Why does adding salt to microwaved broth make it foamy?

Why does adding salt to microwaved broth make it foamy? - Bowl of Soup with Nood

I had a nice bowl of clear yellow chicken broth which was not salted. It was in a serving bowl when this happened. I poured the cold unsalted soup into the bowl and then microwaved it and it came out clear still. To make it more palatable, I added a small spoonful of salt and the below happened. It only became frothy after I added the salt. It was much 'foamier' when I first added the salt, then it slowly subsided.

What is causing this?

Foamy yellow broth in a bowl



Best Answer

There are likely two or three things happening.

When clear liquids come out of a microwave, it is quite common for it to froth as soon as you put something into it. A spoon, or crystals of salt or sugar forms nucleation sites for over-energised water molecules to make vapour bubbles. Water forms vapour at any temperature, not just at its boiling point.

In conventional heating, convection starts from the layer closest to the heated bottom of the pan and the hottest liquid always rises to the surface and there is plenty of movements in the liquid body. In a microwave energy goes into the water molecules directly and the container is heated by the energiesed liquid, the opposite of conventional heating. There is very little time for convection currents to develop. Molecules within the body of the liquid that are excited may not find sites to form vapour and become locally superheated. Vapour pressure above the liquid may be actually less than what it should be at that temperature until the body is disturbed. Lots of tiny vapour bubbles are released when disturbed. They look foamy until they escape from the liquid. This is the most likely cause.

Salting out of proteins could be another cause, though probably less likely. You would probably see a layer of scum on the surface that would not disappear.

Emulsion breaking. Heating and addition of salt will encourage any emulsion to split. From your picture, there is plenty of oil around. There could have been some oil droplets suspended in the water phase of the soup. These could clump together at the start of emulsion breaking giving a cloudy appearance before floating to the top as a continuous layer. Not likely either.




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Quick Answer about "Why does adding salt to microwaved broth make it foamy?"

A spoon, or crystals of salt or sugar forms nucleation sites for over-energised water molecules to make vapour bubbles. Water forms vapour at any temperature, not just at its boiling point.

Should you add salt when making broth?

You may choose to roast the ingredients (the carcass from the poultry lesson should already be roasted) or leave them unroasted for a white stock. However you flavor it, remember not to add any salt! (Residual salt from the roasted chicken is fine.)

Why does my chicken soup foam?

When soups and stocks are about to boil, proteins start to congeal and create foams that rises to the surface. It's usually whitish or brownish and you need to remove the form as quickly as possible before it boils and mixes up the scum with the soup/stock.

What is the foam when you boil meat?

If you are boiling meat, the scum is most likely animal fat. If you leave the scum in and just mix it together, it will add to the flavor. Though there are reasons to still remove the scum.

Does broth coagulate?

This collagen in the bones is what is causing your soup to gel. It's completely natural, and it only happens in rich, well-made chicken stock. It can be a little freaky, though, if you're not expecting it! The good news is that this thick, gelled stock is extra-rich.



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Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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