Salt in 'yo water

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

For those who put salt in water before you set it to boil, why?

Why do this thing? For what purpose, I ask?

[Shorty]

Salt lowers the required temperature for water to reach its boiling point.

something something science something something source

[Pumpkin]

http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodchemistryfaqs/f/Does-Adding-Salt-Lower-The-Boiling-Point-Of-Water.htm
http://chemistry.about.com/od/solutionsmixtures/a/boilingpointele.-NxZ.htm
http://www.knowswhy.com/why-does-salt-make-water-boil-faster/

I'm sure I could link more stuff, but adding salt may actually make it boil slower

Barely though. It has very very little effect on it unless you add a crap ton of salt.

Basically after reading a few pages on this it seems that it may make the water boil more slowly but it will be of a higher temperature when it does boil, meaning the food will cook faster. But again, you usually need a good deal of salt.

i put my pasta in with the water before it boils anyway so it makes very little difference to me

[chionos]

Um, the main purpose is to add taste to the food. It's usually a subtle difference, if it's noticeable at all, but sometimes it can add quite a bit of flavor, like with plain noodles. Most of the time a person wouldn't notice the difference because the noodles get covered with various sauces that have their own taste, but try eating just plain noodles with and without salt added to the water and you'll notice a difference.

[Mirage]

It's to enhance the taste of whatever I'm cooking. I put it in while the water boils and/or before i put in my ingredients because that makes it get evenly spread through everything.

I never did it with the intention of making the water boil sooner or something. I didn't think it would affect the boiling point, even if it does affect the freezing point.

[noxious.sunshine]

Yeah.

Adding salt flavors whatever you're boiling- especially pasta.

You cannot season pasta after it's cooked and get the same effect you would if you'd salted the water.

I always boil my pasta noodles in chicken stock, though. Much nom.

[Skyblade]

Yeah.

Adding salt flavors whatever you're boiling- especially pasta.

You cannot season pasta after it's cooked and get the same effect you would if you'd salted the water.

I always boil my pasta noodles in chicken stock, though. Much nom.

You cannot season anything after its cooked and get the same effect as you would if you'd salted it during cooking.

Salting the water definitely enhances the flavor of whatever you're boiling. It's pretty much the only way to season most things that you are boiling, so it's a pretty common practice.

[Night Fury]

Lol. Pasta noodles.

Adding salt to the water... yeah it adds flavour. Also, when you're poaching an egg you should add both salt and white vinegar to the water to make it cook correctly!

[Shauna]

Lol. Pasta noodles.

They're totes the same thing.

But yeah, salt in boiling water is the thing to do. Why wouldn't you, or why would you question this age old technique of making nice food, is my question to you Mr Plef!? :3

[noxious.sunshine]

Ha ha ha. Shaddup. >.^ olol

If poaching an egg, you can't add too much vinegar. Like a little less than a tablespoon. Otherwise it'll taste like vinegar.

[Quindiana Jones]

Good song,

[Chibi Youkai]

Salt and a little bit of olive oil before putting the pasta in is the way to go. Also helps keep everything from sticking together.

[noxious.sunshine]

Olive oil makes sauce not stick to the noodles tho :/

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Lol. Pasta noodles.

They're totes the same thing.

But yeah, salt in boiling water is the thing to do. Why wouldn't you, or why would you question this age old technique of making nice food, is my question to you Mr Plef!? :3

Because I've been doing it for years and never understood why. I always figured it was for taste, but I knew there was science behind salt water boiling hotter.

[Spuuky]

I boil pasta with water only. Because why would I want salty pasta? I am already going to be adding a bunch of cheese and sauce.

[Chibi Youkai]

It doesn't make it taste salty, unless you put too much in.

[Spuuky]

Depends on your sensitivity to salt. I can taste salt in some brands of bottled water.