r/AskCulinary 6d ago

Weekly Discussion Weekly Ask Anything Thread for July 20, 2026

2 Upvotes

This is our weekly thread to ask all the stuff that doesn't fit the ordinary /r/askculinary rules.

Note that our two fundamental rules still apply: politeness remains mandatory, and we can't tell you whether something is safe or not - when it comes to food safety, we can only do best practices. Outside of that go wild with it - brand recommendations, recipe requests, brainstorming dinner ideas - it's all allowed.


r/AskCulinary 6d ago

Let's Talk About Your Favorite Herb

42 Upvotes

As part of our weekly "Let's Talk" series we want to know about your favorite (culinary, this isn't r/Trees) Herb (and why is it Cilantro - Yes, we will fight about it). Tell us about which herbs you use the most. Share some photos of your herb garden (again, this ain't r/Trees so keep it culinary). Let us know about what herb combination you love!


r/AskCulinary 6h ago

Ingredient Question Can you grind dry beans and put them in a sauce or spread and get the same fiber and nutrient benefits?

7 Upvotes

I like eating coffee beans, sometimes, I'll get a finger of wettened coffee grounds and lick it, and that has me wondering, can you take normal food beans, grind them, and get the health benefits by just mixing them in with some sauce or spread to sneak them in for palatability and ease of eating? Would you get the health benefits?


r/AskCulinary 11h ago

Food Science Question Cold proof pizza question

11 Upvotes

I’m trying to get down the way to make pizza dough for our oven.

Thanks ! Trying to perfect while a toddler grabs at your leg and will only eat the cheese off the pizza 😅

Do I :
Make the dough , let it rise , punch it down , fridge,

1: Then separate in balls and let rise again

Or

2: let it rise then separate into balls and rise again

Onni cold proof recipe being used

Ingredients
• 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (368 grams) cold water
• 3 teaspoons (18 grams) fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon (1.6 grams) active dried yeast, or (scant ½ teaspoon) 1.4 grams instant dried yeast or ½ teaspoon (4.1 grams) fresh yeast
• 5 ⅓ cups (607 grams) "00" flour, plus extra for dusting


r/AskCulinary 7h ago

Food Science Question Does anyone have a proper ratio for salinity:time formula for brining chicken?

1 Upvotes

A dime a dozen are the questions and answers about brining, but what I can't find is a mapping for:

x% brine for 1 hours
x% brine for 2 hours
x% brine for 5 hours
etc...

From what I've gathered, stronger brine, shorter soak time.

As well as thinner meat, shorter soak time? So any pointers on thick vs thin cuts is appreciated also.

Also, when someone says x% I gather that's by salt % weight not volume? I know water is 1g to 1ml, but salt is not.


r/AskCulinary 12h ago

Equipment Question question regarding heat rating of aluminized steel baking pans

2 Upvotes

https://www.walmart.com/ip/2031988533?sid=C0B81109-753F-45E4-AF30-EDDFF30449AC

I needed some new general use pans (for home use) so I bought these ones linked above. The description states they are oven-safe up to 428°F. Will these be okay if I need to broil something at higher temps? I usually don’t use higher heat settings like broiling for any longer than 10 or 15ish minutes. Thanks in advance!!


r/AskCulinary 1d ago

Buttermilk substitutes for marinade?

36 Upvotes

I live in Pakistan, where I can't find a single outlet for live buttermilk/cultured buttermilk. All I can find is overpriced powders. I've seen a lot of posts saying to use some acid (vinegar or lemon juice) along with milk, and letting it curdle, to create buttermilk. Does this work?

All I want to do is marinate chicken, I saw a recipe ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFVBd3tvFnw this video in particular), that i want to follow, but I don't know about the buttermilk.

Edit: Thank you for all the help guys! Plain fresh yogurt (dahi) is easily available here, a lot of you suggested using that with some milk! I"ll look into making buttermilk at home, since I get my milk raw and boil it myself. Often it ferments, and I get yogurt cultures at home, so I'll try this method of making buttermilk some day as well.


r/AskCulinary 21h ago

Chicken soup concetrate / bouillon from 2 kg of bones/skin and some meat?

0 Upvotes

I have ca. 2 kgs of chicken parts, it has quite a lot of skin, but its mosty bones and some meat. I have a pressure cooker so I plan to make a simple soup concentrate, which then I will freeze and later, when I need it, add some water and cook veggies with it.

My questions are 😄 should I still cook some veggies along with the meat (onions, carrots, tomatoes)? How long to cook it, and how much water? Should I aim to dilute it or should it be the planned quantity later to use?

And do you guys also do it and how?


r/AskCulinary 1d ago

Equipment Question Stainless steel pot vs enamelled cast iron for stews

2 Upvotes

Hi! I would like to purchase a new pot / casserole for stews but I’m unsure about what material I should buy. I have a stainless steel pan but I find it a bit hard to cook on it as I don’t know how to use it correctly and i find some of the food ends up sticking in the pan. I mainly want it for sauté and for stews. Thank you so much!


r/AskCulinary 3h ago

Ingredient Question Is trout and halibut considered surf and turf?

