Quick Tip: Salt Your Cooking Water

Do you salt your water for pasta or potatoes?  I know it seems like you can just add salt later, but it’s incredible how much difference it makes if you salt the cooking water.  One tablespoon of salt is recommended for four quarts of water (a good amount for one pound of pasta), and while it seems like a lot, much of the salt gets tossed with the cooking water.

It’s likely that you’ll add more salt if you add it after cooking, because you’ll only be salting the surface.  If you put it in the cooking water, it penetrates the pasta or potatoes and distributes the salt much more thoroughly.

If you don’t believe there’s a difference, try cooking two batches of pasta and salting one during cooking.  The difference is unbelievable!