Bitter soups can result from poor ingredients and overcooking.
Almost all cooks, whether beginner or experienced, encounter the problem of bitterness in soups. A bitter soup is usually the result of overcooking or less-than-fresh ingredients. Vegetables, meats and dairy products should be in peak condition. With a little care, you can create tasty, quality soups without bitterness.
Instructions
1. Avoid overcooking vegetables. Some vegetables, such as celery and leeks, are always bitter if overcooked, and the bitterness will ruin the whole soup. If the recipe calls for celery, consider replacing it with celeriac.
2. Simmer green vegetables for no longer than an hour. Kale, like some other green vegetables, increases in bitterness the longer it is cooked. Set a timer and cook the soup for the exact time specified in the recipe.
3. Do not add organs, such as heart, liver and gizzards, to any soup.
4. Do not overcook fish stock. Fish products are delicate and grow bitter with oversimmering.
5. Remove the skin or scum from the top of a soup and discard. Skin or scum contains impurities from things such as meat and bones used in the soupmaking.
6. Avoid oversimmering herbs and spices. Many grow bitter with long cooking processes. Cloves, for example, are well-known for creating bitterness.
7. Wait to add black pepper or peppercorns until almost the end of cooking time. Black pepper can turn a whole soup bitter.
8. Use fresh garlic cloves sparingly and follow the recipe exactly. Garlic gloves with green centers can be extremely bitter. Remove the green centers before using or substitute 2 teaspoons of garlic powder for every garlic clove required in your recipe.
9. Don't boil a frozen soup containing vegetables in order to speed up defrosting time. Your soup will be cloudy and bitter. Allow the soup to defrost in the refrigerator naturally.
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