Experts reveal the common cooking myths that Brits believe to be true

• Searches for ‘cooking tips’ has increased by +171% in the last 12 months
• Research by Wren Kitchens has highlighted the most popular cooking myths which Brits believe to be true, from washing your chicken to adding ice to smoothies

Cooking is full of clever tips that we’ve picked up from the people around us, but not every bit of wisdom is necessarily true. Is it possible that those expert cooking tips we got from our parents and grandparents is more of a burden than a help? In fact, Brits are turning to Google to uncover the best cooking hacks with searches for ‘cooking tips’ increasing by +171% in the last 12 months.

It’s easy to be misled into believing popular cooking myths, but just because somebody cooks a particular way does not mean it’s a universal truth. From washing your chicken before cooking to not rinsing your mushrooms, Experts at Wren Kitchens have revealed the most popular cooking myths that Brits believe to be true.

Popular cooking myths

1. Mushrooms never need rinsing

Don’t think that just because mushrooms are porous, you can’t submerge them in water. Mushrooms are typically encrusted with soil and other debris like everything else growing on the ground, so it is crucial to wash them before cooking. Wipe the tops off using a moist paper towel to remove them without soaking them.

2. Marinades tenderise meat

While marinating your meat might enhance its flavour, it’s doubtful that the texture will change significantly. While it’s true that some acidic marinades can loosen the protein connections on the surface of the meat, if the amount of acid in your marinade is too high, it may have the opposite effect. The likelihood that your meat will be much softer on the inside from marinating alone is limited because marinades rarely reach meat far below the surface.

3. Smoothies need ice

You’re only diluting your smoothie if you add ice to it. Although ice gives smoothies a more palatable texture than a glass of room-temperature fruit puree, utilising frozen fruit will achieve the same result without watering down your beverage.

4. Pepper seeds are the spiciest part

Although a pepper’s seeds may taste the spiciest, your tongue is being tricked because of their proximity to a hotter component of the pepper. The membrane around the seeds often has the highest concentration of capsaicin, which rubs off on the seeds to give them their fiery flavour while having little to no capsaicin itself.

5. Washing your chicken before cooking gets rid of bacteria

You might have believed that washing your poultry in water would help reduce your chance of contracting a foodborne disease, but research indicates that this is not the case. In fact, the moment water touches your chicken, bacteria are spread throughout your sink, kitchen and on your hands.

6. Keeping a pit in your avocado keeps it from browning

Leaving the pit in your avocado won’t necessarily keep it fresh. The pit will only keep the area of the avocado its touching from being exposed to air but won’t be beneficial to the rest of the avocado.

7. Adding oil to pasta water will stop the pasta from sticking

Scientifically, oil and water do not mix, and it is highly unlikely any oil will transfer onto the pasta whilst it’s boiling. The oil will stick to the pasta once it is being drained, which unfortunately prevents the sauce from sticking to it. The key to perfectly cooked pasta involves adding sea salt to the boiling water. Did you know if you throw pasta at the wall, and it sticks it means it’s overdone? You should simply try a piece at the end of the cooking time.

8. Cooking reduces the alcohol content but not all of it

When alcohol and water mix, they are two separate liquids that have a single, constant boiling point, known as an azeotrope. Alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water does, but the vapours coming from an alcohol-water azeotrope will contain both substances until the entire mix is gone. Only 5 percent of the initial alcohol content will remain in the mixture, no matter how long you’ve boiled it.

9. Cooking vegetables destroys nutrients and vitamins

Some (not all) of the nutritional value in veg is removed during the cooking process. As we know, veg is packed full of vitamins which are essential for our overall diet. Veg containing more of the water-soluble vitamins will lose the most nutritional value. On the other hand, the veg that contains more fat-soluble vitamins will lose less nutritional value. Fun fact – frozen veg is typically just as nutrient-rich as raw veg, but the sooner you eat it, the better!

Please refer to our cooking myths guide online for ref: https://www.wrenkitchens.com/blog/the-uks-biggest-cooking-myths-true-or-false