I made about four quarts of good soup with 16 ounces of dried peas,
fresh carrots, tomatoes, scallions, seasonings and more than a pound of
ham bits. The soup is good, but much too salty. I am thinking to add
a lot of unsalted pasta to lessen the saltiness, plus extend this soup
to feed to my Marines at lunch tomorrow.

Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.

"This will work" assurance is hoped for, and thanks for commenting!

PickyJaz

JeanineAlyse wrote:
> I made about four quarts of good soup with 16 ounces of dried peas,
> fresh carrots, tomatoes, scallions, seasonings and more than a pound of
> ham bits. The soup is good, but much too salty. I am thinking to add
> a lot of unsalted pasta to lessen the saltiness, plus extend this soup
> to feed to my Marines at lunch tomorrow.
>
> Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
> slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
> for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
> If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
> pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.
>
> "This will work" assurance is hoped for, and thanks for commenting!
>
> PickyJaz
>

The usual remedy for saltiness is to add potatoes and it sounds like
they would be compatible with the other ingredients.

George wrote:
> JeanineAlyse wrote to ask:
> > Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
> > slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
> > for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
> > If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
> > pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.
>
> The usual remedy for saltiness is to add potatoes and it sounds like
> they would be compatible with the other ingredients.
Potatoes cannot be, as I do not have. I am needing to know if cooking
the pasta this way will work, and will it also alleviate some of the
saltiness?
PickyPickyPicky

JeanineAlyse wrote:


> Potatoes cannot be, as I do not have. I am needing to know if cooking
> the pasta this way will work, and will it also alleviate some of the
> saltiness?
> PickyPickyPicky
>

It might, but for as much macaroni as it will take, it will probably
also alleviate a lot of the broth too? I'd go find some potatoes instead.
Goomba

In article .com>,
"JeanineAlyse" > wrote:

> George wrote:
> > JeanineAlyse wrote to ask:
> > > Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
> > > slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
> > > for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
> > > If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
> > > pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.
> >
> > The usual remedy for saltiness is to add potatoes and it sounds like
> > they would be compatible with the other ingredients.
> Potatoes cannot be, as I do not have. I am needing to know if cooking
> the pasta this way will work, and will it also alleviate some of the
> saltiness?
> PickyPickyPicky
>

Diluting it with a bunch of freshly made, unsalted stock would be how I
would remedy it.

Take a chicken, cut it up, put it in a pressure cooker and bring up to
pressure for 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and use that.

No pressure cooker, use a nice big stock pot and simmer for 4 hours.

I really don't think the pasta is going to cut the salt enough if it's
that bad.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

One time on Usenet, George > said:
> JeanineAlyse wrote:

> > I made about four quarts of good soup with 16 ounces of dried peas,
> > fresh carrots, tomatoes, scallions, seasonings and more than a pound of
> > ham bits. The soup is good, but much too salty. I am thinking to add
> > a lot of unsalted pasta to lessen the saltiness, plus extend this soup
> > to feed to my Marines at lunch tomorrow.
> >
> > Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
> > slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
> > for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
> > If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
> > pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.
> >
> > "This will work" assurance is hoped for, and thanks for commenting!
> >
> > PickyJaz
> >
>
> The usual remedy for saltiness is to add potatoes and it sounds like
> they would be compatible with the other ingredients.

I had the same thought -- and what a nice soup that would make...


--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Okay, you all win! While I was thinking of pressure cooking a lonely
little Cornish hen, being the only uncooked fowl about, CornerCop
called to say hello and catch up. (He's my corner neighbor, a very
slightly disabled and now retired former policeman that likes sharing
cooking.) I mentioned the salty soup problem and he quickly said "I'll
be right there!" and hung up the phone. Over he came, with half a
dozen large red rose potatoes. As he entereed my kitchen he snatched
my microplane out of it's cubby. Voila! The spuds were quickly
washed, quartered lengthwise, sliced quite thin and submerged into the
soup pot, from which he also snatched out a good bit to have for his
lunch tomorrow.

