# Do you salt your watermelon? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618 "2004-09-29T04:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/1 "2004-09-29T04:22:12Z")
I don’t. Never really understood why people do. So those of you who do, please tell me why. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/2 "2004-09-29T04:23:30Z")
I don’t, and I cringe when I see people do it. But, I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that the people who do it like the way it tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/3 "2004-09-29T04:28:27Z")
BLEARGH! :eek: Oh man, now I can’t stop thinking about how nasty that is!! Thanks a lot, mouthbreather! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/4 "2004-09-29T04:28:34Z")
My brother salts both watermelon and cantalope. Like you, I don’t understand why. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/5 "2004-09-29T04:29:10Z")
It tastes better to me… let’s see if I can describe it. The watermelon taste comes to the front while the watery taste of a jucy watermelon gets pushed back. Then there’s the contrast between the salt and the sweet. The trick is to put on just a **little** salt. Too much, and YUCK. Just like putting salt on popcorn, the trick is in getting the balance right. * * * \<\< Cats let you think you own them, but your cat is actually rented from the vet. \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/6 "2004-09-29T04:31:27Z")
I don’t really like melons but when I eat one, it’s almost always salted. Makes it juicier since the salt draws more juice up to the surface. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/7 "2004-09-29T04:31:38Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > Thanks a lot, mouthbreather! :mad: WTF did I do? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/8 "2004-09-29T04:41:35Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > I don’t. Never really understood why people do. So those of you who do, please tell me why. Because it brings a harmonious balance to the cosmos… Either that or it just taste better that way to some people…/Captian obvious. I also put pepper on my cantalope, thaknyouverymuch… ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/9 "2004-09-29T04:49:44Z")
You really do learn something every day, apparently; I had no idea that people salted their melons! I may have to give it a go the next time I get my hands on a good melon. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/10 "2004-09-29T05:08:32Z")
I was surprised to find out how often sodium is added to candy & sweets. I imagine in small amounts, it’s a flavor enhancer. Never tried it myself. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/11 "2004-09-29T05:44:00Z")
The salt creates a delicious sensation of contrasts, and it actually makes the sweetness of the fruit seem more significant, even bolder on the taste buds. Which is why I always salt watermelon and apples. I also put ketchup on potato chips. But _that’s_ for another thread!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/12 "2004-09-29T06:55:04Z")
My first reaction was yuck but then I remembered that last summer I had an addiction to a salad made with watermelon, feta cheese and onion with lemon juice. ---
**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:** [September 29, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/13 "2004-09-29T08:26:43Z")
I always salt apples, because they taste good that way. Never occurred to me that it might work for watermelon, too. I don’t really like watermelon, though. Anything that gets me sticky and isn’t sex rates pretty low. Maybe salt will help. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/14 "2004-09-29T10:05:08Z")
**No!** :eek: Having seen the words “watermelon” and “salt” together in a sentence, I must now die. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/15 "2004-09-29T11:33:29Z")
Salt is a flavor enhancer for almost any type of food. You’d probably be surprised by how many sweet foods have sodium on their list of ingredients. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/16 "2004-09-29T11:39:10Z")
Pfft. Amateurs. I use ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/17 "2004-09-29T12:48:52Z")
Used to salt watermelon as a kid, no idea why. I don’t recall an adult relative doing this, and none of them would cop to it years later when I asked about it. My best guess in my case, is that I liked salt on my watermelon like I _loved_ the taste of Miracle Whip, then my tastebuds formed. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/18 "2004-09-29T12:49:24Z")
> [@Johnny Bravo](#): > > Pfft. Amateurs. > > I use ketchup. Where’s that damn vomit smiley? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/19 "2004-09-29T12:53:48Z")
I was taught to do it when I was little but I abandoned the practice as I got older. While salt on watermelon doesn’t taste _bad_ to me, I like it better in the unadulterated state. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618/20 "2004-09-29T13:09:58Z")
Of course you put salt on watermelons, it makes it taste better. Sheesh. Ditto on the pepper on cantaloupe too. What are you guys going to complain about next, people who put sugar in tea? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-salt-your-watermelon-why/266618.md?page=2)