While the best tomatoes are found in-season, generally sometime in late spring until early autumn, there is a way to make the not-so-great tomatoes of the off-season taste even better. Adding salt not only seasons your food, but we crave it because it is vital to survival, helping to power our minds and muscles.

It's widely believed that the sodium ions in salt affect the bitter receptors on our tongues to make them less sensitive while reducing bitterness, enhancing sweetness, and amplifying aromas. Because salt can draw out flavorful compounds, it is the perfect partner for tomatoes, as salt triggers osmosis, pulling the tomato's watery juices out of its cells and intensifying its natural flavor.

Serious Eats also notes that "salt stimulates [our] salivary glands," filling our mouths with saliva, which helps distribute flavor to all of our taste buds. So, when preparing tomatoes more than 15 minutes before you plan to eat them, use about one teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of tomatoes, or when eating them right away, try a pinch of flaky sea salt.