Salt (merged topics)

[torakris]

I don't use anything in place of salt. I salt things even if they have soy, nampla, anchovies, blue cheese, etc.

Of course I always taste it first!

[Random Alias]

And how do you find that very fine powdery salt used on salted almonds and other savories?

Popcorn salt is extra fine.

You can buy it at any grocery store.

Although I think it's just plain salt, ground extra fine.

Oshima Island Blue Label popcorn salt might be somewhat harder to come by.

[fresco]

In making bruschetta yesterday, the salt got left out. (It was a group effort and that's when mistakes get made). It was striking what a difference it made, and not for the better.

While correcting the mistake, I noticed that we had three different kinds of salt--the standard table variety, kosher salt and sea salt. In the course of a week, we use all three, and now that it's warm enough to grill a lot, a ton of kosher salt gets used up in brine. How many varieties of salt do you have in your kitchen? Or do you avoid the stuff altogether?

[Admin edit: topic merge begins here]

[LaurieA-B]

Avoid it? What a terrible thought. A pinch of salt is better than a spoonful of sugar.

[mamster]

The other day I went out for lunch and had Thai curry, and I had to add salt to the curry. Can you imagine undersalted Thai curry? It made me a little nervous, like maybe my salt tolerance is getting so high, soon I'm going to have to pour the stuff on with a shovel.

[Nick]

For the last year or so all I've had in my kitchen is Maldon, but if I were going to do a brine or pickle I'd go get some kosher or regular pickling salt.

[Really Nice!]

Here's the thread: Salt varieties... How many do you have?

Avoid it? What a terrible thought. A pinch of salt is better than a spoonful of sugar.

Here's what my inventory currently has:

Maldon Sea Salt – England

Hickory Smoked Sea Salt – Spain

Mediterranean Sea Salt – Spain

Mediterranean Sea Salt – Italy

Fleur de Sel – Brittany, France

Atlantic Grey Sea Salt – France

Sea Salt – Brittany, France

Juassic Era Mineral Salt – Utah, U.S.

Hawaiian ‘Alaea Sea Salt – Hilo, Hawaii

Diamon Crystal Kosher Salt

Unfortunately, I have a very low tolerance for salt. My bp shoots up if I use the same quantity most people use.

[Nick]

Unfortunately, I have a very low tolerance for salt. My bp shoots up if I use the same quantity most people use. 

A pound of salt (outside of brining or pickling) lasts me for a year or so. You don't have to use a lot to enjoy what it adds to flavor.

[fyfas]

Poster Really Nice below mentions using "Hickory-Smoked Spanish Sea Salt"...

While I've got a few different types of sea salt on deck, I've never heard of such a salt as that. Would you comment some on how you use it/is the taste noticeably different ? And, of course, where-ever did you get it and how is it packaged ?

Thanks.

Bob Sherwood

[Carlovski]

Anyone else read 'Salt - A world History' by Mark Kurlansky? (The same guy who did the book on cod, and the recent compilation of food writing) It's a fascinating read.

Personally all I have is Maldon for normal use, and some bog standard free running stuff for salting water for pasta, veggies etc.

Smoked salt sounds interesting, I'm surprised it works though, I wouldn't have thought salt would take on much smoky character.

[fresco]

Read it a few weeks ago. He did a great job of making an apparently unpromising subject fascinating reading. Must have been a tough sell to a publisher, even after cod.

[Carlovski]

My housemates thought I was very strange when they caught me reading it (Only shortly after moving in).

Have you read that compendium of food writing (Choice cuts?) Looked interesting, but I picked up the Jeffery Steingarten one instead.

[fresco]

Nope. Planning to read Cod. This may be the exception, but compendiums which follow a best-selling book often disappoint, because they are cobbled together from a bunch of dispirate stuff a writer has already published, too often less out of interest than to satisfy the demands of an editor or to keep food on the table.

If Salt has not exhausted you on the subject, you may want to try Charcuterie by your own Jane Grigson, which is both beautifully written and now a standard text on the subject in France.

And for a truly daunting exploration of cod (and a great, ground breaking work of history) I recommend The Cod Fishery, by Harold Innis.

Edited June 11, 2003 by fresco (log)

[olly s]

nobody seems to have mentioned Halen Mon (sic). Amazing welsh sea salt from the waters in between the welsh mainland and angelsey. absolutely delicious which costly premium attached. you can buy it in waitrose and delis - haven't seen it in sainsbury's yet.

