I know this may seem like a silly post at first glance but, the type of salt that you use in your
cooking really does make a difference. Read on to find out why!
If you’ve ever followed a recipe of any sort, you’ve probably seen the phrase, “season with salt and pepper.” Pretty common stuff, right? The answer is “yes,” but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry a lot of weight. How your food is seasoned makes all the difference.
But lately, taking a walk down the spice aisle can be a little overwhelming. Why, oh why, are there so many freaking types of salt? But before you choose blindly or settle for whichever is cheapest, you should know that it really does matter which type of salt you use when you’re cooking and HOW you use it during the process.
From a technical perspective, different types of salt have different crystal structures that lend themselves to different uses. Essentially, this is based on how quickly the water evaporated off the salt, which is the process that makes the salt edible. The faster the evaporation process, the finer the salt. I promise, we’re not getting into a science project but stick with me. So why does that matter?
It’s really very basic. The size and shape of the salt crystals you are cooking with affects how much salt will fit in a given amount of space. A teaspoon of super fine salt will taste much saltier than a teaspoon of coarse sea salt. See how that can change a recipe??
Now, there are more than three types of salt out there but the following three are probably the most common and you definitely have at least one of them in your pantry.
1. Kosher Salt: coarse, medium sized
Kosher salt is really easy to work with and super versatile. You can use it during any stage of cooking. If you’ve ever seen a chef sprinkling salt between his/her fingers onto a dish, it was likely Kosher salt because it’s easy to grip and control.
2. Table Salt: super fine and powdery
I like to use table salt for baking because of how precise and calculated you need to be. It also dissolves easily and can blend into just about anything without a problem. The only thing you need to be careful of is over salting. Remember what I said about taking up space? Table salt is extra fine so a teaspoon of table salt is practically twice as salty as a teaspoon of Kosher salt.
3. Sea Salt: Can be fine crystals or huge chunks in many different colors
Sea salt (aka my favorite) is best used for finishing off a dish after it has been cooked. It’s tough to get an accurate measurement since sea salt crystals are usually flaky and super coarse. But its texture and flavor are great for a finishing touch.
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer when you’re choosing which salt to use. These tips are only meant to help you learn more in the kitchen and fine tune those home chef skills!
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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