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Anyone who has suffered with heartburn or other acid-related stomach problems may benefit from learning to reduce acidity in cooking. A few simple steps can reduce acids in foods such as sauces, casseroles, meats, and fish, and allow you to enjoy foods without discomfort.

  1. Taste the food often, until the tart flavor of the food is reduced. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is a form of salt. If you are concerned about your sodium intake, add as little baking soda as possible until the food's tartness (and acid) is sufficiently reduced.[1]
  2. Cook dishes for the shortest time possible so that water isn't cooked away and acid isn't concentrated in a smaller volume of food. Simmering soups, casseroles, sauces and other dishes reduces water.
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  3. If you are making spaghetti and meatballs, cook the sauce and meatballs separately, then add them together just before serving. This will prevent the meat from soaking up acid.
  4. Get protein in your diet by eating lean meats, London broil steak, skinless chicken, fish and egg whites as they are foods low in acid.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Reduce Acidity in Cooking
    For example, to reduce acids in meat or fish casseroles, add peas, carrots or eggs, which are alkaline.[2]
  6. In addition to reducing the acid, soaking beans in hot water makes your body better able to absorb the nutritious minerals in the beans.
    • Reduce the phytic acid content of grains by soaking them the same way you soak beans.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Reduce Acidity in Cooking
    Reduce acid in a balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing by making the dressing with equal amounts of vinegar, oil and strong tea.
    Samin Nosrat
    Samin Nosrat, Chef, TV Host, and James Beard Award–winning Author

    When used judiciously, acid can balance other flavors in a dish, but too much acid can be overwhelming. Use it sparingly and taste as you go to achieve the right balance.

  8. Watermark wikiHow to Reduce Acidity in Cooking
    Canola oil is low in acid and healthful in other ways.
  9. [3]
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  11. Watermark wikiHow to Reduce Acidity in Cooking
    [5]
  12. [6]
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  • Eat baked potato chips or other baked salty snacks instead of chips fried in oil, as fried foods contain more acidic fat.
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About This Article

Marrow Private Chefs
Reviewed by:
Culinary Experts
This article was reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs. Marrow Private Chefs are based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It is a chefs’ collective comprised of an ever-growing number of chefs and culinary professionals. Though regionally influenced primarily by coastal, traditional southern, cajun, and creole styles and flavors, the chefs at Marrow have a solid background in all types of cuisine with over 75 years of combined cooking experience. This article has been viewed 149,354 times.
10 votes - 80%
Co-authors: 9
Updated: April 19, 2024
Views: 149,354
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 149,354 times.

Reader Success Stories

  • Kathy Long

    Kathy Long

    Oct 4, 2016

    "Baking soda and how to use it to cut acid in food was helpful, thank you."
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