[eat2much]

There is a lovely specialty shop here in Montreal which carries a variety of products from L'ile de Re in France where I gather they have been famous for harvesting sea salt since Roman times. Aside from the obvious sea salt they also sel a number of grilling mixes or rubs made up of sel de l'ile de Re and a variety of dried herbs. They are fantastic and turn a simple grilled veal chop or steak into a thing of beauty. My only complaint is that some of the salt particles are way too large.

[Pitter]

nobody seems to have mentioned Halen Mon (sic).  Amazing welsh sea salt from the waters in between the welsh mainland and angelsey.  absolutely delicious which costly premium attached.  you can buy it in waitrose and delis - haven't seen it in sainsbury's yet.

Halen Mon also has a newly available smoked sea salt, which is unbelievably heavenly and interesting. So far, I think this is only available at Whole Foods. They say that it is smoked over hardwood that is 800 years old. Don't know about all of that hype, but a little bit goes a long way.

[jhlurie]

Standard Sea salt and ‘Alaea salt only, currently. Grind. Grind.

[Really Nice!]

Poster Really Nice below mentions using "Hickory-Smoked Spanish Sea Salt"...

While I've got a few different types of sea salt on deck, I've never heard of such a salt as that.  Would you comment some on how you use it/is the taste noticeably different ?  And, of course, where-ever did you get it and how is it packaged ?

Thanks.

Bob Sherwood

I got it in downtown Seattle at a place called DiLaurenti's. If you're a local, you know the place. If you're coming in from out of town, just go left of the fish flying at 30MPH and you'll find it.

The label says: Sal Del Mar (Smoked Sea Salt) Matiz Mediterraneo

It's $8.99 for 4.4 ounces, and is packaged in a little plastic jar.

It has an incredible hickory smoked flavor that matches perfectly with grilled dishes. Great texture, flavor, and aroma.

[Really Nice!]

Standard Sea salt and ‘Alaea salt only, currently.  Grind. Grind.

So are you saying that you should grind the sea salt?!?

This goes completely against what others believe.

Personally, I go for flavor first, texture second.

[Really Nice!]

Anyone else read 'Salt - A world History' by Mark Kurlansky? (The same guy who did the book on cod, and the recent compilation of food writing) It's a fascinating read.

I picked it up at the CIA in St. Helena after my lunch at The French Laundry back in April. I haven't read it yet, though. It sounds like I made a good purchase.

[foodsource]

I have inventory and pack for foodservice distributors the following salts:

Hawaiian Red

Jurrassic (Utah)

Bolivian Pink Salt

Anglessy Sea

Trapani (Sicily) Sea

Italian Sea

Japanese Pink

Smoked (Spain)

Celtic Grey Salt

La Beline (French Sea)

Fleur de Sel

Sel Gris

Diamond Crystal Kosher

Maldon

Most popular among chefs is the Kosher salt. Second would be the Italian sea salt that is used primarily for

making a salt crust around fish. Third is the Fleur de Sel that is used primarily a finishing salt for salads, etc.

Only recently has, Hawaiian red and Smoked become trendy. I am open to any new finds !!!!

[AzRaeL]

Salt, one of the very basic ingredients, yet so very tricky to control.

What's your secret to handling salt?

I find my cooking half the time too salty, the other half the time not salty enough.

[lorea]

Definitely kosher salt. I rarely have to worry about my salt level with kosher salt because it's so easy to pinch.

[GSBravo]

I second the kosher salt, it's definitely easier to work with than regular table salt. Also, I read somewhere that when using kosher salt you use less.

[alanamoana]

i too oversalt! i've found that hiring an outside and objective consultant to monitor my salt use is the best...that means asking my boyfriend to test stuff before i add more salt .

really though here are some basics:

don't salt sauces and soups (anything that has to reduce) until late in the cooking process as you may just concentrate the salt content while reducing.

taste often during your cooking process to avoid oversalting

do layer your salting/seasoning if it is a multi-stage process (without much reduction) so that you can control the amount of salt in each stage (where you'll be tasting things) and so that you don't add too much salt at the end (where you can screw it up permanently).

the reason that people say you tend to use less kosher salt than regular salt does tend to be true (especially when you're measuring the salt in a teaspoon or the like)...but not because of what you think...it is a result of volume. the crystals are large and irregular so take up more space than regular salt...so there's more air between them and you're using up more space for less salt.

you should read "what einstein told his cook" by Robert Wolke. there's a lot of interesting information in there that may be useful.