Do I Need to Salt Eggplant Before Cooking?

The old rule was: always salt eggplant before cooking to remove bitterness. Modern eggplant varieties have been bred to be far less bitter, so salting is no longer necessary in most situations.

When salting still helps

If you are frying eggplant, salting first draws out surface moisture and reduces how much oil the eggplant absorbs during cooking. Slice or cube the eggplant, sprinkle generously with salt, let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes, then pat completely dry before it goes into the pan.

For roasting, grilling, or braising, skip the salting step. The oven or grill heat will draw out moisture naturally and concentrate the flavor without the extra time.

The bitter exception

If you are cooking with very large, mature eggplant or a variety you are unfamiliar with and the raw flesh tastes noticeably bitter, salt it. Smaller, younger eggplant rarely needs it.

The Caponata and the Spicy Grilled Eggplant both skip the salt step because the cooking method handles the moisture without it.

Have a preparation question while you are cooking? Sous can help. Available in the Kitchen membership at chefhealthyhenry.com.