Read This Before You Salt Your Vegetables

How to maximize flavor and gobble up glory — with no watery messes in sight

The word salad comes from the Latin word for salt, so it’s no surprise that the two go hand in hand: salting vegetables (and not just greens), even briefly, can maximize their crispness and flavor by causing them to release their water. But when, exactly, should you add salt? Our thoughts below.

Cabbage

Make your slaw with salted cabbage and it’ll be noticeably less watery and stay crisp and fresh for days longer. Put sliced cabbage in a colander, sprinkle with salt (about a tablespoon for 6 cups cabbage), toss, let sit. After about an hour, rinse and drain. For extra crispness, rinse, then wring dry in a towel after salting.