Courgette (zucchini) is approximately 95% water by weight. When grated, it releases that water rapidly — and if it is not removed before cooking, a fritter will be soggy, loose, and impossible to crisp properly. Salting the grated courgette draws out moisture by osmosis: the salt disrupts the cell walls, causing water to migrate to the surface. After 10 minutes, a significant pool of liquid has formed. But salting alone is insufficient — the courgette must then be squeezed firmly in a clean tea towel to extract the remaining moisture. The practical test: if you squeeze and no further liquid comes out, it is dry enough. If you skip or rush this step, no quantity of flour will compensate for the internal wetness — the fritter will be pale and soft in the centre regardless of how long it fries. This same principle applies to any high-moisture vegetable used in a shallow-fried cake: grated potato for rösti, grated carrot for pakoras, or any other vegetable fritter.