# Do you salt your food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807 "2011-12-02T05:42:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/41 "2011-12-02T16:42:42Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > I don’t add salt to food, and tend to prefer low-sodium versions of traditionally salty things (canned soups, crackers). I even prefer my fries and pretzels to be unsalted. I’ve got a canister of salt in the cupboard that I bought when I was 18… I’m now 37. (Just checked… it still pours, so Morton Salt’s slogan holds up after years of exposure to humidity.) I hope this will be deemed On-Topic, but you’ve reminded me of the old riddle: Q- How do you know if a marriage is going to last? A- They’re on their second bottle of Tabasco sauce. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/42 "2011-12-02T18:27:08Z")
I don’t salt, never have. I can’t say that I hate the taste of salt because I’ll eat salty french fries or potato chips, but I never got into the habit. I also don’t usually eat french fries or potato chips and come to think of it I’ve always disliked pretzels. I do put salt into food when a recipe calls for it. I’ve never found myself adding extra salt to a recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/43 "2011-12-02T18:46:02Z")
I salt my food during preparation and only add salt at the table if it is undersalted, but I’ll eat it undersalted rather than risk insulting my host if I am a guest. It’s pretty rare for food to be served undersalted in a restaurant. There are a few things that I’ll add salt to at the table, if it’s something that can be salted during prep (like corn on the cob,) but in general I don’t reach for the shaker very often. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/44 "2011-12-02T18:51:43Z")
I love adding sea salt to starches and meat. I’m trying to cut back, although I’m another one whose blood pressure hovers around 90/60. I eat a lot of lunches at our school cafeteria, and most of them are underseasoned. I see a lot of kids salting before trying a bite-- from the posts above, I wonder how many of their parents do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/45 "2011-12-02T19:11:12Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Infrequently. So infrequently that I wanted to add salt to something the other day and discovered that I didn’t have any. I never salt my food, and use salt only on the rare occasions that I cook something (such as adding it to boiling water for pasta). I recently noticed that I have almost finished up the 26 oz. Morton salt container that I brought with me when I moved into my current apartment in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/46 "2011-12-02T19:25:13Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Ah, but salt can make really bland boring food come alive and make you want to eat it! I never cook bland boring food, nor eat in a restaurant that serves it. Why on Earth would I want to? ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/47 "2011-12-02T19:58:34Z")
Had to select your “Please do not select this option.” Some stuff I salt, some not, and all that I do salt in varying degrees. I hope some of the others here are saying the same. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/48 "2011-12-02T20:01:46Z")
I voted never, but I guess there’s a small bit of a lie in that. If I’m eating French fries, I _might_ salt them first. Usually I don’t, but I might. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/49 "2011-12-02T20:10:26Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I hope this will be deemed On-Topic, but you’ve reminded me of the old riddle: > > Q- How do you know if a marriage is going to last? > A- They’re on their second bottle of Tabasco sauce. Heh; I had a brain fart when we ran out of Tabasco sauce and accidentally bought two bottles. That’s pretty much a lifetime supply. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/50 "2011-12-02T20:14:17Z")
I salt French fries and soft pretzels, that’s it. I’m more into pepper & garlic. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/51 "2011-12-02T20:14:22Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Heh; I had a brain fart when we ran out of Tabasco sauce and accidentally bought two bottles. That’s pretty much a lifetime supply. 🙂 What? Not in our house (though I use other types of hot sauce more frequently). Salt not so much. Pepper almost every meal. I do taste it first and try not to do it when at someone else’s house. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/52 "2011-12-02T20:57:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I never cook bland boring food, nor eat in a restaurant that serves it. Why on Earth would I want to? This is hysterical. If you’re eating in a restaurant, then you’re consuming a ton of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/53 "2011-12-02T21:03:40Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > This is hysterical. If you’re eating in a restaurant, then you’re consuming a ton of salt. I don’t want to speak for RealityChuck, but I doubt he’d disagree with you. He was responding to another poster, and saying that he doesn’t prepare bland boring food himself, and doesn’t eat in any restaurant _that prepares bland boring food_, so he doesn’t have to \*add \*any salt to whatever he’s cooked or _ordered_. I doubt he’d disagree that restaurants use plenty of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/54 "2011-12-02T21:16:39Z")
> [@Lunar\_Saltlick](#): > > I don’t want to speak for RealityChuck, but I doubt he’d disagree with you. He was responding to another poster, and saying that he doesn’t prepare bland boring food himself, and doesn’t eat in any restaurant _that prepares bland boring food_, so he doesn’t have to \*add \*any salt to whatever he’s cooked or _ordered_. I doubt he’d disagree that restaurants use plenty of salt. I wouldn’t be so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/55 "2011-12-02T23:42:58Z")
I only put salt on chips/french fries. Otherwise no. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/56 "2011-12-02T23:48:13Z")
I picked “never” because I always make my own food except when a friend and I go out to eat, and always season my food whilst in the preparation, but that’s not true – French Fries. I rarely get them eating out, but if they aren’t salty enough, I can recall salting them in the past. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/57 "2011-12-03T00:51:34Z")
When I’m cooking a big slab of meat I will cut off a chunk and salt it heavily. Just one or two pieces. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/58 "2011-12-03T01:45:08Z")
I see 14 other scofflaws here =) I taste my food and add salt or soy sauce if it needs it. So there is no exact good response. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/59 "2011-12-03T01:51:57Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Salt is my favorite food. I love salt. I salt everything, especially pasta, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. Salt, salt, salt. I do not have high blood pressure. Pasta? > [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Being forced to eat say, potatoes, without salt would be like a form of torture. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![missinformation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@missinformation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missinformation)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807/60 "2011-12-03T02:18:17Z")
Rarely use salt here, only on corn on the cob and sometimes on French Fries. Do not cook with salt either…we are big garlic and onion powder users here…and I love oregano… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-food/604807.md?page=4)