Unless you are a real foodie, salt may be one of those taken for granted, not given too much thought things.
However, understanding the differences & best uses for each type of salt can really up your game in the kitchen.
So I am here to fill you in…shake out the facts, sprinkle on some details and add a pinch of history…to get you rockin’ in the kitchen.
Guide to Salt – Sea, Kosher & Table
The most notable differences between sea, kosher and table salt are in their processing, texture and taste. These differences dictate which to use for what purpose.
Sea Salt:
Sea salt, also referred to as finishing salt, is produced through evaporation of ocean water or saltwater lakes, with little or no processing. Depending on the water source, different minerals are left behind. These minerals add flavor and color.
Sea Salt comes in a variety of textures. There are crystalline sea salts made of irregular shaped crystals from fine to coarse. Also, flaked sea salts which are soft, sheer & pyramid shaped.
The taste of sea salts are bright & clean, with subtle flavor depending on the minerals left behind.
Use sea salt is as a finishing salt. Sprinkle it, or in the case of flakes crush it between your fingers and then sprinkle, on cooked foods, salads or even desserts. Doing so will add a vibrancy, enhancing any dish.
Examples of sea salts are:
- Fleur de Sel – crystalline
- Hawaiian Sea Salt – crystalline
- Maldon – flake
Kosher Salt:
Kosher salt is harvested by either evaporation or from mining the earth. There is minimal processing with either method.
Hallmarked by large irregular coarse flakes, that dissolve & disperse quickly, kosher salt is recommended for all types of cooking.
The flavor of kosher salt is the least “salty”.
Because the flakes are large they retain moisture. This makes Kosher salt perfect for curing meats. In fact, kosher salt got its name because salting meat is a step in the koshering process. Interesting, huh?
Salting meat in kosher salt before cooking will ensure it to be tender & juicy. As the salt holds the moisture inside the meat.
Use kosher salt in a recipe if it calls specifically for it whenever possible. If you can’t – NOTE: a tablespoon of Kosher salt = a teaspoon of table salt.
Table Salt:
Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. Table salt is heavily processed to eliminate minerals, bleached and usually contains an additive to prevent clumping.
Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that helps maintain a healthy thyroid.
The addition of iodine began during the Depression. In response to the easily preventable thyroid illnesses becoming prevalent due to the shortage of food, the government & salt companies joined forces to supplement the salt with iodine. This practice continues today. I told you there would be some history…
Pure sodium chloride, table salt, is bland, bitter, the “saltiest” & lacks the potential benefits of the minerals contained in the other types of salt. But this salt has a place at your table – or better yet your counter. Put the sea salt on your table!
Use table salt to salt your pasta, potato water and other utilitarian purposes in the kitchen.
So there is the scoop on salt. Want to know my favorite?
Maldon, flakes. Barely anything leaves my kitchen without a sprinkling of those sparkly flakes.
Want to try Maldon for yourself? Good, ’cause I want to give you a box!
Leave me a comment about a person you know who fits the phrase “the salt of the earth“. You’ll be entered to win a box of Maldon.
** Kelly **
( winner randomly selected on 2/1 )
I have never used the Maldon flakes and will be looking for it!…OK, to choose the “Salt of the Earth” is certainly a hard one for me because I have two, my hubby and my mom. However, I shall heed to the elder, my mom. A person who has gone through so much in her life of 90 years has no regrets or hatred only forgiveness and most of all gratitude. Grateful to be alive and loved by many. With my dad always promoting that integrity is the key to living your life, they made great pair. Thanks for the great story of salt!
Shirley thank you for sharing your mom with us. At 90 I am sure she has seen and experienced so many things – the good and the bad. Living as she does with love, integrity and gratitude makes for a happy and long life. I think you have her take on things too.
My husband is “the salt of the earth.”
He ‘brightens’ my life, ‘enhances the flavor’ of our relationship and makes marriage to him palatable!
Well said LaChanta!! Your husband is also one lucky guy!
