The Chefs I worked with have always said the knife is the most important instrument in cooking, then the next thing I always see them use is salt. But few of us understand what salt is: a mineral that is either mined from ancient sea beds, or evaporated from current seas. It does not go bad, so can be kept for ages.(1) It is only the location, additives, and the processing that distinguishes each salt. This YouTube video presentation by the Martha Stewart group, discusses the salts that I use and is great at showing the differences.
Sodium in Salt
Some people have to monitor their sodium intake, so to help them here is a quick list of the amount of sodium in natural sea/mined salts from the health.gov site.
1/4t = 575 mg
1/2t = 1150 mg
3/4t = 1725 mg
1t = 2300 mg
The medicalnewstoday,com site reports that studies now indicate that a “normal” adult should not eat more than 2300 mg of sodium per day. Keep in mind that while recipes often call for more, you really need to consider how much salt is in a serving, not the whole dish. Also, Readers Digest has acknowledged that salt is hard to eliminate because it is located everywhere in processed food. Specifically, they state that “[m]ore than 75 percent of the sodium Americans eat comes from processed foods; bread, cured meats, and canned soup top the list.” It is in everything, including things that do not taste salty.
Salt Variations
Table Salt
Table Salt: This is a fine, evenly shaped crystallized salt that is denser and more consistently grained than other salts. It has been used by generations of cooks, so when a recipe calls for “salt” it is generally referring to this type. Table salt is typically mined from salt deposits underground, heavily processed to remove anything not salt, and then further processed to contain ~2% anti-clumping agents, and usually iodine.
PattyCooks: For the home cook, this is the cheapest salt and is good for general use like salting water for pasta, or poached eggs, although I find it taste a little metallic. I imagine that this is, in fact, the most used salt in North America. What you may not know is that while salt itself does not go bad, the additives in salt can; I have seen estimates that after ~5 years the regular table salt should be replaced.(2). This is the salt most often iodized.
Kosher Salt
Kosher Salt: This is a less refined salt that generally has no additives, lower salinity, and larger flakes. (Some think that by using this salt, it makes it harder to oversalt food.) As a result of the flake size, it does not compact together as tightly as table salt does; so when a recipe calls for “salt” assume it is regular table salt; usually people will specify kosher salt if that is what they use.
PattyCooks: I use this salt as my everyday cooking salt and also on the table, many other cooks do not. What you may not know is that this is not named “kosher” because it meets Jewish dietary standards, but koshering is a process of cleaning blood out of butchered meat (kashering). Kosher salt can be “kosher” but is usually not, unless you see the seal on the product. Also note that salinity appears to vary, last I checked Morton’s had 1/4t = 480mg sodium while Diamon Crystal contained 280mg sodium.
Sea Salt
Sea Salt: The uneven salt flakes vary depending upon the processing. It is usually collected from evaporated seawater and contains residual minerals that changes the color and even taste. Depending upon where they come from these salts are referred to as “course salts” or “flaky salts”, they are ideal as finishing salts when you want that added crunch along with the taste.
PattyCooks: I have a concern now about sea salt, given the amount of plastic that is in our oceans. At this point, I do not usually use sea salt, preferring mined salt.(3) But below are the three sea salts I have used in the past and have liked. I will probably still use them, but in moderation.
Maldon Sea Salt: harvested in the River Blackwater, Essex (UK) a flakey salt.
Halen Môn: harvested from the Menai Strait in Anglesey (Welsh) a flakey salt.
Fleur de sel: harvested off the coast of Brittany (France) a course salt.
Rock Salt
Rock Salt: I use food-grade Tidmans Rock Salt, a British salt (mined in Cheshire) that has coarse crystals, and no additives for my salt grinder. It can be used in rubs, and for encasing long-cooking meats, fish and potatoes.
PattyCooks: Note that I am careful to say “food grade.” Do not use rock salt that clears up ice on the road, always ONLY USE FOOD GRADE foods to cook.
Powdered Salt
Powdered Salt: This is ground up salt made into a powdery “flour.”
DIY Do not buy this, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind up the salt you already have and make your own powder.
PattyCooks: I saw this on a website of a popular cook and she recommended adding powdered salt on popcorn. I have tried it and it did spread the salt evenly everywhere, but also somehow lessened the salty taste of the popcorn. I do not know what else you would use this for, let me know if you do.
Pink Salt
Pink Salt (4): This is a mined, unrefined, naturally pink (from iron) crystal salt from an ancient sea bed containing trace minerals and no additives. The American source is Utah’s “Real Salt” and the Pakistan source is “Himalayan Pink Salt.”
PattyCooks: I use this salt in a grinder and if someone wants to use it I make it available. I do not taste any difference between the rock salts in terms of how they flavor a dish. But it does look nice on the table. I set this grind to a fine level and in the photo (orange colored on the right of the picture) you can see how small I grind this salt. I do not usually cook with this salt. There is nothing to indicate the pink crystals are any more healthy than other mined crystal rock salt.
Chef Lev does not like it as he says it leaves a mineral grit he can feel in his mouth. Other Chefs have indicated it leaves grit in their pants.
Pickling Salt
Pickling Salt: This is a very fine grained and very pure salt that does not contain iodine, anti-clumping agents, or preservatives. What it does is disolve quickly in water.
DIY Use 2t kosher salt, grind down to fine crystals to equal 1t pickling salt.(5)
Celery Salt = Nitrates
Celery Salt: This is a seasoning salt that usually contains ground celery or lovage seeds, salt, anti-caking agents. It is often used as a preservative (sodium nitrate) and is added to foods labeled “uncured,” such as jerky, bacon, and luncheon meats.
DIY grind celery seeds and mix with salt of your choice to make your own. Recommendations are a 1:1 ratio of seeds to salt.
PattyCooks: I do not use Celery Salt. If I want the hint of celery I will use celery seeds as a topping to food, but do not use a salt version.