How do you neutralize spicy food?

Many cooks have lifted spoons to the mouths of eager, volunteer taste-testers before uttering the famous words, “Tell me now if I should make this spicier. I can put more spice in, but I can't take it out.” You might wish you could eat these words, especially if your taste-tester starts coughing while his eyes gush with tears. These physical reactions are probably caused by capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives chilies their burn factor. Before you turn a fire hose on your creation, remember that you're a cook, so you're naturally resourceful. Reach into your cabinet or fridge for a few key ingredients that will lower the heat.

While Cooking or Eating

Try one of these additions to salvage your four-alarm meal. Add a little at a time and stir well before sampling and deciding whether to add even more.

Add dairy. Dairy is to capsaicin what a hose is to a fire: a potential salvation. Sour cream is a natural choice to cool down Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, burritos and tostadas. You can also use milk, yogurt or cheese. Pare the calories by using a low-fat variety.

Bulk up. Add more of one of the major ingredients in the dish you're serving. For chili, add more ground sirloin or beans. Or get creative and add bland ingredients, such as avocados, potatoes, rice or squash, to soak up some of the spice.

Go nuts. The fat in almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter can neutralize spicy food. Especially in soups, stews and Asian dishes, a scoop of nut butter can add texture you might commit to your permanent record. Another alternative: tahini.

Rely on acid. Acidic liquids put heat on a lower flame. Choose one that best complements your meal. It might be lemon or lime juice. Or perhaps a splash of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. A scoop of diced tomatoes or even ketchup can help too.

Take a sweet turn. Adding a sweetener might be your first choice, but it makes sense to add a sweetener last, especially if other efforts fail to satisfy your palate. Whatever you do, go easy when sweetening your dish, and try honey or brown sugar before reaching for white sugar. You might need less than you think to counterbalance the spice.

After the Meal

Sometimes, a burning sensation can linger, and not just for minutes after a meal but for hours. By this point, you might have tried dousing the flame with water, only to wonder why you need to keep guzzling more. It's because capsaicin is an oil and – you guessed it – oil and water do not mix. Instead, ingest one of these familiar remedies to stifle the flame.

Drink milk. Exchange that glass of water for milk, which should cut through the capsaicin once and for all. If you don't have milk, try a spoonful of yogurt, cottage cheese or even ice cream.

Indulge on starch. If you didn't break bread with your meal, it could be time to munch on a dinner roll or a flour tortilla. Alternatively, try plain rice or plain potatoes.

Reach for fruit. Put “acidic science” to work for you after your meal by eating fruit with acidic qualities. Lemons, limes, oranges, pineapples and strawberries can cool off your mouth in a hurry.

Savor sweet relief. Since eating a teaspoon of sugar or honey might not be your idea of sweet relief, try putting a sugar cube directly on your tongue. Or eat a few pieces of milk chocolate – a better choice than dark chocolate in this case because it contains the fat that will cut through the capsaicin.

Heed the Lesson

No cook is spared the occasional misstep, and you probably have a good idea as to how you made this one. But just in case, the next time you make a spicy recipe, reduce the spicy elements – especially if you've never tried them before – by half and taste your creation. Your earlier words are correct; you can always add more spice. And, like salt, add the spice late in the cooking process. As you now know, you can make adjustments at the end if you have to.

Kitchen dilemmas sometimes happen, even to the best cooks.

Preparing a dish that turns out too spicy is an easy mistake to make, for several reasons.

For example: accidentally adding a tablespoon instead of just a teaspoon of any hot spice can turn the heat up a little higher than you want.

And substituting fresh chili peppers for dried in a recipe can also stoke the flames a bit higher than intended.

For dishes that are simmered slowly, adding the full measure of spicesat the beginning of the cooking process can concentrate and intensify flavors – including heat – above and beyond what’s bearable.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t necessarily mean your dinner needs to be scrapped completely.

While we can’t undo what’s been added, there are a few ways to mellow out the flavor so your meal can be salvaged.

Here’s our take on some of the best ways to tame the heat:

1. Tone It Down with Acids

Hot peppers like chili and cayenne contain a compound called capsaicin, whether they’re fresh or dried.

This ingredient is responsible for most of the heat that you experience, especially that burning sensation when it contacts mucous membranes (like those inside your mouth).

Since capsaicin is an alkaline oil, its intensity may be offset with cooking acids.

Acidic ingredients such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, wine, tomatoes, and even pineapple will all help to neutralize the pH levels of a spicy oil, and reduce some of that flaming-hot flavor.

Add the juice of half a lemon or lime, or a tablespoon or two of wine, vinegar, or tomato sauce, to your over-spiced dish.

