Hidden trick for perfect vegetable salad: The marination magic
Vegetable salad is an essential dish for any holiday gathering. There are numerous recipes for it, but a particular trick guarantees a distinct and aromatic flavor. You have to try it.
It's often said that a vegetable salad needs to "marinate" before eating. This description is quite fitting because, from a chemical perspective, this process does indeed occur. Mateusz Bereźnicki from the Copernicus Science Center explains what it is and why it's so crucial in the preparation of the salad in an interview with Polish Radio.
The "marinating" of vegetable salad
"Marinating" in relation to a dish is a process that raises many questions. Many people wonder what marinating is and what happens to make the dish taste better. From an expert's point of view, this phenomenon involves osmosis, which results in a new flavor.
- It's nothing more than the movement of a solvent—in this case, water—through biological barriers, such as the plant cells in a vegetable salad - explains Mateusz Bereźnicki.
- "Marinating" is not just one of these processes, but a whole series of phenomena that ultimately lead to a change in our taste perception. This occurs not only in vegetable salads but generally in dishes with a lot of spices and ingredients - adds Bereźnicki.
How long should "marinating" last?
Now that we know this process can give a dish an intense and distinct flavor, the question arises: how long should it last before our dish is ready to serve? To truly "marinate" our vegetable salad, it's not sufficient to just set it aside. It's important that during this time, it is placed in the fridge or another cool place for several hours. This makes it much tastier than when it's freshly made.
- If we add salt to our salad, the plant cells will begin to exist in an environment where there is a lot of salt outside the cells and relatively less inside. The system will strive for balance, so water from the inside will move outside. This process takes time, meaning even a day - explains the expert.
As for how long we can consume it, it lasts about a week. However, it all depends on the quality and freshness of our ingredients. If you want to ensure that your salad remains edible, simply divide it and add mayo to the second portion when the first part is eaten. This way, it stays fresh longer.
