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The advantage of adding salt to cooking water is mostly to heighten the flavor of the food being cooked, but salt also affects the appearance and texture of some foods. Adding salt to cooking water also changes the boiling point of the water but the degree to which this affects cooking time depends on the amount of salt added.
Function
Adding salt to cooking water enhances, or brings out, the flavor of food, masks any bitter flavor in foods and at the same time, adds flavor of its own.
Significance
Adding salt to cooking water allows the food being cooked to absorb some of the salt from the water, which results in a different taste than if salt is simply sprinkled on after cooking.
Effects
Salt softens cooking water, which preserves the color and texture of some foods such as green vegetables. The vegetables stay greener and crisper (less soggy) when cooked in soft water.
Misconceptions
Although many people believe that adding salt to cooking water will cause the water to boil quicker, there is only a very slight difference between the boiling point of pure cooking water and water containing the amount of salt normally used in home cooking.
Considerations
Once salt has been added to cooking water, it cannot be removed. If you over-salt your cooking water, the only remedy is to add more water to dilute the solution.
Source:
Does water boil faster if you put salt in the water?
What affects the color and texture of vegetables?
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