I purchased, on some ones suggestion, can’t remember who, a box of salt.
Salt flakes to be exact. You know “the perfect thing” for sliced tomatoes. To add that perfect finishing touch to a dish. A great accompaniment to any meal. The ultimate condiment.
We have scads of tomatoes. So I break out the uber-pricey salt flakes.
I swear, in the dish, in less than 10 minutes they were so stuck together as to be unusable.
Threw those out. Sounded like dollar bills going in the trash.
Unzipped the bag liner inside the box and got more out to sprinkle (well, splat) on my tomato slices. And zippered the bag promptly and put it inside another.
Ate my tomatoes. Hey, guess what?
The salt burned my mouth. Yes, burnt! I say. Worse than hot sauce!
That was a bust.
You stand up and admit it. You, Doper that steered me wrong.
I need to have a word with you!
I don’t think it was me but I am wondering at your reaction to the salt.
I mean, salt is salt. NaCl. It can be in different shapes and sizes but it is always just salt so I can’t see having the reaction you did to it (no doubt you did, I just wonder why?).
Was there something extra in the salt you bought? Minerals or something else?
Nope. It’s just salt. Just in flakes instead of granules.
That was the first thing I thought.
I think the burn was from it staying unmelted in my mouth longer. Would have tasted great without the burn.
I’m not really mad at anyone, thought maybe I’m doing something wrong. Like maybe I used too much or you’re supposed to put it on the slice or food and use the back of your spoon and rub it around. I don’t know…
I’m not sure which salt you got but it is worth nothing that different flaky salts can vary in their saltiness (due to how it is produced…they are all still salt but some are more salty than others).
Morton kosher salt tends to be very salty. Diamond kosher salt noticeably less so.
Also, flaky salts should be used sparingly (except when seasoning a steak or other meat). A tiny bit on a cookie or tomato for example. Adds some texture and a little crunch in addition to the saltiness which makes sweet things taste better (just a little salt though).
Maybe try the tomatoes again but sprinkle only a tiny bit on. Then increase till you get the ideal amount.
Not me. I never heard of the stuff. The only salt I buy that is different from plain old iodized table salt is kosher salt, which I use for salting water for cooking pasta. Not sure if it really makes much difference, but it can’t hurt. Sorry about your bad experience. I’m innocent!
Normal table salt often (not always) has anti-caking agents in it to prevent clumping. That is much less likely in flaky salt so, it will clump more easily. Storage is anything that keeps it dry and not exposed to humidity (well sealed from outside air).
Also, kosher salt does not have iodine in it which some say affects flavor.
So, many prefer kosher salt because it doesn’t usually have that extra stuff in it but that requires a little more care when storing it.
Also note, when cooking, using kosher salt versus table salt requires conversion to get the right amount. Due to its different shape less kosher salt will fit into a teaspoon than table salt (think the difference between filling a pale with sand versus pebbles versus stones).
That really is the best way to cook I think (although I like a measurement to get me in the ballpark).
Except for baking.
I am not a very good baker but I do it enough to know that it is part art and part science and often there is no tasting. Mix the ingredients, put in oven, magical alchemy happens and something comes out. Getting the correct measurements can be really important for a reliable outcome.
Here in Florida, we put uncooked rice into the salt shakers along with the salt. If we didn’t it would probably turn into one clump because of the humidity.
I don’t usually have shakers for table salt. I have little jars with tiny scoops.
And this salt I’m discussing is very course flakes. Not quite as large as a grain of rice. A shaker wouldn’t work.
When I put it on the table I put some in a salt dish(that’s a tiny plate I never thought I’d use, ever. Thanks Granny).
I have a jar with flip top gasketed lid. Bigger than a quart.
Think I’ll put the salt in it and some rice in a tea ball. Maybe.
(Yep, I have that much of it)
For table service? I haven’t figured out that yet.
You can always re-crush it with a rolling pin in a Zip-Loc instead of tossing dollar bills in the trash… Serving from a salt bowl (pig) allows you to do the same with the spoon.
Yeah, I could crush it, grind it, hit it with a mallet.
But…I was told salt flakes are just the thing I need to be getting the best flavor of salt on my 'mater slices. Just the thing.
My error in judgement in buying too much I’ll cop to.
The correct usage of said salt and lack of info on how it’s kept. Plus the fact no one told me salt burns your mouth I blame on another so-called expert.
