Try This Salting Step to Make Your Tomatoes Even MORE Delicious

Watery tomatoes can ruin the meal. Change that with this one simple ingredient, I guarantee, you have in your pantry!

Sliced tomatoes are amazing! Tomatoes in general are amazing! A perfectly sliced tomato should be firm, juicy, and a deep red.

However, we tend to find the tomatoes that are watery, slimy, and filled with seeds. BUT, did you know there is a simple hack that turn your sub-par tomato into one of the juiciest tomatoes you've ever had? And the key to this amazing hack is MOST LIKELY already in your pantry.

Slicing tomatoes can be for a myriad of things. Whether for burgers, tomato sandwiches, or even a Caprese Salad, you will need to carve out a little time to prep your tomatoes for this hack. About ten to fifteen minutes should work. The hack: Lightly salt the tomato slices. (waits for minds to be blown)

Now this hack isn't really anything new, and it doesn't really make the slices taste better. However, it is rather scientific. The salt actually draws out the slimly liquid and makes the slices more dense. 

The Science Behind the Salt

Salting draws liquid out of the tomato through the process of osmosis. What that means is the tendency of the liquid (i.e. the tomato juice) migrates across membrane (the cell wall of the tomato) from an area of low solute concentration (inside the cells) to an area of high solute concentration (outside the cells). And when you remove the excess water from the tomato, it concentrates its flavor to make it more flavorful and more...tomatoey? 

Here's How To Do It:

• Slice your tomato with a serrated knife.
• Lay the slices flat on a metal cooling wrack over a baking tray.
• Lightly sprinkle the salt on top of each slice. I would recommend using a Kosher salt (Grillionaire Recommendation: True Salt Kosher Grain Salt). Reason being, it is easier to pinch with your fingers than table salt, and is finer than sea salt; which can add an unwanted crunch.
• Rest the tomatoes about eight minutes. You will start to see beads of liquid rise to the tops of the slices. When this happens, dab the tops of them with a paper towel. 
• Repeat the process on the back side simply by flipping it over.

FYI: If you cute your tomatoes into wedges, an alternative is to put the sliced wedges in a colander and light lightly salt them. Let them sit for fifteen to twenty minutes and give them a shake to drain the excess liquid.

Until next time, eat well and do well!