Instructions

1. Prepare more potatoes but use only the ingredients that do not contain high amounts of salt. For example, if your mashed potatoes are too salty, cook a few more potatoes, mash them and add milk. However, refrain from adding salted butter or salt. Fold the new batch into the old batch and taste to determine if the saltiness has been reduced.

2. Add sugar. The sweetness of the sugar will counterbalance the savory nature of salt. Add 1 tsp. of sugar, mix well, and taste the dish. If it is still too salty, add teaspoonful. However, don't add too much -- you don't want the dish to take sweet.

3. Add vinegar to counterbalance saltiness. If you've ever enjoyed salt-and-vinegar potato chips, you know how the two tastes balance each other. As in Step 2, add 1 tsp., stir and taste again.

4. Add yogurt, sour cream or mayonnaise to the dish. The creamy texture will soak up some of the excess salt, reducing its flavor in the overall dish. If the dish is potato salad, consider adding 1 tbsp. of yogurt, sour cream or mayonnaise. Use the same ingredient called for in the original recipe; for example, if the recipe uses mayonnaise, use mayonnaise to reduce the salty flavor.