After the start of autumn, one should consider warming foods in their diet. At this time, stewed dishes become a superior choice. Whether it's the lamb and radhot pot popular in winter, or a nourishing soup that warms you up instantly, they can all make your mouth water. But do you know when you should add salt when cooking?
Adding salt too early when stewing radish makes it difficult to cook. Salt can give the soup a delicious umami flavor, but if the soup is simmered for another hour or so after adding salt, it can become overly salty. This is because the ingredients themselves contain some salt, which is released the longer they are simmered. If salt is added too early, the final taste can be too salty. When stewing chicken, adding salt too early causes the chicken's moisture to seep out, the proteins to coagulate, and the meat to shrink and tighten. This affects the dissolution of nutrients into the soup, hinders the soup's richness and quality, and makes the stewed chicken tough and old. For ingredients that are difficult to cook through, such as white radishes and potatoes, adding salt too early can actually make them even harder to cook through.
The same applies to stir-frying; it is not suitable to add salt too early. Adding salt too early can cause vegetables to lose moisture, making them taste dry and hard to eat, lacking a crisp, juicy texture.
Add salt just before finishing. Whether you're making soups, stews, or stir-fries, it is recommended to add salt just before serving. By adding salt at this stage, the fresh flavor is best preserved. Because the flavors of the ingredients have been fully released, it's less likely to add too much salt, effectively preventing excessive sodium intake.