<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (June 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Salting is the preservation of food with dry edible salt . It is related to pickling in general and more specifically to brining (preparing food with brine, that is, salty water) and is one form of curing . It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and two historically significant salt - cured foods are salted fish (usually dried and salted cod or salted herring) and salt - cured meat (such as bacon). Vegetables such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in this manner . </P> <P> Salting is used because most bacteria, fungi and other potentially pathogenic organisms cannot survive in a highly salty environment, due to the hypertonic nature of salt . Any living cell in such an environment will become dehydrated through osmosis and die or become temporarily inactivated . </P> <P> It was discovered in the 19th century that salt mixed with nitrates (saltpeter) would color meats red, rather than grey, and consumers at that time then strongly preferred the red - colored meat . The food hence preserved stays healthy and fresh for days avoiding bacterial decay . </P>

Why is sugar of salt added to foods to preserve them
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