Experts debunk common kitchen and cooking myths

They are the cooking tips passed down the generations from mothers to their children.
But many of the golden rules of the kitchen are just plain wrong, from marinating meat for hours to keeping eggs in the fridge door.

A new book has debunked common myths which see amateur cooks add olive oil to pasta and throw away unopened mussels.

Kitchen myths debunked

• Myth: Meat marinated for hours tastes better
Truth: A marinade can only penetrate a few millimetres into the meat, so more than two hours is pointless.
• Myth: Eggs should be stored in the fridge door.
Truth: Poached and fried eggs should never come from the fridge, while storing eggs in the door shakes up their whites when it is opened.
• Myth: Olive oil in the water stops pasta sticking.
Truth: Oil simply blobs on the surface, but stirring in the early stages works to separate pasta.
• Myth: Never eat mussels which remain closed after cooking.
Truth: The meaty contents cook regardless of whether the shell opens, so mussels are always safe to eat. However those open before cooking should be thrown away.
• Myth: Raw vegetables are healthier.
Truth: Broccoli, garlic, onions and red peppers are more nutritious raw, but carrots, spinach, tomatoes and cabbage are better for you when cooked.
• Myth: Thick, ceramic dishes are better quality.
Truth: Metal or Pyrex is better to avoid 'soggy-bottomed' pies, as they heat up faster.

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is republished here with permission.