The 16 Different Types of Salt (And How to Use Them)

Jason Webster
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Refined salt (table salt)

Is the most common kind you find in most kitchens and on most tables. It’s the king of all table salts and the most commonly known in the western world. It is manufactured by evaporating seawater or the brine from salt mines and purifying it.

Refined salt is used in preserving, pickling, canning, making ice cream, freezing meat and curing food. It’s also used to enhance the flavor of certain dishes and to add flavor to baked goods, but that’s not really what we are interested in here because flour is used as the main ingredient in baked goods and salt is not really required (unless you’re making a salted caramel blondie, then you may have a use for it)

Bird watchers may appreciate the fact that the word “salary” comes from the Latin word salarium, which was a special allowance made to Roman soldiers to buy salt for their food preservation.

Kosher salt

Sea salt

Vs. iodized table salt

Sea salt is not the same as iodized table salt. Table salt was created specifically for humans, but it is unsuitable for cooking. It has additives to prevent clumping and anticaking additives to keep the salt flowing freely.

Iodized table salt has iodine, which prevents iodine deficiencies. In fact, iodized table salt is often recommended by doctors to pregnant and breastfeeding women and children.

Iodine is not present in seawater, and sea salt is also an excellent source of other minerals. However, while iodine is important for plant and human life, we need a very small amount of it.

That is why sea salt usually has some iodine added during processing. Table salt has iodine added as well, but it also contains additives such as anticaking agents to prevent it from clumping.

Manufacturers don’t add iodine to sea salt to prevent the salt from clumping together.

Apart from that, sea salt is not only rich in minerals, but it is also a great flavor enhancer for your food.

Table salt is not good for cooking, and only sea salt is suitable for it.

Flake salt

Flake salt, salt flakes, or table salt is produced by the evaporation of seawater in shallow ponds. It has the largest grain size.

Use:

Flake salt is used primarily in baking and for seasoning. It can also be used for general cooking but this is its least common use. Flake salt has the highest sodium content of any of the salts and, when used in a recipe or for seasoning, it will be the first thing that the taste buds will be able to detect. It should be used to supplement the other more subtle tasting salts, rather than as a substitute for them.

Himalayan pink salt

Himalayan salt is the world’s finest salt. It emanates from the same ancient sea that fossils and dinosaurs are found.

Never in its entire history has it been processed. It’s hand mined, dried and packaged without being tainted by human manipulation.

It contains 84 minerals in the forms required by the body. It’s pure enough to use as an effective alternative to caffeine, sugar, and salt.

And it tastes great! Unlike chemical-laden table salt, this “Super Salt” is full of trace minerals that increase metabolic activity and energy output.

It is the purest form of salt available; Himalayan salt is free of pollutants. It contains up to 84 minerals in forms that your body needs.

It’s a unprocessed, natural salt, containing minerals left as a result of a prehistoric ocean. It’s hand-mined in the Himalayas without any chemicals or pollutants.

Purchase Himalayan pink salt in whole-grain form. It’s easier to digest than regular white salt. Add a pinch to your water bottle as a natural adrenal tonic. It contains minerals that help activate energy, helping you to sustain endurance and function longer.

Himalayan black salt (Kala Namak)

This one has a very strong taste, so it is commonly used in small quantities in cooking. It is perfect for creating a depth of flavors in Indian recipes and is also favored for seasoning fish, poultry, eggs and veggies.

Due to its strong taste, kala namak is also a very good choice for natural air fresheners. Sprinkle it on cotton balls and place them around the house, and you’ll eliminate bad odors for almost 10 days.

Hawaiian alaea salt

Indigenous people of Hawaii collected the red volcanic clay and boiled it until all the moisture was gone. The Hawaiian black alaea salt; as it was called and it is called now, is the product of dehydration of the soil.
Also known as Hawaiian salt, this particular type of salt is really the epitome of rainbow colors of salt. It is one of the most distinct ones that can be found. The way that it’s produced, it is also very effective. This salt is known for being used in many different ways.

There are a number of recipes which call for alaea salt. Some say that it should not be used for more than a few weeks. Before using Hawaiian alaea salt, it needs to be ground. It goes well with chicken or fish.

One of the exciting facts about this salt is that it has a lot of minerals. It is also high in sodium. It stays on your skin for a long time and it specifically stays on your hands which is cool. This salt stays on your skin and hair and can make you look like you went tanning.

It is also very difficult to get out. It helps to disinfect and even kill your skin. Because of the bleaching properties, you need to use alaea salt with wisdom because if you’re not careful, you will end up with patches on your skin.

Hawaiian black lava salt

Hawaiian black lava salt is composed of ancient Hawaiian lava. It is considered to be the highest mineral salt on Earth. Not to mention 87% of it is pure sodium chloride. The minerals found in lava salt can help purify, recharge, detoxify, and energize. It is a great salt to use in food preparations such as baking, fermenting, marinating, dehydrating, as well as meat brines.

Cyprus black lava salt

Cyprus black lava salt is a natural, unrefined sea salt from Cyprus. It is pure white, dense and coarse, with a decent crunch. Cypress black lava salt is an excellent choice for sprinkling on your favorite foods, including popcorn. The salty taste will enhance the flavor of your food, and food will taste sweet and delicious as well.

