Anyone who cooks often knows how a small moment of distraction is enough to turn the kitchen countertop into a foam and boiling water. Whether preparing pasta, rice, milk or popes, it is common to see the contents of the pan to rise quickly and overflow without warning. But is there any way to avoid this scenario? A homemade trick involving a kitchen utensil has been recommended by experts has given to talk about social networks.
What makes the pan overflow
A pan with pure water will hardly overflow only by boiling. The problem begins when ingredients such as pasta, rice or milk are added. In these cases, the elements present in these foods, especially starches and proteins, react to heat and create thick bubbles that easily rise through the walls of the pan.
Snipped or thick broths, for example, are less likely to overflow as the pan is not too full. Already solutions with milk or cereals release substances that make boil much more unpredictable, according to.
Is the wooden spoon really useful?
Putting a wooden spoon over the pan is a trick that, according to experts Jay Deagon and Gemma Mann, senior teachers of Cquniversity Australia, can really work, but with limitations. When it is still dry, the spoon wood is porous and helps to burst the surface bubbles, preventing them from climbing wildly.
Madeira acts as a point of contact where the bubbles snap, interrupting their growth. In addition, the spoon helps to slightly reduce the temperature of the boiling surface, delaying the transhipment.
A trick with ‘Time told‘
Despite its usefulness, the wooden spoon does not do miracles, the experts, cited by the Executive Digest, guarantee. Over time, when absorbing moisture and heat, wood loses its porosity and reaches the same temperature as the liquid in the pan. When this happens, it fails to burst the blisters and the risk of transhipment increases again, according to the same source.
Therefore, this trick is effective only during the first minutes of boiling and should be viewed as temporary help, not as a definitive solution.
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The role of starches and proteins
During the cooking process, food starches such as wheat, potatoes, rice or corn and proteins present in milk, such as casein, interact with water molecules. This contact, in intense heat, causes bubbles to be covered by a type of viscous gel.
This gel, formed by colloids that do not fully dissolve in water, gives rise to a sticky foam that, when accumulating, goes up until overflowing. Constant heat causes bubble formation to intensify, creating a favorable scenario for overflowing.
Milk has special behavior
In the case of milk, the phenomenon is slightly different. When boiling, a thick film is formed on the surface, known to many as “milk skin”, the result of casein reacting to heat. This film, similar to a plastic layer, can attach small air bubbles, giving rise to a dense foam that rises rapidly.
According to Executive Digest, although in sight it seems harmless, this foam can overflow in an instant, leaving a trail difficult to clean.
What to do to avoid the problem
According to these two experts, cited by the above source, the recommendation is to move the contents of the pan or shake with the spoon as a way to control foam formation. Using a larger pan, reducing the heat of the stove or even lifting the lid slightly are other useful strategies.
Most important, however, remains surveillance. Staying attentive during cooking is the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises, they add. As soon as you notice signs that water is about to rise, it is important to act immediately: lower the heat, remove the pan or stir the content.
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