Is there a way to make leafy green vegetables absorb salt throughout their tissue?
For example you can make protein tissue absorb salt by brining/dry curing it. What ways can I make say some spinach or kale tissue absorb salt? I want the salt to be in and throughout the greens and not just placed on the surface.
Also if there is any penetration, I take it, it is just on the leaf parts and won't go into the stalk?
Best Answer
When the greens are cooked, the cells will rupture and more easily take on outside fluids (and salt), so salting them while cooking will get the salt into the greens. You could also brine or rub the leaves with salt, this is frequently done with cabbage before pickling. The effectiveness of this method will vary depending on the greens though, some leaves like kale have a more waterproof layer over the outside of the leaf, so just rubbing them with salt may not work. I have seen people "massage" the leaves with salt to tenderize them and break down some of the fibers, or blanch them in salted water.
Pictures about "Is there a way to make leafy green vegetables absorb salt throughout their tissue?"
Does spinach absorb salt?
For over-salted soups and stews, throw in some greens like kale, spinach, or mustard greens. These veggies cook fast and will absorb some of the salt.Does salt preserve chlorophyll?
The sodium in salt does help protect the chlorophyll molecule, but its effect is minimal. So don't rely on a healthy dose of salt to counteract adverse effects caused by acidic ingredients or excessive cooking.Why do green vegetables become bright green after blanching?
These air bubbles scatter light at the surface of the tissue, diluting the vibrant colour of the chlorophyll within. Briefly heating plant tissues by techniques such as blanching or quickly grilling causes these bubbles to expand and escape the tissue, unveiling the full, vibrant green hue.What are the factors that influence texture flavor color and nutritional changes when preparing fruits and cooking vegetable?
Cooking changes a vegetable's texture, flavor, color, and nutrient content. High temperatures make vegetables tender and enhance flavor. In addition, cooking usually makes vegetables safer to eat by killing microbes. Over- cooking, however, will cause texture, flavor, color, and nutrient content to deteriorate.Martha Stewart's 16-Recipe Hero Vegetables Special | How to Cook Mushrooms, Corn, and Onions
More answers regarding is there a way to make leafy green vegetables absorb salt throughout their tissue?
Answer 2
Disregard this answer, it's wrong. See comments of this answer.
If you expose vegetables (or actually pretty much any food) to salt and water is present, a process called osmosis will start.
Osmosis will cause the salt to "go into" your vegetables, as they contain less salt than the brine. It will go on for as long as there is less salt dissolved in the water of the vegetable (or whatever food you are using) than in the brine surrounding it.
However, I am not sure if there are vegetables that will simply get their water drawn out of them because the salt cannot get into the cells of the vegetable. This may or may not be the case, I have personally never tried it.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Pixabay, Thirdman, Francesco Ungaro, Jeffry Surianto