Celtic salt (Sel gris, Gray salt)

Celtic salt is obtained by evaporating salt water using natural processes and without boiling it. It is then ground and sifted.

The name originates from the region where salt is obtained – the shores of the Celtic sea. The advantage of this type of salt is that it contains 84 minerals, which are vital for our body. This type of salt is not only good for seasoning, but as well, can be used for therapeutic purposes.

Deer salt (Sel macinato, hard salt).

Salt is obtained in a large basin of sea water from which the water has been extracted. The salt is then ground and sifted.

Because of its dark color, rubbery texture, and rough surface, “sel gris” is also known as “sel en colère” (angry salt). It is the result of a rage to create the perfect salt. It is a mineral-rich salt, and is sold between 50 and 55 USD per kilogram.

Fleur de Sel (Flower of Salt)

This type of salt comes from a small basin of sea water, and is then harvested by hand from the top of the salt mound, where it forms with the heat of the sun. Fleur de Sel is the most expensive salt because of its texture and taste, and is mostly used for finishing dishes.

Fleur de sel

Fleur de sel (French for “flower of salt”) is harvested from salt pans that fill with seawater. After the water evaporates, the salt crystals are gathered and raked to allow the wind to blow away the dirt. This is repeated with each layer of salt, producing a highly-sought after delicacy.

Gourmet salts, however, should be used sparingly. Jazz up dishes with just a pinch of the best salt, or toss a spoonful as a finishing touch. You should use less than a teaspoon of gourmet salt for every pound of food.

Hawaiian sea salt has a lower iodine concentration than regular table salt due to the minerals in the sea water and minerals in the volcanic material. Make sure to store it in a sealed container to keep it from absorbing moisture.

Sale di Cervia

Sale di Cervia is harvested from a dried up sea, 40 kilometers north of Cervia, Italy. It is a coarse, flaky and hard salt that is great for grilling, sautéing and roasting.

Apart from giving food a flavor pop, it is important to use coarse salt on grill items. A finer salt may cause the food to stick to the grill, while a coarse salt provides a nice crunchy texture to grilled and roasted food.

Truffle salt

Rocks straight from the sea bed are infused with sea water to season dishes. The water evaporates, leaving behind the salt. Salt miners then sift through the rocks and handpick the salt crystals for Truffle salt.

Smoked salt

Smoked salt is a traditional Asian seasoning ingredient that also made its way to the West where it is used for a variety of purposes.

The most important and common uses of smoked salt are for smoking meat and fish, flavoring food, and curing meats. Until recently, this seasoning was used exclusively as a preservative and a way to keep meat fresh.

But more and more, people are discovering the true delights of smoked salt. Once spread on a simple boiled egg, you’ll see the difference for yourself.

Smoked salt comprises of various different salt varieties, including such as regular, fine, or coarse salts that are smoked over a wood fire.

For the smoked salt to have a full flavor, at least half of the salt has to be the smoky flavor. The remaining portion can be any variety of salt.

Curing salt

Here are some facts you should know about curing salt:

Curing salt is basically a mixture of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Nitrites and sodium nitrates are known for their curing properties. They have a very similar structure to sodium chloride (table salt) but play a different role in the body.

Curing salt is used to make meat taste better without adding much to the overall sodium content of the food.

Curing salt can be used as an ingredient in the cure itself or as a marinade.

Since curing salt comprises nitrates, you should be wary of its contents and continuously monitor the amount you consume.

You should avoid eating more than the recommended daily allowance of nitrates if you are pregnant. Doing so can significantly put you at risk of developing nitrate toxicity.

Nitrites help to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.

Before curing salt can be used, it must be mixed with meat for its curing properties to be effective.

Cured meat does not have to be refrigerated, unless it has been preserved in some way.

Pickling salt

Conclusion

In summary, we have provided you with tools to help you us to clean your home using the simple but effective method of saltwater.

To learn more about making your home look and smell better by using salt water, then connect with us on our fast-growing social community and also follow us on our new website.

We will always have more salt water cleaning tips and techniques coming shortly so make sure you keep checking back.

Thank You

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Introduction

Chapter 1: Saltwater Fishing Basics

Chapter 2: Understanding Your Catch

Chapter 3: The Benefits of Saltwater Fishing

Chapter 4: Choosing the Right Tackle

Chapter 5: Saltwater Fishing Gear Essentials

Chapter 6: 15 Tips and Tricks

Chapter 7: Saltwater Fishing Bait Tips

Chapter 8: Saltwater Fishing Tackle Tips

Get perfect thin blue smoke every time with these 6 tips

Do you like to eat salt and pepper? If yes, then we must say it can be really delicious and it is one of the best ways to control the degree of saltiness in our food. People who love to eat chili, salt and pepper always check out different varieties to suit their taste and mood. However, if you are a cooking newbie then it can be really confusing for you to select the appropriate variety for you.

How to choose salt and pepper?

You can choose different types of salt and pepper based on your taste and mood. Be it the texture, the color, and the source of salt and pepper, a cooking novice can observe the ingredients and choose the right one for the best flavor. So here is the list of 16 different types of salt (well known) including their uses.