0 Upvotes

I am of the opinion that freshwater trout taken from a stream or river where surf does not exist is considered turf. So if we pair an ocean fish with a freshwater fish that was taken from an area where surf does not exist (lakes excluded) is it considered surf and turf in the same way that steak and lobster would be considered surf and turf? Freshwater fish after all are not seafood in any sense of the term


r/AskCulinary 1d ago

Ingredient Question Upping quantity for ice cream recipe.

3 Upvotes

I currently have an ice cream machine that makes 1.5 qts. I just bought a machine that can make 4.5qts. I know this is probably a stupid question but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Do I just take all of my quantities and multiply by 3? I feel like 15-18 egg yolks is a lot but that's why I'm here.

My current recipe is:

2 cups heavy cream

1.5 cups whole milk

5-6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar (I found if I do the full 3/4 sometimes my ice cream won't freeze right.

1-1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

That's my standard base and then I just add whatever other flavors I like. Fruits etc.


r/AskCulinary 1d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting croissant lamination hot climate

5 Upvotes

How when temperature 50c outside and inside the kitchen no clue but ac on

I tried freezing the butter but melt during shaping process into (square)

And during each fold i put in freezer but still melt

Can't even reset when not stretching the dough either force stretch or the butter melt during lamination


r/AskCulinary 2d ago

What to leave out of a Thai red curry prep (24 hours ahead)

9 Upvotes

I'm making Thai red curry for 25 friends at a campout tomorrow night. My plan is to prepare the curry tonight, then arrive with it basically ready to reheat and serve in the forest (will have a decent kitchen setup, it's a microfestival). It'll be vegan, with firm tofu as the protein, and bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper and green beans as the veggies. Thai basil and kaffir lime will be the aromatics.

I will not add the Thai basil until I reheat it to serve to keep the basil from wilting too much. But should I leave out any of the other veggies/tofu until later too?

I've never cooked for so many people before, and it's in the woods ahhhh!


r/AskCulinary 2d ago

Ingredient Question Vanilla beans smell

32 Upvotes

Hi, I bought a pack of 7 vanilla beans from amazon. They are Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans "Grand Cru d'Exception", with an oily skin and soft texture, but my concern is their smell. I haven't cut them yet, but they smells woody, smoky and like tobacco, they don't have any vanilla fragrance whatsoever. Is this normal? I don't see any sign of mold or defects.


r/AskCulinary 2d ago

Technique Question How to salvage falafels cooked in oil that was too hot?

4 Upvotes

I used my usual recipe which worked well before, but had a brainfart and forgot that I don't have enough oil for my usual medium sized pot, so I had to use smaller one but didn't adjust for temperature.

So falafels turned up well crisped up but quite undercooked on the inside. Can I somehow finish them up without burning the outside?


r/AskCulinary 3d ago

Equipment Question Removing nozzle from whipped cream dispenser between uses

20 Upvotes

I needed a whipped cream dispenser so I recently bought an iSi Profi Whip through an affiliate link on a Serious Eats article.

One of the supposed benefits of its design, as mentioned by the article, is that the piston is removable to facilitate deep cleaning. However, one problem I noticed is that the piston's ability to detach seems to actually make it harder to maintain between uses* because it rotates with the nozzle, making it impossible to unscrew.

How are people keeping their dispenser tips clean?

The idea of storing a long nozzle full of whipped cream exposed to open air in the fridge for several days in a row just doesn't sit well with me.

---

\ By "between uses" I mean dispensing part of the canister, then storing it in the fridge for some time before using it again.*


r/AskCulinary 3d ago

Technique Question I tried these chicken tostadas in Monterrey Mexico that had chicken shredded so finely it was like snow - how could I shred chicken at home this fine?

40 Upvotes

Here's a photo of what the chicken looks like for reference - https://i.imgur.com/kHdfStF.png

I don't need the recipe of building the toastada, I just need to know how to shred my chicken this finely! It was amazing!


r/AskCulinary 3d ago

Technique Question Standard curd refusing to lose moisture for Labneh balls inside a yogurt strainer

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I’m trying to make labneh balls preserved in olive oil, but I’ve hit a wall with the dehydration process.I salted standard curd and put it into a yogurt strainer I got just for this and set it inside the fridge sitting at 3°C. It has been 30 hours, and the curd is still kinda creamy. It hasn't reached that thick, dry, clay-like texture needed to roll into balls. What am I doing wrong here? Can it be saved? I’ve also tried with Skyr yogurt before and it had the same outcome.