Thank you ech, and know that all is well in the PickyKitchen

On 19 Dec 2005, JeanineAlyse wrote:

> I made about four quarts of good soup with 16 ounces of dried peas,
> fresh carrots, tomatoes, scallions, seasonings and more than a pound of
> ham bits. The soup is good, but much too salty. I am thinking to add
> a lot of unsalted pasta to lessen the saltiness, plus extend this soup
> to feed to my Marines at lunch tomorrow.
>
> Question is, can I just put the raw pasta into the soup pot that my
> slow cooker will become in the morning, to then plug the pot in at work
> for heating and also cooking this pasta right there within the soup?
> If it matters, the nameless pasta pieces could be (badly) described as
> pencil-thick though hollow, and each is about one half inch long.
>
> "This will work" assurance is hoped for, and thanks for commenting!
>
> PickyJaz
>
>

I have never used pasta for "getting rid of salt", but I have used
potatoes. If potatoes really can't be part of the finished product, I have
peeled the (fairly large) potatoes, left them whole, dropped them in the
pot, simmered (sorry, I don't know how long, but not until the potatoes
get "done" and mush up) and then fished the potatoes out.

The pasta shouldn't hurt anything, but... The starch that cooks out of the
pasta will change the composition of your soup. If you precook the pasta,
then the only benefit would be to stretch the salt per serving.

I, probably, would try to stretch the salt per serving, by adding stuff,
like potatoes or pasta. The problem here is that, usually, the "base" is
too salty. Therefore, just adding items (without expanding the base), just
crowds the base (you have more items in your bowl, but you don't have
anymore of the "soupy" part).

Or, I would make another batch or 1/2 batch of
soup without the salty item (I suspect it is the ham, unless you
accidently added too much salt; tomatoes have a lot of natural salt, but
usually don't affect a recipe) and then mix the two together. That way
you have your exact recipe, just less salty.

I don't know what kind of ham you used. Sometimes, if you buy a slice or
two of country ham, they are packed in salt and should be rinsed in
cold water before using. Generally, they don't tell you that.

Good luck,

Elaine, too

JeanineAlyse wrote:
> [snip] .... Over he came, with half a
> dozen large red rose potatoes. As he entereed my kitchen he snatched
> my microplane out of it's cubby. Voila! The spuds were quickly
> washed, quartered lengthwise, sliced quite thin and submerged into the
> soup pot, from which he also snatched out a good bit to have for his
> lunch tomorrow.

Presumably you then removed and discarded the potatoes hoping they had
absorbed some of the excess salt. I'd be interested in whether you
think this actually worked, as I've previously seen both this tip and
debunkings of it. Dilution with additional liquid is the only thing
I've ever found that works, and that obviously can't be used in many
cases. -aem

aem wrote:
> JeanineAlyse wrote:
> > [snip] .... Over he came, with half a dozen large red rose potatoes....snip
>
> Presumably you then removed and discarded the potatoes hoping they had
> absorbed some of the excess salt. I'd be interested in whether you
> think this actually worked, as I've previously seen both this tip and
> debunkings of it. Dilution with additional liquid is the only thing
> I've ever found that works, and that obviously can't be used in many
> cases. -aem
No, the potatoes were the perfect addition to this too salthy soup,
along with just another quart of plain water, which the then too thick
soup faired well with. So, plain water and lots of fresh potato slices
did exactly what was needed. The Marines were happy that there was
more than I'd intended, so they ordered me to refrigerate the last
third of it there, for tomorrow's "seconds" that already have names
assigned to them.

PickyPleased

On 20 Dec 2005, JeanineAlyse wrote:
> >
> > Presumably you then removed and discarded the potatoes hoping they had
> > absorbed some of the excess salt. I'd be interested in whether you
> > think this actually worked, as I've previously seen both this tip and
> > debunkings of it. Dilution with additional liquid is the only thing
> > I've ever found that works, and that obviously can't be used in many
> > cases. -aem

I've had good success with the potatoes reducing the salt thing.

They also work well for "cleaning" oil after frying fish by diluting the
"fish" taste the oil takes on. The oil isn't "good as new" but it does
make a marked difference.

Elaine, too