Do you want a crisp and juicy watermelon salad? Don’t jump this step

Don’t worry – it’s not just another watermelon salad recipe. I know you probably swim at this time of the year. Instead, I am here to talk about the only problem that afflicts them almost all – and it is a watermelon salad that drowns in its own juices and dies a soggy death before the party begins.

Prepare the scene: you cube your watermelon with love, throw it with mint, feta, perhaps cucumber in slices, tomatoes or lime zest, and we present to the barbecue of your radiant friend of pride. But when you reveal your masterpiece, what awaits you? Sadness and a puddle of watermelon soup. Mint has withered, the swimming of the feta for its life, and all the salad has the taste of water. Been there? Even.

But good news! There is an easy and sustained solution by science for this common tragedy in hot weather. And no, this does not imply any molecular gastronomy or dark cooking tools. Just a bowl, a sticky, a pinch of sugar and 30 minutes of cold time.

The tip for the pastry that remains crisp: macerate and drain

The maceration seems fanciful, but it’s really just a quick sugar bath that pulls the water and stimulates the flavor. Here is what you do:

1. Place your watermelon in cubes in a large bowl.

2. Add sugar. Just 1 teaspoon of sugar per 4 cups of cubic watermelon does the trick. (If your melon is stupid, go up to 2 teaspoons. Use your palate and adjust.)

3. Mix gently to coat.

4. Transfer the sweet melon to a sticky placed on the now empty bowl.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

That’s it. After half an hour, you will find a pink juice swimming pool in the bowl and firmer, brighter and shocking watermelon cubes.

Why it works

This technique borrows a page from the same game manual recommending cucumbers or preliminary tomatoes: osmotic pressure. When you sprinkle with sugar (or salt) on the products, it pulls an excess water via an osmosis. This is the process in which a solute (such as salt or sugar) draws water from the cells through their semi-permeable membranes, reducing excess humidity in high water and vegetables.

Salt is very effective on this subject because it is small, ionic and easily dissociates in water. When sprinkled with products, salt quickly draws a large amount of water and can considerably modify the texture of the food. This is why it is often used for crunchy cucumber or rare eggplant slices before cooking. But in delicate fruits like watermelon, salt can easily exceed, remove too much humidity too quickly, leaving granular, floury or rubbery fruit behind.

Sugar, on the other hand, acts slower and slowly. It is a larger molecule and do not dissociate like salt, so the osmotic drawing it creates is less intense. This means that it is just taking enough water from the watermelon to firm the texture and reduce the buoy without considerably modifying the fruit structure, ensuring that the watermelon cannot flood your salad later. In addition, sugar helps to highlight the ripe ripe notes of the watermelon without turning into the territory of dessert – perfect for twinning with salty cheese, lively herbs or even peppers and citrus, which makes it ideal for salt salads.

Consider salt as an electric tool – it does the job quickly, but can be exaggerated. Sugar is more like a finishing sander – procise, measured and perfect for adjustment rather than transforming. You concentrate the flavors and prepare your fruit to succeed in the salad.

When to use this tip

This step is useful almost every time you make a watermelon salad that you do not plan to eat immediately, including the classic watermelon, feta and mint salad, tomato-watermelon salad or grilled Haloumi salad and watermelon. It is also great if you prepare the watermelon in cubes for a picnic or if you try to prepare the smarter meal in the summer heat; This step ensures that your salad keeps its costs and its texture.

Bonus: You can reserve the collected watermelon juice and use it for cocktails, such as our fresh watermelon margarita and our watermelon limit, or even add a dashboard to a vinaigrette. Or drink it directly in the bowl. Nothing was wasted, everything won.

Final advice

• Taste first. Always try your watermelon before adding sugar. If it’s soft of the maximum season, you may need less.
• Don’t do it too much. A little sugar goes very far, especially if you plan to make a sweet and tasty salad with the melon.
• Drain well. Give a good shock to the melon in the colony before you start with your other salad ingredients.

No more pasty watermelon salads. Just crisp, impactful and perfectly juicy watermelon that holds on the table of the potluck.