The Art of Adding Salt to Your Cooking

Adding salt is a fundamental technique in cooking, but it’s important to master when and how to add it to enhance, rather than overpower, the flavors of your dishes. If you’re uncertain about the optimal times to add salt, read on.

1. Four key moments to add salt

Add salt before cooking

Add salt before cooking

Consider marinating meat with salt before cooking to achieve desired tenderness and flavor. Salt aids in protein hydration and water absorption, resulting in tender meat that cooks more quickly. Before applying salt, there are a few preparation techniques that can enhance the final outcome of your meat dishes.

Add salt while cooking

Add salt while cooking

When preparing soups or stir-fries, it’s best to season with salt while cooking. This method ensures even cooking and optimal tenderness in your dishes. For stir-fries, adding salt prior to cooking allows the seasoning to dissolve and penetrate evenly throughout the ingredients.

Pro Tip: Season your dishes with small amounts of salt multiple times to easily adjust the saltiness according to your taste preferences.

Add salt before completing the dish

Before completing the dish

For soups, it’s advisable to add salt just before turning off the heat, as adding it too early can lead to protein coagulation, affecting the nutritional value and appearance of the soup. When stir-frying green vegetables, it’s customary to add salt after cooking to maintain their nutritional profile and vibrant color.

Add salt after cooking

Add salt after cooking

For dishes such as salads that require minimal cooking, it’s advisable to add salt after cooking to preserve the crispness and natural sweetness of the vegetables. Bone soup, vegetable soup, and certain salads also benefit from salt being added after the dish is complete.

2. A Guide to Salt Control in Cooking

Guide to control salt in cooking

It is recommended to limit salt consumption to 6g per day. To regulate the amount of salt in your cooking, consider incorporating alternative seasonings such as herbs, spices, or other flavorful substitutes. Additionally, serving dishes with complementary dipping sauces can reduce the reliance on salt and enhance overall flavor. Experimenting with diverse ingredients and flavors can help achieve a well-balanced and delicious meal without excessive saltiness.

Always exercise caution and control the amount of salt while cooking to ensure both the flavor of your dishes and the well-being of your loved ones.