Making That Soup or Stew A Day Head
A lot of recipes will note that a dish will taste better if made a day or two ahead. This is particularly common in recipes for soups or stews.
Though most cooks instinctively accept this as true, why is it?
A reader of Cook’s Illustrated asked that very question in a letter published in the magazine’s October issue.
This is not just some wives’ tale. The recommendation has a scientific basis.
Here are the reasons given by Cook’s editors why some dishes taste better a day or two after they are made:
—Protein in meat converts into individual amino acids that enhance flavors.
—The starches in flour and potatoes break down in flavorful compounds.
—Carbohydrates in onions change into sugars that enhance flavor.
—The lactose in milk or cream converts into sweeter glucose, which enhances flavor.
Cook’s editors did a taste test with fresh and two-day-old batches chili, black-bean soup and cream of tomato soup. The tests confirmed that the flavors improve with time. One caveat with the chili, though: The two-day-old batch was a bit sweeter and less sharp, which may or not be preferred depending on personal taste.
