Too Much Cornstarch – How Do You Fix It?
Cornstarch is a starch extracted from the white endosperms found deep inside a corn kernel. Like any other starch, it is rich in carbohydrates, making it one of the best components in thickening gravies, sauces, custard, and soup.
Cornstarch has also been referred to as cornflour in several cultures today. Although the former is considered whitish, the latter is yellowish.
Among other uses, cornstarch has been preferred over flour because of its ability to form a translucent mixture, unlike the opaque nature of flour mixture. Besides cooking benefits, cornstarch also has numerous other uses, such as in the cosmetic industry.
Too Much Cornstarch – How Do You Fix It?
To fix too much cornstarch add more water to the cornstarch. This will dilute it further to the expected results. However, be cautious as you do not want to ruin the taste of your recipe or dilute it more than is necessary.
The option is always to adjust the cornstarch-water ratio gradually until I get it to where I want. Again, it is also important to note that too much cornstarch could vary depending on the recipe one is preparing. As such, I do not hold a specific water-to-cornstarch ratio for all the recipes.
How Do I Tell I have Added Too Much Cornstarch to My Recipe?
When preparing a recipe that uses cornstarch, it’s easy to tell when it’s too much. First, that could have resulted from a mistake. Let’s say I probably poured too much starch than is necessary. I can tell immediately that the cornstarch is too much.
Second, the solution thickens so much more than was intended. When that happens, it means I used the wrong ratio while mixing the ingredients, and cornstarch was too much compared to the other inputs.
How to Solve a Too Much Cornstarch Problem
If I have added too much cornstarch to my recipe, there is only one way I like using it to solve my predicament. That’s because it’s easy and fast and doesn’t risk destroying the recipe.
So, when I have put too much starch than is necessary, I dilute it using several components. In doing so, I could use water, eggs, or milk. However, the choice of what I use depends on my recipe. Nevertheless, in most cases, I have found myself using water.
How to Make Corn Starch at Home
While I can buy ready-made corn starch, I prefer making it at home. That’s because it’s easy and fun, thus keeping me busy. Besides, I also get to try so many other things when doing it. So, here are several steps I undertake when making white cornstarch.
- Step 1: Clean white corn thoroughly and soak it overnight to soften it.
- Step 2: In the morning, clean it again to eliminate any funny smell that could have occurred.
- Step 3: Put the corn into a blender and add some water. Start blending until it smoothens.
- Step 4: Tie a clean cheesecloth at the mouth of an empty, clean bowl. It will be significant in filtering the cornstarch.
- Step 5: Pour the blended corn on the cheesecloth and start the sieve while stirring using a wooden spatula.
- Step 6: Put the starch in cheesecloth and rinse it thoroughly to get rid of all the water.
- Step 7: Spread the starch on a tray and place it under the sun to dry it thoroughly.
There it is. I have my cornstarch!
Foods I Can Prepare Using Cornstarch
As noted earlier, cornstarch is an excellent ingredient in several recipes. That’s because it is significant in enhancing both the taste and the texture of the broth.
If you have eaten soup or any other meal consisting of cornstarch as an ingredient, you can witness that it is always perfect. Here are some delicacies one can prepare using cornstarch as an ingredient.
Thickening Scrambled Eggs
Cornstarch is the one ingredient that I don’t leave behind if I want to create that hearty smooth texture of my scrambled eggs. It works magic! I just love the outcome and the taste of the delicacy.
It Makes Fried Food Crispier
If you love your fried food crispy like I do, then cornstarch is an excellent choice. This has worked best, especially when frying my chicken. Using cornstarch brings forth the tenderness of the chicken into a fluffy cake mode, which makes it tastier and looks appetizing.
Saucy Stir-Fries
I love my meat juicy, and there is no better way to achieve that than using cornstarch. A teaspoon of cornstarch is just enough to coat and seal the meat, thus protecting it from losing too much water while on the pan.
It all starts with adding a teaspoon of cornstarch to the marinade and then stir-frying it. However, I do not add this to the meat until at the end of its cooking. Besides making the meat saucy, it also enhances the texture, thus making the taste more natural.
Cake Perfection
Everyone wants to have a perfect cake considering it’s always an indicator of a celebratory moment. I have learned to add cornstarch when making my cake just to make it tender.
While gluten is significant in enhancing cake structure, using cornstarch to reduce it softens the cake.
Stand-up Fruit Pies
I love having summer berries, and a pie is something that makes it worthwhile to heat the oven during summertime. Doing so will require having cornstarch.
That’s because slicing a pie could make the fillings spread everywhere, and the best way to stop that is using cornstarch.
Frequently Asked Questions on Too Much Cornstarch – How Do You Fix It?
Why Do People Say Cornstarch Is Not Healthy?
Cornstarch is safe and has no risks to one’s health, unless you have a corn allergy. However, processing removes many nutrients that are helpful to the body. Thus, it is considered to have not so many health benefits.
Why Is Cornstarch Used In Cooking?
Cornstarch is considered an excellent thickening agent; thus, it drains off excess water from foods. That is significant in giving a delicacy the intended texture.
Is Cornstarch The Same As Cornflour?
Some people think so. However, cornstarch is extracted from the white, starchy part of the inside of the corn kernel, while corn flour is just made from dried, ground yellow corn. Another important difference is that corn flour contains protein, while cornstarch does not.