When to Salt Eggplant Before Cooking—and When You Don’t Need To

Salting vegetables before cooking them is a great way to draw out water, making for a better texture and more condensed flavor. This step is often done with vegetables with high moisture content, like zucchini, cucumber, or eggplant. However, salting vegetables is time-consuming and not always necessary, depending on the dish you’re making. We spoke to Holly Snyder, a food innovator and culinary executive, about the merits of salting eggplant and how it might impact your finished dish.

Why We Salt Eggplant

In the culinary world, eggplant’s bitter qualities have long been the subject of debate, says Snyder. “The common belief was that salting eggplant was essential to 'extract' its bitterness. The truth is, salt doesn't actually eliminate bitterness; it simply masks it." Also, while salting eggplant has historically been thought to remove bitterness, Snyder says most modern eggplant varieties have been cultivated specifically to reduce the amount of bitterness, which makes salting eggplant for that reason irrelevant. However, there’s still a good reason to salt eggplant before cooking.

The Benefits of Salting Eggplant

Salting eggplant before cooking it helps draw out moisture, which Snyder says is particularly useful in dishes where texture is important. Layered dishes with sauces (like eggplant parmesan) or fried eggplant can certainly benefit from salting, just be sure to pat the flesh dry to remove any surface moisture before cooking. 

While it doesn’t remove natural bitterness, salting eggplant can still have a positive impact on flavor. “The process of osmosis helps transfer salt into the cells of the eggplant, seasoning it more deeply, much like how one would season a piece of meat and let it rest,” says Snyder. 

When to Salt Eggplant—and When Not To

Snyder says that, ultimately, the decision to salt eggplant before cooking largely depends on the dish at hand and the individual's personal preferences.

• When to salt: If you’re frying, searing, or cooking it to achieve a crisp texture, salting eggplant beforehand is a step you shouldn’t skip. 
• When not to salt: If you’re cooking eggplant low and slow, there isn’t much reason to salt your eggplant before cooking it. The flesh will break down slowly either way, so salting it in advance is certainly a step you can skip.
  

Which Types of Eggplant Require Salting?

In addition to considering how you are going to cook the eggplant, pay close attention to the variety of eggplant you’re using before deciding whether or not to salt it, says Snyder. “For cooks who prefer to minimize pre-salting, or dislike bitter notes altogether, she recommends opting for Japanese eggplant and fairytale varieties, which are sweeter than the common globe eggplant.