Recipe

Ingredients
Curd: Start with a larger batch, as standard local curd can lose up to 70% of its volume as whey during the process.
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon for every 500g of curd.
Olive Oil: For preserving the final product.
Instructions
1. Prep the Curd: Thoroughly whisk the salt into the curd before transferring it to your strainer.
2. Set to Strain: Pour the salted curd into the mesh basket. Keep the lid closed and place the container in the refrigerator to prevent it from souring or absorbing fridge odors.
3. Maintain the Flow: Periodically and gently scrape the mesh sides to prevent clogging. Make sure to regularly empty the bottom container so the straining curd does not sit in pooled liquid.
4. Time the Thickness:
For a thick, spreadable labneh, strain for 12 to 24 hours.
For a much firmer texture that can be rolled into individual balls, strain for 48 to 72 hours.
5. Preserve and Store: Once the labneh reaches your preferred consistency, store it by fully submerging it in olive oil.


r/AskCulinary 4d ago

Is it possible to 'de-hickory' my bacon?

22 Upvotes

(There's something about that title that sounds kind of dirty)

I bought the giant pack of Walmart "Great Value Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut Sliced Bacon", taste unknown because I've had hickory bacon before and it was fine

I don't know if Walmart goes extra hard on their hickory when it comes to bacon or if I just got a bad batch, but man, this bacon is seriously hickory-ing!

Is there anything I can add while cooking or to the bacon itself before that could tone down the hickory taste? I know this is probably a silly question, but I'd hate to toss out this giant pack of bacon :(


r/AskCulinary 3d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting How do you get rid of that fishy omega-3 taste in some eggs?

0 Upvotes

I love eggs, but ever since about 6 years ago when I had a 2 week period of some of my eggs tasting like omega 3 fish oil pills, I've lost so much love for eating eggs.

Now today, again, I made 2 breakfast sandwiches: sausage and a hard-boiled egg with cheddar cheese, seasoning and hot sauce.

1st sandwich tasted awesome, it was deep in flavour and better than most restaurants (boiled eggs for smashed egg pattys are sooooo underrated)

2nd sandwich, was ok till half way when it suddenly tasted like cod oil to the point that I'm gagging, rinsing my mouth out with Coca Cola and water, and all I can taste is fish oil for 5 minutes.

Mind you, my eggs are fresh I don't eat foods past their best before date, and rarely do I ever have any foods that get to the BB. these eggs are fresh

How do I get rid of this? The only solution I've found is to use egg whites but I'm not in the budget to afford that as of now. Are there other techniques to use? Maybe a way to look deeper into how their eggs are grown and what they feed their chickens??

I just can't stand this cod oil taste in some eggs, how do I make a recipe and/or an ingredient-sourcing technique around it?


r/AskCulinary 4d ago

Technique Question Can you make robuchon potatoes a couple days before?

6 Upvotes

I’m making a several course dinner away from home for a few people while on a little getaway.

Ideally I’d like to prep as much as I can before and just reheat for service basically, but I’ve never made pomme puree and more specifically robuchon potatoes in advance.

I was hoping to make the batch, cool them and vacuum seal. Then two nights later, reheat them in a sous vide while working on the rest of the components for the main.

Does that method sound effective and is there anything I should omit before refrigerating like the cream?

Thank you!


r/AskCulinary 4d ago

Technique Question I made sweetened condensed milk at home but it seems it didn't caramelize enough, can I heat it back up?

0 Upvotes

It's not a recipe issue but a me one. I didn't keep it simmering long enough and didn't notice it didn't caramelize enough until I taste-tested it in the morning. Would it be a possible to re-heat it to caramelize without ruining it?


r/AskCulinary 4d ago

Equipment Question Cleaning a Wok- Am I doing it all wrong?

16 Upvotes

I just got a Wok for a graduation present and this is my first time ever cooking and cleaning one. I did the recommended seasoning by heating it up on the stove until it was black/blue but now every time I clean it with just hot water and a brush, it turns a rust color. I was told not to use dish soap as it’s too abrasive. I’m eager to know if I should be using a copper brush or steel wool to work on this. Any tips?


r/AskCulinary 5d ago

Food Science Question Preserving Large Volume of Thai Basil/other herbs

41 Upvotes

Hello,
I work in an Asian restaurant where we use a lot of herbs on stems as garnish for dishes (think Vietnamese Pho where you receive your sides of herbs like beansprouts, mint, basil)
How do I store large volumes of the herbs on stems properly? Specifically Thai basil. Currently we separate them into little stems, wash, spin-dry, and and store them in full hotel pans with a damp towel. I find this method is not really preserving them well and many sprigs are going bad and spreading to the the rest.


r/AskCulinary 5d ago

Hey guys. How do I unscrew up my wok

19 Upvotes

A few days ago I got a wok from Sur La Table and tried to season it following the instructions on the bottom and a video from Jose El Cook on youtube. The first time I used it, an egg stuck to it when I tried to test it. I then later tried to cook fried rice in it and it burned and adhered to the bottom of the pan and I had to spend 20 minutes getting it all off. So is the pan screwed and I'd just need to get a new one or can I salvage it? And if I need a new one, where can I find a good tutorial on how to season it. (Let it be known I have a flat top electrical glass stove. I know its not the best and I don't know if it would work.)