I use to fry potatoes reusing the same (olive) oil several times (about 5-6 times), and I salt them while frying. But the the oil doesn’t get salty. What’s the reason for that?
In: 2000
You know how oil and water don’t mix? It turns out everything is either like oil or like water or somewhere in the middle. Salt is like water, so it mixes with water and not with oil.
Salt doesn’t dissolve in oil, so it just kinda settles at the bottom of the pan if it isn’t absorbed by food.
In general, things only dissolve in either oil or water; not both. The only way you get oil and water to mix is if you’re using an “emulsifier” like egg, or sodium citrate.
You know how oil and water don’t mix? It turns out everything is either like oil or like water or somewhere in the middle. Salt is like water, so it mixes with water and not with oil.
Salt doesn’t dissolve in oil, so it just kinda settles at the bottom of the pan if it isn’t absorbed by food.
In general, things only dissolve in either oil or water; not both. The only way you get oil and water to mix is if you’re using an “emulsifier” like egg, or sodium citrate.
You know how oil and water don’t mix? It turns out everything is either like oil or like water or somewhere in the middle. Salt is like water, so it mixes with water and not with oil.
When we cook potatoes in oil and add salt, the salt sticks to the surface of the potatoes and doesn’t dissolve in the oil. Think of it like adding sprinkles to ice cream – the sprinkles don’t mix with the ice cream, they just sit on top. In the same way, the salt just stays on the potatoes and doesn’t mix with the oil. That’s why the oil doesn’t get salty even when we add salt to the potatoes.
When we cook potatoes in oil and add salt, the salt sticks to the surface of the potatoes and doesn’t dissolve in the oil. Think of it like adding sprinkles to ice cream – the sprinkles don’t mix with the ice cream, they just sit on top. In the same way, the salt just stays on the potatoes and doesn’t mix with the oil. That’s why the oil doesn’t get salty even when we add salt to the potatoes.
When we cook potatoes in oil and add salt, the salt sticks to the surface of the potatoes and doesn’t dissolve in the oil. Think of it like adding sprinkles to ice cream – the sprinkles don’t mix with the ice cream, they just sit on top. In the same way, the salt just stays on the potatoes and doesn’t mix with the oil. That’s why the oil doesn’t get salty even when we add salt to the potatoes.
You should absolutely not be adding salt to the oil while frying. Why on earth would you? Salt is one of the “enemies” of oil. The list includes water, and ice. Ice makes frying oil explode. Salt deteriorates the quality of the oil and darkens it, as it “burns”. Which means you’d have to change your oil more frequently because it tastes bad.
And you also don’t effectively season your fries/food this way anyways.
-A Le Cordon Bleu cuisine graduate, and line cook/sous chef for over a decade.
You should absolutely not be adding salt to the oil while frying. Why on earth would you? Salt is one of the “enemies” of oil. The list includes water, and ice. Ice makes frying oil explode. Salt deteriorates the quality of the oil and darkens it, as it “burns”. Which means you’d have to change your oil more frequently because it tastes bad.
And you also don’t effectively season your fries/food this way anyways.
-A Le Cordon Bleu cuisine graduate, and line cook/sous chef for over a decade.
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