Why does NaCl react differently with a boiled potato and with a raw one
Maybe this passage is referring to this experiment?

The key missing from your description is that each potato is placed in water. When the cells are intact (unboiled), this causes water to flow into and out of the cells via osmosis: into the cells from the tray of water, and out from the cells into the salt. Once the cells are destroyed via boiling, there are no intact membranes to cross to osmosis does not occur and the salt remains undisturbed.