(1) It is always prohibited to salt raw meat, since this resembles an act of preserving.

(2) It is permitted to salt cooked meat to improve its taste, providing it is eaten on the same Shabbat.

(3) This prohibition applies only to food that is preserved through salting. It is, for example, permitted to salt bread.

b. It is prohibited to create a substance that could appear to be used for the purpose of preserving/tanning. It is therefore prohibited to:

(1) Add salt to a large amount of water, when not needed as a dip during this meal.

(2) Make any amount of salt water with a very high concentration of salt (defined as two parts salt to one part water).

If one did not prepare salt water for a Pesach Seder that falls on Shabbat, it should be made only in a small quantity at a time.

2. Pickling or salting vegetables that are of a type that can be pickled -- e.g. cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, radishes. This is a Gezeira to cooking, since pickling has a similar effect as cooking. This salting is prohibited unless:

a. Each piece is dipped into salt by itself, and

b. The piece is eaten right away.

3. Exception: It is permitted to salt this type of food if oil (not plain vinegar) is added before the salt.

For example, if one wants to salt an entire bowl of vegetables at one time on Shabbat, one should first add oil or salad dressing, and mix it very well. If by accident one put salt without oil (or in time of need), the oil should be added immediately afterwards.