My mom is the salt of the earth. I am praying for her now, as she was admitted into the hospital last night with respiration problems. She is 83.
Oh Lisa I am so sorry to hear that about your mom. I will be praying and sending good thoughts her, and your, way. Thank you for stopping by today. A big hug to you… X
What a great post- I’ve been using sea salt for a while as I prefer the taste but wasn’t familiar with the differences in processing- I had never heard of Maldon and am intrigued! My salt of the earth choice is my mom- who is the proverbial rock of the family. 🙂
Hey Christina! Oh I think you would love Maldon. Here’s to your mom! Thanks for coming by…
I’m a kosher salt girl! Love it’s texture and how it is not too salty. I’ve always wanted to try Maldon but can’t find it in our small town. Thanks for the opportunity.
Well Heather if you are not the winner…or if you are and you need another box, I am pretty sure you can get it on line. Thanks for coming by today!
My daughter, Michelle, is the salt of the earth. She has been thru so much. She has 2, both physically and mentally challenged, sons. She has a daughter, who has been rebellious, and has had 4 children, two of which died at only a couple of months old, due to SIDS and the other two are being raised by Michelle. She has also had many back and physical problems of her own, but still endures.
Oh my goodness Dorothy I am so sorry to hear about your grand children. That is certainly a lot to handle for Michelle. My thoughts and prayers are with her. Thank you for sharing with us.
My friend Jaci is the salt of the earth! She is so welcoming and accepting and kind. She is game for joking around or being an empathetic sounding board. If she won the Nobel Peace Prize, you would never know it (from her) but if my child won a spelling contest she would be thrilled for him. She has integrity and humility.
Hi Vicki your friend Jaci sounds like a ‘keeper’ and a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing her with us!
WHAT A GREAT POST!!! So informative. I’m a salty gal! Never heard of Maldon. Gotta find it online. The salt of the earth person in my life is my friend Loretta. Wise, kind, unassuming and salt and light to everyone she meets!
Lucky to have Loretta! Thank you for sharing her with us Yvonne and thank you for coming by for a visit.
My friend Carol is the salt of the earth. She had a number of health issues and she does not let those get her down. He love of God, family and country is inspiring and I love her to death. And, miss her more than I can say since she moved to the west coast. She is an amazing person.
Cindy…Carol sounds wonderful thank you for sharing her with us. I am on the west coast – I’d love to meet her! Thanks for visiting today.
Oh yes, that would be Robert! Sans Doute! Have you ever tried Fleur de Sel de Guerande? It’s probably just a catchy gimmick of a salt, but there’s something extremely luxurious about it. And it comes in this lovely package that just says, “I’m luxurious because I’m ever so French!!!” LOL. But it also has a rather high iron content which might outweigh the badness of spending so much money on it! On the other hand, I usually buy Anglesey sea salt in the UK. It comes in the strangest, but also interesting, flavours…as well as plain salt salt (which is what I usually buy), but it is carefully harvested to have a certified organic stamp, and that means very little impurities. I like that thought. But I like being the spoiled princess and having the French stuff around too.
Yes I have had the Fleur de Sel de Guerande. Very fancy & french indeed. It is said to be the cream of the crop in Sea Salt. But I like the sheer Maldon flakes better. Robert – he is good one!
thanks for helping with this distinction between salts especially the conversion of table salt to kosher salt. My salt of the earth person would be my mom like so many others. She passed away 8 days ago and will truly be missed. A child of the depression yet never a complaint about it. .she remembers it as glorious days of her youth. I think many people of that generation would also be considered the salt of the earth.
Firstly, Kitty let me say how sorry I am for the passing of your mom. I know that time will come for all of us, but frankly I can’t imagine it. Sounds like your mom as was a wonderful woman. I also agree that there is something quite special about people of her generation. They learned the hard way what is important and it gave them an integrity that you don’t often encounter. Thank you for coming, by so nice to have you here at MSH. Giving you a hug & again, so sorry about your mom.