Boiling Potatoes - adding salt

Yorky

Yorky

RIP 21/01/2024
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When boiling potatoes or even parboiling them, I always add salt to the water. I've never really known why so I looked it up.

There appears to be a number of reasons held by differing people, e.g. the salt increase the boiling point of the water, it reduces "'stickyness", it enhances the "crispyness" of subsequently roasted potatoes.

Are there any other views from the panel?
 
They taste better to me is all I know. However, if I am going to roast them, I steam them so they don't absorb as much water. They seem to get crispy faster. I do sprinkle them with salt before steaming so at least they pick up some salt when the condensed steam drips back down from the lid.
 
I always so add salt to potatoes and really to almost any vegetables that I'm boiling/simmering. But then, I'm a salt addict! I do think adding salt improves the taste of potatoes.
 
morning glory said:
I always so add salt to potatoes and really to almost any vegetables that I'm boiling/simmering. But then, I'm a salt addict! I do think adding salt improves the taste of potatoes.
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Have you ever tried salt crusted potatoes? Craig and I did once but they were a little too salty for us. We said we were going to try them again, though with a bit less salt, but never did.
 
I never knew why.

But for everything that I boil, I've always added a little bit of salt to the water. About the only thing that I don't add salt to is the water used for boiling eggs.
I've always been told that salt helps take away the extreme freshness in food that can sometimes give it that sometimes extremely bitter taste.

Not enough where you can actually taste the salt, but just enough to tame the bitter taste that some foods can give you. :wink:
 
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medtran49 said:
Have you ever tried salt crusted potatoes? Craig and I did once but they were a little too salty for us. We said we were going to try them again, though with a bit less salt, but never did.
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Well not that I know of - but I do put loads of salt on when I roast potatoes. Is there a specific recipe you can point me to?

One thing about salt is that it varies a lot in intensity depending on the type of salt. The Himalayan pink crystal salt I often use is much milder than table salt, for example.
 
morning glory said:
Well not that I know of - but I do put loads of salt on when I roast potatoes. Is there a specific recipe you can point me to?

One thing about salt is that it varies a lot in intensity depending on the type of salt. The Himalayan pink crystal salt I often use is much milder than table salt, for example.
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It's been so long I don't remember which recipe we used, but Serious Eats is very reliable. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/colombian-style-salt-crusted-new-potatoes-recipe.html

It's basically boiling potatoes in very heavily salted water until the water is gone and a salt crust crystalizes on the potatoes.
 
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