How many times have you stored your bread in the fridge to keep it from going stale?
Or that microwaves destroy nutrients in your food?
Or that marinating your meat will make it moist?
All of these pieces of advice have actually been proven to be myths by the scientific community!
1. Storing Bread in the fridge stops it from going stale- when bread becomes stale, it is not because it has been “dried out” but rather that the sugars inside the bread have begun to crystallize. When bread is left out and absorbs moisture, the starches inside it begin to form crystals, causing it to become stale. Putting the bread in the fridge actually speeds up this process, making the bread become staler faster!
2. Microwaves destroy nutrients- microwaves are actually better at preserving the nutrients in food than stoves and ovens. There are some nutrients, Vitamin C, for example, that break down in heat no matter what, so with the generally shorter cooking times in the microwave, this process happens a little bit less. In saying this, different methods of cooking all exhibit different properties when it comes to preserving the nutrients in food. For example, when vegetables are cooked in water, their nutrients tend to bond with the water molecules, leaving the food. So, every method has its downfalls, but all in all, the microwave is a great tool to use in the kitchen, and can often be better than other methods in reserving the nutrients in your food.
3. Marinating meat will make it moist- when you marinate a piece of meat, it is not the marinade that makes the meat moist but rather the process of salting it. When salt gets into the meet, protein molecules absorb water through osmosis, allowing the fibres to loosen. This loosening is what creates the “melt in your mouth” feel to the meat and makes it easier to chew. Also, marinades can also be destructive as they contain acids which can potentially break down the meat.
4. Searing Meat Seals in the Juices- when you sear meat, what you are actually doing is making the crust harder, and this crust is not waterproof and does not store moisture in. What is happening, in fact, is that a Maillard Reaction is occurring as the meat browns on the outside, creating new and strong flavours. The sizzling that occurs is actually the evaporation of moisture that is being released from the steak.
5. Add oil when cooking pasta to stop it from sticking together- since oil is less dense than water, it would not be able to help your pasta separate from each other as it would float to the surface of the pot. A better suggestion would be to make sure that your pasta is being cooked under a rigorous boil. This keeps the pasta moving so it doesn’t stick. You could also try moving the pasta manually with a wooden spoon.
Needless to say, there are loads of myths that modern day chefs are faced with every day, some that cause our cooking to become worse, and some which are simply unnecessary. So, next time you read a skeptical instruction in a cookbook, do a little research yourself to discover what the reason is behind this method, if there is a reason at all.