Grandma was wrong: 11 food myths debunked

By Lucy Brewer Associated Press A current survey unveiled of Americans prefer to cook meals traditionally like their elders Unfortunately while we all love Grandma bless her heart much of her advice around food was based on folklore and not testing facts and content It may have been passed down with the best intentions but that doesn t mean it holds up this day Related Articles New East Bay brewery will be named after John Steinbeck s boat Bay Area offers plenty of festive events leading up to July Teleferic Barcelona brings Spanish vibe to Los Gatos How to grill corn on the cob the proper way Heed the siren call of Crockett the Bay Area small town that time forgot Various of these old beliefs are harmless even charming But others can do more harm than good It s time to let go of outdated kitchen habits and make room for methods that definitely work grounded in what we now know about food safety and cooking science Here are a limited of grandma s more egregious bits of wisdom that science has debunked Myth Rinse raw chicken before cooking If your grandma was famous for her fried chicken recipe chances are she rinsed it in the sink before cooking it Unfortunately while the thought of washing away bacteria is good the execution doesn t accomplish the desired consequence All that happens is the germs get splashed around your kitchen Rinsing raw poultry can spread contamination Cooking it to degrees Fahrenheit That s what makes chicken safe Myth Bread stays fresher in the fridge Grandma perhaps refrigerated bread to stave off mold since various older homes weren t insulated well allowing dampness which encouraged mold But for freshness sandwich bread buttermilk biscuits and rolls should be stored on the counter in a bread box or frozen Cold temperatures cause a recrystallization of the starch in bread which causes moisture loss and the bread becomes stale Refrigerating bread seems like a good idea until you bite into a slice that feels like cardboard Myth Store tomatoes in the refrigerator Putting tomatoes in the fridge might seem smart but it s one of the quickest means to ruin a perfectly good tomato Researchers at the University of California Davis explain that cold temperatures mess with the enzymes that flavor tomatoes leaving them mealy and bland Keep them on the counter and out of direct sunlight until they re ripe Myth Let hot food cool to room temperature This one sticks around because it sounds logical But letting hot food sit out too long gives bacteria the perfect chance to grow The New York Times Cooking says it s safe to refrigerate hot food However Grandma was not totally wrong on this one as there are particular caveats You shouldn t put hot food that s in a hot glass container in the refrigerator as the sudden temperature change could cause the glass to crack or shatter You also wouldn t want to place a large pot of just-boiled chicken noodle soup in the refrigerator as it could take a long time to cool down potentially remaining in the temperature danger zone for too long Transferring the hot soup to smaller containers that can cool fleetly is better Myth Produce should be washed with soap Nope your apples don t need a bubble bath Using soap on produce can leave behind residue you don t want to eat A good rinse under cold water and a quick scrub for anything with thick skin is all you need Myth Watermelon seeds will sprout in your stomach It s doubtful that countless people believe the adage about swallowing watermelon seeds as adults but grandmothers often warned kids not to swallow watermelon or apple seeds unless they requested a fruit tree sprouting inside them It s a cute story but pure fiction According to registered dietitians seeds can pass through the digestive system without issue Though apple seeds contain trace amounts of amygdalin you d have to chew and eat a huge amount for it to be harmful However if grandma recounted you that eating raw seeds could give you a stomachache she was spot on Selected folks may develop gas bloating or constipation Myth Swallowing gum takes years to digest While gum is designed to be chewed and not swallowed the occasional accidental ingestion does occur But that gum will not stick around in your digestive system for seven years Gum passes through your system like everything else you eat Myth Eating bread crust makes your hair curly There s no science to aid this one Bread crusts won t change your hair texture but they might contain slightly more fiber and antioxidants than the rest of the slice Hair type is determined by genetics not lunch Myth Never wash mushrooms But Grandma those mushrooms are dirty Despite this prevalent myth chefs and food experts say that you can and should wash mushrooms if they re dirty You can also rub or brush the dirt off mushrooms but washing is quicker and more efficient And then you should cook them as soon as accomplishable since washing can damage the surface cells Myth Add a potato to over-salted soup A potato will soak up water but it won t magically pull out salt The KitchenMage tested this theory with a refractometer and there was no change in the salinity of the soup after adding a potato The best fix is to dilute the soup or add a splash of acid to balance the saltiness Myth Hair of the dog cures a hangover Well somebody had a fun grandma but this is still a myth A bloody mary might feel like a fix but it s just kicking the can down the road The phrase originates from the supposition that sometimes the cause of an ailment might also be its best cure However while drinking additional alcohol may raise your blood alcohol levels enough to improve your hangover markers temporarily the inevitable will still hit you once it all wears off Doctors say your hangover may be delayed but it won t be prevented entirely Rest food and lots of water are still your best bet When you know better do better As Maya Angelou stated When you know better do better This is good practice to follow in the kitchen Our grandmothers didn t have access to the rigorous science and testing research that exists in the present day Years of statistics give us an advantage when it comes to food safety storage and preparation Grandma might be the best cook in town but it s okay to change a insufficient things when she s not looking Lucy Brewer is a professional writer and fourth-generation Southern cook who founded Southern Food and Fun She s passionate about preserving classic Southern recipes while creating easy crowd-pleasing dishes for the modern home cook Lucy currently lives in Augusta Ga Disclaimer These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and do not constitute biological advice The content presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional anatomical advice finding or cure Inevitably seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a health condition or dietary changes Reliance on any information provided by this article is solely at your own pitfall