scientific basis for this theory!  Who knew?

Is this just a food myth?

 

This is the first in a series of posts inspired by an article I say in the Sydney Morning Herald.  Each one will look at a commonly believed fact about food/cooking and see if it is a myth or in fact is true.  It's only my view and debate is most welcome.

The theory:  Prick sausages to stop them from bursting 

Apparently this is not a good idea because it just lets the fatty juices of the sausages escape and so result in less flavour (I can hear a 'told you so' quite near me about this…).  To avoid the sausages bursting just cook them on a low heat.