Salt has been used as a preservative for 1000s of years and is an essential part of our daily diet.
Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value and consist mostly of two minerals, sodium and chloride. Sea salt can be a more natural and healthy alternative and the difference between it and table salt are taste, texture and processing.
Sea salt, produced through evaporation with little processing leaves behind some trace minerals and elements adding flavor and color and come in a variety of coarseness.
Table salt, mined from underground salt deposits is more heavily processed to eliminate trace minerals and usually contains an additive to prevent clumping. Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that appears naturally in minute amounts in sea salt.
By weight, sea salt and table salt contain about the same amount of sodium chloride. The average person needs only a couple hundred milligrams (mg) a day to stay healthy, but most get too much hiding in processed foods.
Whatever you like, try to consume between 1,500 and 2,300 mg of sodium a day if you're a healthy adult.
Something taken for granted today has a long and at times violent history, wars have been waged for control of salt deposits and now the new war on too much salt in the foods we eat.
Storage is not difficult and if kept clean and dry it will last indefinitely. Store in a cool, dry place away from any heat source or sunlight.
You should use a container that can be well closed after each use and be careful not to introduce any water when you are measuring or scooping it out of it’s container.
Glass with a tight fitting lid is the best choice being impervious and not transferring other flavors. If you are reusing something to store the salt you should also inspect the lid for damage and make sure it is clean and will not pass any flavors or odors from previous use.
Vacuum sealing is another good option, but it is very important when using any plastic to make sure it is food grade and not reused for food safety and sanitation reasons.
The great thing is that you do not have to buy large amounts and can have many types of salt in your panty.
I have, in my small NYC kitchen, kosher, table, sea, Himalayan and black salt. Each one was purchased for a specific reason and has their use but working in a professional kitchen I find myself always reaching for the kosher first.
Try what you like, and use in moderation, you can always add more but once you have added to much it is really difficult to fix.
I have found several salt grinders that I like. They contain several ounces of salt in a small bottle and you use it just like pepper mill. My favorite is is from The Salt Authority http://www.saltauthority.com/sea-salt-grinder.htmland and is inexpensive. They have a lot of great stuff.
If you have any questions or comments pleas email me at chef@matthewbabbage.com.
