Why You Should Never Use Salt When Boiling Corn
By WENDY LEIGH
Food - Drink
Salt is a modern-day mainstay in kitchens across the globe, and there are countless options these days, like Himalayan sea salt, kosher, flaked, artisanal, Celtic gray, and red Hawaiian. While it’s a kitchen staple, sometimes we might use it incorrectly.
That's where the debate on boiling fresh sweet corn with salted water comes in. Boiling sweet corn cobs provides one of the quickest ways to get it on a plate, as a covered pot of boiling water can produce tender ears of corn in approximately three to five minutes.
Timing is crucial while boiling, as overcooking results in a tough texture and loss of the sweet flavor. By introducing salt, you raise the boiling point of water, and the calcium further hardens the kernels. Experts state that the calcium typically comes from anti-caking agents – but further experimentation revealed tough corn skins even when using calcium-free kosher salt.