Canned Laughter

Salt is one of the most basic ingredients in any recipe, but it is important to use the right salt for the job.  Have you noticed how many types of salt there are on the grocery shelf?  If you thought that “Salt is Salt”, here are some reasons you might want to think about salt again.  In my cupboard you will find four types. 

Sea Salt  This is the salt that I keep on our table.  The coarse texture melts more slowly than Table Salt. It is easier to see coarse salt than fine salt from a shaker so we use less of it (good for those of us who worry about our family’s sodium intake).  Best of all, the flavor of Sea Salt is less sharp or bitter when sprinkled directly on a plate than Table Salt.

Table Salt is my go-to salt.  I have a thyroid condition, so in my home we use Iodized Salt.  It has potassium iodide, a flavorless additive to aid thyroid function and help prevent the growth of thyroid nodules or goiters.  Table Salt also contains an anti caking agent, calcium silicate.  Remember the motto “When it rains, It  pours“?  It’s the calcium silicate  preventing your salt from clumping or caking even in damp weather.  More often then not, regular Table Salt is the one I will use for baking and seasoning.  The big however to that is when a recipe calls for a tablespoon or more of salt.  In that case, I reach for the softer flavor of

Kosher Salt.  Kosher Salt has a unique flake shape to it.  Think of the surface area as a flavor area.  The flake has a broader “flavor area” than a grain or crystal so you get more flavor with Kosher Salt.  Oh! and margarita lovers?  The flake texture adheres better to the rim of a damp glass that other salts, so party on!  Also while we’re taking about it’s adhering quality, Kosher Salt is the ideal salt for salt crusts on meat or fish.  

Kosher Salt does present some measuring challenges though.  Because of it’s unique shape, it does not fill a measure the same way other salts do.  When substituting Kosher salt in a recipe, you will usually have to add more.  Also, the coarse texture of Kosher Salt may not be best for baking, but it is gorgeous when sprinkled on top (think pretzels, yum).  Kosher Salt unlike many kosher foods, is not always additive free.  Some brands contain an anti-caking agent called yellow prussiate of soda to keep it free-flowing.  Unlike the calcium silicate in Table Salt, this additive is not stable and means your Kosher Salt does not keep indefinitely like most salts.  However, yellow prussiate of soda will not turn your canned goods cloudy, so it may be used as a substitute for

Pickling Salt.  Pickling Salt is a pure salt with no additives.  It is also Kosher.  If you run out of Kosher Salt for the holidays, you can substitute Pickling Salt.  Just remember to adjust your salt quantity down.  Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of why I only use Pickling Salt in my canning recipes.  The additives in Table Salt and the minerals in Sea Salt will turn canned goods dark and cloudy. Pickling Salt measures true and keeps my foods clean and clear. 

My Aunt Martha who did a lot of preserving, kept only Pickling Salt in her home.  I was always fascinated by the grains of rice she kept in her salt shakers to keep the salt flowing freely.  (By the way if you use regular table salt, there is no need at all for rice in your shakers and it looks kind of yucky).  Occasionally in the humidity of Southern summers her salt would clump.  Aunt Martha knew just what to do.  She’d spread that clumpy salt onto a baking sheet and popped it in her oven for a few minutes to dry it out.  Voila!  No more lumps!

The one drawback to keeping only Pickling Salt in the house is that it is not always easy to find here in the ‘burbs.  One Sunday I ran out and the Kroger’s where I usually get it was out.  I went to three other stores looking for it, but in the end I had to substitute Kosher Salt.  For this reason, I tend to save it just for canning.

Now that you know what’s in my cupboard, tell me: what do you keep in yours?