This is a secret we are dying to share – salt on apples has many benefits and will change your life forever. What does salt do on apples? First of all, it helps balance the sweet and bitter flavors of some apples. Second, it tenderizes them so that they become crunchier and less soft. Third, it can extract excess moisture — this will create less saucy fillings, which are ideal for crunchy, crisp pastries and pies. Using salt and different varieties of apples, we will discuss how this amazing yet underrated trick enhances and elevates the apple flavors.
Why Do People Put Salt On Apples?
Neither we nor you had heard of this. But as soon as we implemented it, our lives completely changed. There are a couple of reasons why you would salt apples. In the first place, bakers and pastry chefs use this technique to remove moisture and juices from apple flesh. Basically, you can make a drier filling or topping by removing moisture from apple slices or wedges. It prevents the pie crust or pastry lining from becoming excessively soggy, which many bakers want.
Apples release a lot of juice when baked (unsalted). Although this is great for apple sauce, apple custard, and apple muffins, it ruins pastries and pies. Another reason people add salt over apples is simply because it tastes good. Yes, it’s strange – but it’s a fantastic way to balance an overly sweet or extremely tart flavor.
If you do not want to eat apples with salt on them, you can always use this technique when making fillings, sauces, and jams. In most cases, these items contain salt in their recipes. And since salt removes moisture anyway, balancing the flavors at the same time will help you save time and effort.
Does It Change Their Flavor?
Regardless of how you use the apples, salt is sure to change their flavor. Luckily, that’s the whole point of salting! Salt extracts moisture from apples while also tenderizing the texture (flesh) of the apple, so some of the salty liquid can be reabsorbed. There will be some saltiness on your apples, but we are not saying they will be super-salted.
When making salted apple snacks, you will likely add more salt per snack than if you were extracting moisture from the apple. The flavor of the mixture will change if you use salt to help balance the flavor, since the purpose of using salt is to change the flavor.
Can You Prevent The Apples From Becoming Salty?
When using the trick to extract moisture from apples, many people are concerned about the apples becoming salty. You can reduce the saltiness of the apples by rinsing them and patting them dry very well before using them in the mixture. It is, however, the downside of doing this that the apples will re-absorb some liquids (which you just tried to get rid of).
The key is not to use too much salt for this technique – just sprinkle a pinch or two over the wedges. The salt enhances the natural flavors of apples while balancing overly sweet or tart flavours. If your apples have a slight salty flavor, don’t worry about it.
Does It Affect Different Types Of Apples In Different Ways?
Different varieties of apples have different flavors. Although you probably won’t be able to sample all 7,500 varieties, you should be able to taste the most popular ones! Take a look at the main flavors of apples and how salt will affect them.
Sweet Apples
There are many types of apples that are eaten worldwide, but they are usually sweet varieties like Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Opal, Sweetie, and Kiku.Known for their super-sweet flavor and juicy texture, these apples are often very popular.
Salt balances the sweetness of these apples. That means the apples will be less sweet – not necessarily that you will taste the salt or that they will taste very salty. The amount of salt you add will obviously affect how salty the apples are.
Tart Apples
Adding salt to tart apples will not make them less tart – in fact, the tartness will most likely enhance the saltiness. Tart apples include Pink Lady, Braeburn, Johnathan, Empire, and Cortland.
Bitter Apples
Even though some people use these terms interchangeably, bitter and tart are not the same. While they share some characteristics, they are different. In terms of bitter flavors, you are describing an acrid flavor, not a sour one. Something can be bitter (like coffee) without being sour. Lemons are sour.There is a difference between lemon pith and lemon juice, which is more tart. Lemon pith has a sharper, more acidic taste.
It helps reduce the bitter flavors of bitter apples while enhancing the sweeter and fruitier ones. Bramley’s Seedling, Honeycrisp, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Meridian apples are all naturally more bitter than others. Apples may also taste bitter if they are under-ripe. Salt may not fix the hard texture, but it will improve the flavor.
How To Use Salt With Apples
Salting apples depends on why you are doing so.
1. Extracting Moisture
To extract moisture from apple slices or cubes, sprinkle a pinch or two of fine salt over them. If you layer the apples evenly, you will be able to salt as much as possible without over-salting any of them. Also, place the apples on some dry paper towels to absorb the moisture. This will prevent the apples from reabsorbing salty apple juice.
2. Tenderizing Apples
While salt extracts moisture from apples, it also breaks down bonds in their flesh. This is what ultimately tenderizes the apples. The best way to do this is to salt or soak the apples in salted water. The apples will come out slightly salty – just don’t overdo it with the water-to-salt ratio.
3. Seasoning Apples For Snacks
Snacks and other treats can be made with as much or as little salt as you wish. The apples are naturally sweet and fruity, so we don’t want to overdo it, or they will lose their natural flavor.
4. Balancing Flavor
Fillings, toppings, and sauces made from apples can be challenging to create. Always start with a pinch – sometimes that’s all there is to it! You can always add salt, but you cannot take it away. It is next to impossible to make something less salty.
Best Salts To Use For Apples
When you add salt to apples, different apples have different flavors. But what about when you use different types of salt? There are some great benefits to choosing a specific type of apple, depending on why you are adding salt to them. A variety of salts can be used for tenderizing and extracting moisture, including coarse salt, kosher salt, and fine salt.
Nevertheless, if you want to enhance the fruitiness of the apples, you should consider using special salts. Don’t worry, they are extremely versatile, and you can use them for cooking as well. Pink Himalayan salt is one such example – it’s said to have a mineral-based flavor and a clean finish. Not to mention that it’s super healthy!
Alternatively, you can use seasoned salts such as lime salt. The salt and acidity of the lime will enhance the flavor of the apple mixture. Trying different flavors and combinations is another fantastic opportunity!