How to Remedy Common Kitchen Catastrophes

At Christmas, home cooks face a particular kind of pressure—everything needs to be perfect, challenging meals must be prepared, and all the while, guests must be entertained.

It’s no wonder then that the kitchen gets a little hectic—and that’s when accidents happen. But don’t panic: We’ve compiled the three most common kitchen accidents and how to remedy them:

1. The Egg Whites Won’t Stiffen

This always happens at the worst time: Half of the cake batter is ready, but the egg white simply won’t form stiff peaks!

To avoid this, the bowl and beater must be absolutely free of any grease. It’s best to first wipe them with a kitchen towel and some vinegar. Now, you have to carefully separate the egg white and yolk—with even a trace of egg yolk in the white, you can say goodbye to glossy, stiff peaks.

A pinch of salt or a dash of lemon juice at the beginning can work real miracles, too. In contrast, you should only add sugar once the whites are beaten until stiff. If there are still no stiff peaks in sight, it might be because of the eggs you used: Very fresh eggs can be hard whip. If in doubt, always keep some additional eggs in the fridge as a Plan B.

2. Salt Overload

Be it because you confused a tablespoon with a teaspoon or because you just used it too generously, over-salted food is one of the most common kitchen accidents.

The good news: You can still save the meal with a few tricks. If we’re talking about a consommé, you can simply add water—but remember to adapt the amount of spices and vegetables accordingly, since it will taste bland otherwise.
A small bag with a few tablespoons of rice can also work wonders to bind and remove the salt, if added and cooked inside for a couple of minutes.

With creamy soups or stews, add a few raw potatoes and cook for a few minutes, as they will absorb some of the salt.
Heavy cream or sour cream can take the edge off saltiness, too, and over-salted vegetables can be saved with a little sugar. And if your roasted meat has received the generous gift of salt, just glaze it with honey—and just like that, you’ve created a whole new taste sensation.

3. Crying Over Spilled Milk

Stains of over-boiled milk are unpleasant enough—but they can also result in scratches on the stovetop from unsuccessful cleaning attempts.

Unfortunately, there is no magic trick to avoid milk boiling over, other than attentively watching the pot. If disaster strikes, the glass ceramic experts from SCHOTT CERAN® have the following tips:
Don’t clean burned-in spots and stains with a silicon sponge, rather with a cooktop-safe cleaning agent and a glass ceramic scraper. To avoid scratches, never push pots back and forth on the cooktop and always remove salt, sand, or similar crystals with a paper towel immediately.

For even more relaxed cooking, home cooks will soon have their hands on the perfect new product. In September, SCHOTT CERAN® introduced the first and only scratch-resistant stovetop finish, SCHOTT CERAN® Miradur (TM) , which increases the resistance of the cooktop considerably*; even salt crystals or abrasive sponges won't be a threat to the cooktop.

On the Miradur (TM), whose surface is nearly as hard as a diamond on Mohs scale, even sandpaper or sharp knives can do no harm, as we saw during our visit at IFA. Have a look at the incredible durability of Miradur (TM) in this short clip!

SCHOTT CERAN® Miradur (TM)

• 01:33 min.
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The first manufacturers are bringing SCHOTT CERAN® Miradur (TM) to the consumer market in early 2017. Until then, we wish you a stress-free holiday season with successful cooking.
Sounds like something to add to next year’s wish list? If your kitchen becomes (once again) the social focal point of entertaining, stay relaxed when glasses, plates, and presents are loaded onto the cooktop—because SCHOTT CERAN® Mirador (TM) will withstand any stress, especially at the holidays!
*95% less scratches by sand particles, 70% less scratches by abrasive sponges.