How to boil vegetables like a scientist

Salt is your friend in the kitchen - seriously, it’s science.

Throw a pinch in the pot anytime you’re boiling water. It helps with the important physical process of osmosis, namely by ensuring that food retains all its flavour instead of having it be boiled away.

When combined with water, salt creates a solution that stops potatoes and other vegetables from having their nutrients leached out through boiling, according to Germany’s Federal Centre for Nutrition.

The food being cooked also contains salt, so adding salt to the water ensures no transfer occurs as molecules try to maintain equilibrium.

It doesn’t matter how hot the water is when the salt is added. And contrary to popular belief, cold water with salt doesn’t boil any faster than water without, according to the nutrition centre.