Culinary Myth #52: Salting Watermelon Makes it Sweeter

All through the South, folks salt their fruit. Watermelon, peaches, even apples. And we've heard for years that this tradition makes fruit sweeter. Well, there's a kernel of truth here as the fruit CAN taste sweeter if it's a sour fruit to start with. See, salt has the ability to suppress the sour receptors on your tongue which means the sweetness is going to feel more pronounced if you eat a salted sour fruit, like a green apple. But watermelon? Last time we tasted one it wasn't the slightest bit sour. So adding salt doesn't do anything to your sense of sweetness. Instead you taste a sweet/salty fruit. And that's not a bad thing just don't fool yourself into thinking you're changing the sugar content of your watermelon by sprinkling a little sale on top.