I ruined my quail
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (51675)
Staten Island, New York
May 4, 2026 9:10pm CST
I baked the remaining four quail that I had in the freezer and defrosted.
I just ate two of them.
They were way over salted.
I had them with couscous (thankfully not over salted) and some red pepper hummus.
Now the taste in my mouth is all salt and I’m super thirsty.
I have no idea how this happened.
I did not salt the quail from the salt container.
I poured some salt into a dish and used my hands to salt the quail.
I don’t know what to do about the remaining two quail.
They’re probably just as salty as the ones I ate.
I really don’t feel like eating them but I also don’t want to throw them out.
Is there any way to salvage them?
9 people like this
7 responses
@MarieCoyle (57931)
•
5 May
Quail can be used like chicken and turkey. You could boil them a bit to remove some of the salt if you wanted to, then remove the meat and shred it by hand. Freeze it if you don't want to use it right now. The meat can be used for anything you would use other poultry for--soups, casseroles, etc. Absolutely no reason to waste the meat.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
5 May
I can boil it if I already baked it?
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (57931)
•
5 May
@lovebuglena
Yes, you can. Maybe boil for about 10 minutes. The meat will probably fall off the bone, but that doesn't hurt anything at all. You are going to pick all the meat off anyway, and if there is skin, it will fall off. Throw a chunk of onion or two in it, and a piece of celery when you boil it. You can strain the broth and use it for soups, or freeze it to use later. Lots of goodness and vitamins. When you're done, toss the bones and the skin if there is any.
3 people like this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
22h
My mom said to baste them with butter and honey. I don’t have enough honey to do that. And my butter is salted so it’s not gonna help.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
20h
@Ineeddentures I will try them first; maybe they won’t be as salty.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (31446)
•
20h
@lovebuglena just put them outside and a kitty will take them away.
Kitty will like quail
@marguicha (230254)
• Chile
5 May
I have discovered that I have to undersalt any dish that I will freeze later. Salt seems to turn into pure salt in the freezer. As for the quails, maybe you could either wash them with lukewarm water before thawing and then boil them for a small while in unsalted water. After that, fix them in any way with no salt. It is better to have an undersalted dish than to have a too salty one. Luck!
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230254)
• Chile
5 May
@lovebuglena Wash it and then turn it into something else. When you salted it while raw, the salt was mainly in the outside. Maybe you can discard the skin if it is too salty. Taste a tiny bit and check.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
5 May
The problem is that the quail is already baked.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (57931)
•
5 May
@lovebuglena
When you add the water and boil the quail, it will dilute a lot of the salt.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
22h
The first time I did quail they were delicious. I’m still shaking my head and how these became so salty.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (220332)
• United States
5 May
Can you rinse them off? Soak them in cold water in the fridge? Do Marga's suggestion and simmer them in unsalted water. I don't know.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
22h
I would think rinsing it off is gonna ruin the taste.
@Orson_Kart (8149)
• United Kingdom
5 May
I’ve not ate or cooked quail. Why do you have to put so much salt on it? Too much salt is not good for your health. I add the bare minimum, if at all, to dishes when I cook anything. You can always add it later.
@lovebuglena (51675)
• Staten Island, New York
23h
I wasn’t trying to put a lot of salt. I don’t know how it happened.
