Many people love the taste of spicy foods. You probably count yourself among those people. Spice is nice. However, sometimes things can get out of hand and the spice can become overwhelming to the point where you feel as if you should probably be guarding a treasure horde since you feel like a fire-breathing dragon. Other times, you might have a friend or a child who takes a bite off your plate without realizing you have a penchant for the pain of spicy food.
The good news is that they probably will not try to take your food again. The bad news is that they now have a burning mouth and tearing eyes, and they probably think the apocalypse is upon them. Therefore, you should know how to neutralize spicy food. It is not too difficult, but you do not want to make any of the rookie mistakes that could make the pain worse.
Dairy on Hand
Simply put, this is the best way to neutralize spicy food. It works very quickly, and it can take away a lot of the heat and the pain that you are feeling. There will still likely be some pain, but it will be far more bearable. Having a glass of milk around works very well. You could also have some ice cream if things are too hot. If it was a child that had a little too much spice, this could be a good way to help them cool their mouth down.
Before Eating
If you are cooking the dish at home and you ended up putting in too much spice, it is possible. When you want to cut the power of the spice before it touches your lips, a simple way to neutralize spicy food is with lemon or lime. When you add these juices to the food, the acids will help to neutralize the spice. You can get the same type of effect when you use pineapples. Another option is to add a bit of sugar. Peanut butter can work well, too. Of course, you might not want to add these to all dishes, as they could throw off the taste.
If you want to keep the same basic taste for the food and a certain level of spice, you should simply add more of the other ingredients that are not peppers to it. Make a larger batch and the peppers will “spread out” and make the entire thing more bearable.
The Rookie Mistake
Here is how you do not neutralize spicy food, even though people always seem to try it. Do not drink water. This is not going to do anything to dissipate the heat in your mouth. The milk works because the capsaicin is soluble in the fats in the milk. Water doesn’t have that. Also, stay away from coffee to cool things down, as it will actually make them feel hotter most of the time.
With these tips, you should be able to neutralize spicy foods so you and your loved ones do not feel as if your mouths are going to catch fire.