Vent: My aunt told me to add baking soda to chili and it was a total disaster

She swore it would cut the acidity, but I dumped in a whole teaspoon and my chili tasted like soap for 20 minutes before I had to toss it. Has anyone else gotten cooking advice from a relative that backfired hard?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_eva1d ago

Did you stir it in at the beginning or right before you served it?

bennett.vera6h ago

Stir it in at the beginning for sure! Right before serving is a disaster waiting to happen because the baking soda just sits there on top. The chemical reaction needs time to break down and mellow out in the chili. That's the whole secret right there.

the_mary1d ago

Devil's advocate here - a teaspoon of baking soda in a whole pot of chili is honestly not that much, especially if you're cooking a big batch. The soap taste usually means it wasn't mixed in evenly or you added it too close to serving. @the_eva brought up a good point about timing. Next time try stirring it in early with the tomatoes and give it 30 minutes to cook down, the chemical reaction needs time to settle. Your aunt might have been onto something, maybe just needed a lighter hand.