Or chop up some fresh tomato or pineapple and add no more than 1/4 cup at a time.

Stir it in thoroughly, allowing the flavors to blend for 15-30 minutes. Then taste and adjust further if necessary.

2. Cool It with Oil or Dairy

The intense heat of capsaicin can also be counteracted with a bit of vegetable oil, or various dairy products. Dairy is actually another acidic option, with a few additional attributes not offered by the previously mentioned ingredients.

As capsaicin is oil soluble, the addition of a healthy oil like grapeseed, olive, or coconut will help to dissolve and dilute its spicy molecules.

Make sure to choose a neutral tasting oil, or one with a flavor that will complement your dish. Then add just one teaspoon at a time very slowly, to retain the dish’s texture and consistency.

The oil in nut butters like peanut, almond, cashew, and sesame (a.k.a. tahini) will also help to diffuse some of the heat, and these can be used instead of vegetable oil if the flavor of your dish will support the addition of nuts.

Dishes such as Pad Thai, spicy summer rolls, and stir fries are all good candidates for cooling down with a nut butter. Add small amounts while cooking, or use it to create a cooling dipping sauce.

Dairy products also help to counteract the burn of capsaicin because of the presence of casein, a fat-loving protein that’s unique to dairy. It surrounds and binds with the heat-generating oil particles, and then disperses them.

Full fat products are the most effective. Again, add these in small amounts until you notice some relief.

Butter, ghee, cow’s milk, plain yogurt, cheese (particular a soft fresh cheese), and sour cream will all help to ease intense spiciness.

Take note that this will also make your sauce creamier! If this isn’t what you’re going for, try adding some grated cheese on top instead.

You can also offer yogurt or sour cream as a condiment or dip, allowing your dinner guests to adjust the flavors to their personal tastes.

Serving shredded cheese and sour cream on the side of a big pot of spicy chili is always a great idea for feeding a crowd – even if you went a little crazy with the hot pepper.

3. Sweeten It Up

Sugars can also help to neutralize spicy heat, as they absorb oils and change the taste somewhat.

Add a little sugar or honey just a teaspoon at a time to balance out flavors in a dish producing too much heat.

Stir well, then allow flavors to blend; after each addition, take a little taste to ensure your main course doesn’t end up tasting like dessert.

4. Double Up and Thin It Out

If you have enough time (and your pot is large enough), you can diffuse the flames by adding more of the main ingredients of the dish – minus the spices, of course!

Depending on what you’re cooking, this could mean adding more sauce, stock, vegetables, or meat.

If you don’t have more of the main ingredients on hand, adding a basic mirepoix will usually work – carrots, celery, and onions all make good additions for stretching and evening out flavors, as will grated potatoes and winter squash.

A final tip: if your sauce is no longer too spicy but it’s become too thin, add more water or another suitable liquid. Then boil and reduce the sauce again until the desired consistency is reached.

But be careful – the process of reducing liquids can again concentrate flavors if you go too far, ruining all of your repair work!

5. Negate Heat with Neutral Grains

Serving a side dish of neutral flavored grains can also help to temper over-spiciness.

Serve your main course over a bed of rice, pasta, couscous, or quinoa to nullify spicy flavors, of offer a selection of breads to absorb the burn.

A Pinch of Prevention

For future dishes, what’s one of the most effective ways to avoid the predicament of a dish that’s too spicy to serve? Add spices only in small portions, and taste as you go.

This is particularly true for recipes that are simmered low and slow. The longer a dish is cooked, the more liquid will evaporate, and this really cannot be emphasized enough – this will concentrate flavors and their intensity.

Forgetting to taste as you cook is one of the most common cooking mistakes. Treat hot spices as you would salt, and remember to taste as you go.

Use only half the recipe’s amount at the start, then judiciously add the remaining quantity in small portions as time and flavors progress, until it’s just right.

The Heat is Off

There’s a solution to every cooking dilemma, and it’s good to know you can back away from the fiery inferno of a too-spicy dish with any of the above cooking hacks.

Of course, the best method is to try not go overboard in the first place!

Remember: add your spices slowly, and taste as you go for best results.

If you have any favorite tricks for taming the intensity of hot spices, share your secrets in the comment section below – it’s good cooking karma!

And make sure to check out all of our culinary herb and spice advice, tips, and techniques now. And don’t forget to take a look at Foodal’s Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Herbs and Spices!

Photo credit: Shutterstock.

About Lorna Kring

Recently retired as a costume specialist in the TV and film industry, Lorna now enjoys blogging on contemporary lifestyle themes. A bit daft about the garden, she’s particularly obsessed with organic tomatoes and herbs, and delights in breaking bread with family and friends.

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