Of Course You Should Salt Your Salad Greens, But When You Do It Matters
In the event you’ve never thought of timing and salt
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The word salad comes from the Latin word for salt, so it’s no surprise that the two concepts go hand in hand: salting vegetables, even briefly, can maximize their crispness and flavor by causing them to release their water. But when should you add salt? Turns out that timing matters. Here are some thoughts below.
Cabbage
When slaws are made with salted cabbage, they are noticeably less watery and stay crisp and fresh for a few days longer. Put sliced cabbage in a colander, sprinkle with salt (about a tablespoon for 6 cups cabbage), and let sit. After about an hour, rinse and drain. For extra crispness, rinse, then wring dry in a towel after salting; if that’s not your goal, just pat dry after rinsing.
Cucumbers
Ordinary cukes benefit a lot from salting. First peel, seed and slice them. Then use the same procedure as for cabbage.
Radishes
Sliced radishes may be salted like cabbage and cucumbers — they become milder and crisper — but only for an absolute maximum of 45 minutes, or they will become limp.
Tomatoes
Lightly salting tomatoes always improves their flavor and tightens their flesh, but they are fragile. Use less salt (about 1 teaspoon per pound) and leave them for only15 minutes or so. Put salted chopped tomatoes in a colander(and set a bowl under it if you want to trap the tomato water for using in stocks or sauces)…
