11 Lies About Food You Need To Stop Believing
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
“Beer before liquor, never been sicker.”
We've all heard these rhymes, but is there any truth to them?
I took a deep dive into some of the most common food myths circulating around kitchen tables, restaurants, and bars. Here are 11 that definitely aren’t true—and everything you need to know about why.
1. You Shouldn’t Wash Mushrooms
Popular kitchen wisdom would have you believe that mushrooms should never be washed since they will quickly absorb water and become waterlogged, but this isn’t true. In his 1984 book The Curious Cook, Harold McGee proved that mushrooms do not absorb water any more or any faster than anything else, so a quick rinse won’t do them any harm. It is smart to avoid washing mushrooms until the day you intend to cook them; the extra moisture can cause them to mold and spoil faster if they're kept in the fridge after being washed.
2. You Shouldn’t Cook Tomatoes In Cast Iron
It’s a common belief that tomato products should never be cooked in cast iron because the high levels of acid in the tomatoes will strip away the metal, ruining the pan’s seasoning and contaminating the food. However, it’s completely fine to cook tomatoes or other acidic ingredients in cast iron for short periods of time. A quick burst of cherry tomato sauce that’s in and out of the pan in 15 minutes is totally fine. Just beware of simmering super-tomatoey sauces for longer than 30 minutes; at that point, you might start to notice issues.
3. Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Are Always Best
It’s tempting to assume that the best fruits and vegetables are sold fresh, but that’s often not the case. Produce is at its most flavorful and nutritious when it’s in season and has been picked at the height of ripeness. But too often, fruits and vegetables sold as “fresh” are not in season. They are under ripe or have been artificially ripened after they’ve been picked, a process that doesn’t result in a good product.
Frozen fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are picked and frozen when they’re at their ripest and most flavorful. Often they’re actually a better option than their “fresh” counterparts.
4. Marinades Tenderize Meat
Many people (including some professional chefs!) believe that marinating will tenderize meat, but that isn’t true. The salt in the marinade will disperse throughout the meat, increasing moisture retention and resulting in juicier meat, but this is not the same as tenderization. And while the acid in the marinade can begin to break down the meat fibers if it’s left sitting too long in the marinade, this is technically denaturing the proteins, not tenderizing them.
5. Coffee Sobers You Up
It’s a common misconception that coffee will sober up a drunk person. That’s definitely not the case. While caffeine’s stimulant properties can counteract the alcohol’s depressant effects, speeding up a person’s response time and making them appear more alert, it doesn’t help their bodies metabolize and process the alcohol any faster. Basically they’re just a drunk person who is now also high on caffeine—hardly the definition of sober.
6. Egg Yolks Raise Your Cholesterol
At one time, it was commonly believed that egg yolks raise cholesterol, but that myth has been debunked. Recent studies show that our cholesterol levels are actually mostly impacted by the cholesterol our bodies manufacture in the liver, and this a response to how much saturated and trans-fats we consume. A large egg contains just 1.5 grams of saturated fat. A serving of ice cream? 14 grams. Clearly there are other foods to reconsider before eggs if you're worried about cholesterol.
7. Celery Is A Calorie-Negative Food
In this era of calorie-counting, whoever dreamed up calorie-negative food probably thought they hit a gold mine...but it doesn’t exactly track. The concept is based on the idea that if we burn more calories chewing and digesting a specific food than that food actually contains, we will end up consuming negative calories. But according to a recent study, chewing for a whole hour expends about 11 calories. Since two stalks of celery contain 15 calories—and we’re definitely not chewing them for a whole hour—there’s no way that math will add up.
8. Carrots Can Improve Your Eyesight
A vegetable that magically improves eyesight? Sign us up. Unfortunately this is not true either. Carrots contain beta carotene, a mineral which our body converts into Vitamin A. While vitamin A supports healthy vision—among other things—it doesn’t actually improve eyesight. Sorry but no amount of carrot smoothies will help you regain that 20:20 vision.
9. Alcohol Completely Cooks Off
If you thought the vodka in penne alla vodka was all gone by the time the dish got to the table, think again. While alcohol begins evaporating or “cooking off” as soon as it’s heated to 173 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes a lot longer to evaporate than you’d think. According to studies, as much as 60% of the initial amount of alcohol is still in the pan after 10 minutes of simmering. And regardless of how long you cook it, about 5% of the alcohol will always remain. The rum in that caramel sauce you’ve simmered for only five minutes? It’s mostly still there.
10. Sweet Potatoes Are Healthier Than Regular Potatoes
What does “healthier” even mean? Sweet potatoes may be full of vitamins and minerals, but white potatoes contain valuable potassium and Vitamin B that sweet potatoes aren’t particular high in. And since both contain nearly the same amount of carbs, protein, and calories per serving, it’s not like swapping sweet potatoes for regular potatoes will help you drop any pounds. According to experts, both can be part of a healthy diet. And if you’re debating the merits of sweet potato fries vs. regular french fries, just remember: they’re both fried.
11. “Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker”
I’m almost positive this last myth came from the mind of someone who was currently very hungover. According to a 2019 study, the order in which we consume different types of alcohol has absolutely no impact on how badly we feel the next day. Starting out with beer before hitting the hard stuff might mean we end up drinking more beer than if we had started with shots in the first place, but if we’re talking about the same amounts of each alcohol in a different order, there’s absolutely no difference.
What other food myths do you want us to bust? Drop them here in the comments.
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