Hey all,

Sorry to flood the community, just been working a lot about getting acquainted with the kitchen as of late, and learning more about navigating and utilizing it.

In three cookbooks, I’ve come across four recipes for soups I’m wishing to try. One for Borscht, one for Minestrone, one for a lentil soup, and one for Cauliflower soup. While I have the needed ingredients for these recipes, all of them call to cover the pot as the ingredients and/or soup are cooking.

My problem is that my pots don’t have lids. When I first got the one pot, it came with one, but I can’t recall what happened to it, all I know is that I no longer have it. I’ve brought the one pot to the thrift shop seeing if any of the loose lids there fit, but they were either way too large, just too small, or were perfectly sized, but refused to sit stable.

I was wondering how important it is to cover the pot as the soup and/or ingredients for the soup cook. Are there any consequences for not covering the pot, or does it simply take a longer time for cooking to finish?

Thanks as always in advance.

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
    43·
    23 hours ago

    Lot of good takes here, but let me explain a few not covered coming from working in a Michelin starred kitchen:

    • Uncovered means you’re retaining moisture. Simple as that
    • You should ever simmer anything uncovered unless you mean to remove moisture
    • Of you want to keep flavors INSIDE the pot, do that before deglazing. Bloom aromatics and the heavier flavors, including spices.
    • If you ever hear a recipe telling you to cover a lot AFTER the boiling period has happened, it’s a bullshit internet recipe of nonsense.
    • BigPotato@lemmy.world
      9·
      23 hours ago
      • Uncovered means you’re retaining moisture. Simple as that
      • You should ever simmer anything uncovered unless you mean to remove moisture

      Wait, do you mean the reverse of both of these? With no lid, the water boils off and condenses.