Do you salt your pasta water?

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Does "science" say to salt pasta water? #shorts #throwbackthursday #science #SciShow

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Type: Question • Score: 15 • Views: 3,935 • Replies: 21

[+5] - glitterbag - 08/25/2023I misread the title of this thread, thought it asked "do you sell your pasta water"? I couldn't wait to find out how many people sell "pasta water", now I'm depressed.
[+4] - hightor - 08/25/2023Not about pasta but I've used a recipe for small boiled potatoes which call for as much as a cup and a half of non-iodized salt in two quarts of water. The super-heated solution makes for creamy...
[+3] - Mame - 08/22/2023Absolutely, with kosher salt.
[+3] - engineer - 08/22/2023Yes, but not to make the pasta cook faster per the video. Salting the water is a great way to add flavor.
[+3] - Region Philbis - 08/25/2023 it's a bit of a supply | demand issue...
[+3] - bobsal u1553115 - 08/25/2023I got 10 gallons I'll sell ya. Don't let the cops know: it's hot. I mean it's really hot.

View best answer, chosen by tsarstepan

@tsarstepan,

Absolutely, with kosher salt.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

Yes, but not to make the pasta cook faster per the video. Salting the water is a great way to add flavor.

1 Reply

yup to both ^^ replies...

0 Replies

If I forget to add it, I know immediately as soon as I taste it.

0 Replies

@engineer,

engineer wrote:

Yes, but not to make the pasta cook faster per the video. Salting the water is a great way to add flavor.

The video basically says the practice of salting water to make it cook faster is moot/negligible because the amount most people add to a given pot only raise it 0.05 C degrees. So, not really making it cook any noticeably faster.

0 Replies

If water is chlorinated (veery common in No. American water supplies) and table salt is added which is Iodized (very common too) harmful compounds may then form which could be a health hazard.

Furthermore, adding salt to pasta water raises the boiling temp about 1 deg F, which may help pasta cook through more thoroughly. I never noticed any difference.

0 Replies

Pasta cooked in water that is not salted is nuts. Pasta requires salt in its cooking water to give a bit of taste. The various sauces used add to the taste, but if the water has not been salted, anyone with taste buds that work can tell the difference...and the difference is hugely negative.

I accept that some may disagree.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Pasta water has got to seriously salted.

0 Replies

Not about pasta but I've used a recipe for small boiled potatoes which call for as much as a cup and a half of non-iodized salt in two quarts of water. The super-heated solution makes for creamy potatoes which are covered with a thin film of salt after they drain. Very tasty.

Quote:

Syracuse salt potatoes are a regional specialty of Syracuse, New York, aka "Salt City." Salt potatoes date to the 1800s, and were invented by local salt mine workers who created a simple and inexpensive lunch by boiling small potatoes in brine. The potatoes are still very popular today with the Central New York crowd, making an incredibly easy and delicious side dish.

allrecipes

Quote:

A little salt sure makes everything taste better. But in Salt City (Syracuse, N. Y.) the only way to cook potatoes is with a lot of salt.

atk

0 Replies

I misread the title of this thread, thought it asked "do you sell your pasta water"? I couldn't wait to find out how many people sell "pasta water", now I'm depressed.

2 Replies

@glitterbag,

it's a bit of a supply | demand issue...

0 Replies

@glitterbag,

I got 10 gallons I'll sell ya. Don't let the cops know: it's hot. I mean it's really hot.

0 Replies

@Mame,

Mame wrote:

Absolutely, with kosher salt.

What's with kosher salt? I see it a lot in American recipes. What is the difference between kosher salt and table salt or cooking salt (or even rock salt)?

2 Replies

@margo,

I'll help you wait for an answer.

0 Replies

@margo,

Not counting the religious angle there are at least two good reasons. Kosher salt doesn't contain the anti-caking agents that table salt does. (Neither does "canning salt".) The other reason is the texture of the flakes but that's not an issue when adding salt to cooking water.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.isPJa912aEgnpAgVmIF0EwAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=f1f815df5df3817d87120865d4a12f9ef88589bdc88a4ddbb01901ec8b7e4b6f&ipo=images

1 Reply

@hightor,

We call it "natural salt".

There is only one commercial ladle factory left in Europe (about 80 miles from me). From there you can get natural salt quite cheaply - or you can get it "fresh" at local festivals in the many brine thermal baths (150 yards away is the nearest one) around here, or buy it at the shops there.

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Thanks. I've never seen "kosher" salt in supermarkets here, but then, I live in an Asian / Italian area.

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I've never seen "natural" or "un-natural" salt either.

Cooking salt, rather than table salt?

1 Reply

I do put salt in, usually low sodium salt, and some olive oil to stop it sticking.

My posh salt is pink Himalayan salt that I keep in the grinder.

0 Replies

Do you salt your pasta water?

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