For E.McIntosh - Salt.....

So when on of my very, very best friends asked me to research salt for her (now that I'm typing this I'm not sure why she needs this info) I ecstatically agreed, because hey, research for her means research for me, so down the rabbit hole I went.

First off, who knew there was an Institute of Salt, I sure the hell didn’t but nevertheless there it was, and thankfully because it provided a wealth of information.

Salt is an essential nutrient. Let me repeat this, salt is an ESSENTIAL ingredient, meaning with out it we don't exists. According to varies sources :

“An essential nutrient is one required for life that the body cannot produce itself and which is required for good health. For humans, salt is as essential as water. We can perish from too little salt as we can of thirst. The human body contains about eight ounces of salt. The amount of salt is regulated in our bodies by our kidneys and by perspiration. “

Holy crap! Who knew??

There are 10 different types of salt and they come in an array of colors:

• yellow (sodium chromate),
• orange (potassium dichromate),
• red (potassium ferricyanide),
• mauve (cobalt chloride hexahydrate),
• blue (copper sulfate pentahydrate, ferric hexacyanoferrate),
• purple (potassium permanganate),
• green (nickel chloride hexahydrate),
• white (sodium chloride),
• Colorless (Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate) and
• black (manganese dioxide).
  

There was NO way I was going to write about all of them, besides there are only 3 of them that we can cook with. The 3 basic types of salt are:

Table Salt, Kosher and Sea Salt..

But let's back it up a bit. I know that for my family hypertension or “pressure” is an ever constant nemesis. So much so that my mother and grandmother do not cook with it at all. So why use it?

Here’s how salt helps food:

Preservation – helps protect against microorganisms, bacteria through dehydration and preventing growth of bacteria, which slows or prevents spoilage.

Texture Aid – in bread making, allows the dough to rise by giving helping the gluten hold more water and carbon dioxide. In meats it improves tenderness and in cheeses it aids in consistency of the cheese and the hardness of the rind.

Color Developer – in ham, bacon, and other processed meats it helps obtain the desired color. It also helps create a golden crust for breads. 

 

So now what where those 3 types of salts again? Lets start with Table salt. This is what we see most often and in most restaurants (not on plantation F though, we use fine sea salt) other types of table salt include:

Pretzel salt – large grained, does not melt quickly.

Rock salt – large crystal salt with a gray color, due to minerals not removed from normal table salt.

Popcorn salt – very fine grained salt which is flakier version of table salt.

Iodized salt – contains a small amount of potassium iodide and dextrose as a dietary supplement to prevent thyroid disease.

Seasoned salt – table salt with herbs added like onion, hickory smoke or garlic.

Pickling salt, Canning salt, Coarse salt, Gos sel – This is similar to table salt, but lacks the iodine and anti-caking additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy. Pickles made with table salt would still be good to eat, but they wouldn't look as appetizing.

Next up is Kosher Salt. Kosher salt coarser and flakier than table salt so it disperses more easily and since it is a lighter salt, there is less after taste with it. It is also recommended to use Kosher salt for cocktail glasses for drinks like margaritas. Kosher salt is used most commonly amongst chefs because it dissolves fast and its flavor disperses quickly. 

 

Lastly is the mother of salts: Sea Salt unlike the other salts, this one is not mined, therefore its the purest of the three, but of course that makes it the most expensive of the three.. Here are a few other Sea Salt varieties and their uses:

Black Salt, Kala Namak, Sanchal - Significant for its strong sulfur odor (India) this salt is a pearly pink gray. It is used in Indian cooking.

Grey salt, Celtic salt, Sel Gris – The gray or light purple color comes from the clay in the region of France where it is harvested.
Hawaiian sea salt – Has a distinctive pink hue from the Alaea added to it. The Alaea is volcanic red clay with a high content of iron oxide. This salt is used in many traditional Hawaiian dishes like Kahlua Pig and Hawaiian Jerky.
Coarse salt, Gos Sel, Gale Grosso – Is a larger grain salt which resists moisture and is intended to be ground. Uses include flavoring for soups and salt crusts on meats.
Fleur de Sel, Flower of Salt, Flor De Sal – This is considered a great condiment salt; also good on grilled meats, in salads and on vegetables. The flavor, like wines, varies depending on the region it is harvested from. Typically it is from France though some is produced in Portugal.
French Sea Salt – A coarse salt, this is good for salads, vegetables and grilled meats.
Italian Sea Salt, Sicilian Sea Salt, Sale Marino – Harvested from the lower Mediterranean sea by hand using traditional methods this is a delicate salt which is good on salads and in sauces.
Smoked Sea Salt - The salt is smoked over real wood fires to add the flavor to the crystals. These can be used in soups, salads, pasta and also in grilling foods like salmon.

Lastly now that you have the knowledge of salts here are some tips in using them

Add a pinch:

When whipping eggs to create fluffier eggs.

To enhance the flavor of coffee and in overcooked coffee helps remove the bitterness.

To whipping cream or egg whites to get them to whip faster.

To milk to have it stay fresh longer.

To icing prevents them from sugaring.

To improve boiled potatoes, salt after draining - this gives them a fine mealy texture.

         Keep salads crisp by salting immediately before serving.
 

With Chicken

Rub the chicken skin with salt to remove pinfeathers more easily.

Improve the flavor by rubbing salt inside and out before roasting.

Salt + Water =

Salt makes water boil at a higher temperature which reduces cooking time.

Boil eggs in salt water to ease the peeling process.

To set the whites of poached eggs, boil over saltwater.

Place an egg in a cup of water with 2 teaspoon of salt, a fresh egg will sink, a floating egg may be spoiled.

Washing spinach, lettuce and other greens in saltwater will keep them crisp.

Lightly salted cold water helps maintain the color of apples, pears and potatoes.

Soak in saltwater for hours to make shelling pecans easy.

Dampen a cloth with saltwater and wrap around cheese to prevent molding.

Sprinkle ice with salt, place gelatin salads or desserts on ice to get them to set more quickly.

For miracle Uses for salts not related to cooking visit the Salt Institute

For more on salt visit the sources is used to compile this information:

What's Cooking America

Wikipedia- Salt