Get a Little Salty

I had to ask myself why “salt” sprang to mind so quickly as the theme for July’s blog post. And then it occurred to me: Samin Nosrat’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” is on my bedside table and seems to inspire me on every page (as is evidenced by the frequency I reference it below), I’ve been experimenting with salt’s effects in my own cooking lately, and summer itself is a salty time: our sweat is salty, the beach and the sea are salty, nothing’s better on a homegrown tomato than plain old salt. So, there you go: salt it is.

Salt is such an intriguing element of cooking that I fear I can only scratch the surface below. (I do highly recommend Samin’s book above for a fascinating deep dive.) But for the next few paragraphs, I want to talk about some sodium misinformation, different kinds of readily available salt and which one(s) would serve you best, and how to start using it in your home-cooking life to transform textures and enhance flavors.

First, humans need salt. In fact, because we need it biologically, it’s built-in that we crave salt (I’m glad it’s not just me). However, in researching the recommendations from the CDC and Harvard’s School of Public Health, I learned that most humans are getting way too much salt—more than the 2,300 mg recommended limit, which over time can cause hypertension, heart attacks and strokes (yikes). We know this. How many people do you know whose doctor has ordered them to go on a low-sodium diet? However, what both sources made very clear is that “almost any unprocessed food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, meats, and dairy foods is low in sodium. Most of the salt in our diets comes from commercially prepared foods, not from salt added to cooking at home or even from salt added at the table before eating.” Ah, another win for cooking at home! Music to my ears. So what this says to me is that a low-sodium diet need not be a bland AF diet; it just means you need to read nutrition labels and focus on eating whole foods. I got you on that!

I readily admit that I rely on some prepared goods in my cooking. I used canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, salsa, almond butter, chicken broth, marinara sauces, etc. And I’m sure you do too. But make sure, before putting these products in your cart, to read that label. Confirm that you’re getting just the basic ingredients (i.e., actual food) and opt for low- or no-sodium varieties. This is a huge way to cut the sodium in your diet. Eliminate the food manufacturer’s idea of sodium and give yourself the freedom of adding your own—just the way you like it.

Now let’s talk about the salt we have on our own counters and tables. There was a time when everyone only had iodized table salt at home. That was definitely true of my family. We kept it in a shaker on the kitchen table. Though there’s nothing outright wrong with table salt, it is small and dense and therefore very salty and difficult to manage in a dish. It also contains iodine, which most of us with a diverse diet don’t need supplements of anymore, as well as anticaking agents and other additives, which we also don’t need. You’ll notice, if you peruse recipes online or watch cooking shows, recipe developers and cooks now prefer refined sea salt or kosher salt because they’re pure. For her part, Samin also recommends keeping these two varieties on hand for everyday cooking.

For those of you who like a salty crunch on your brownies or over a tray of hot-out-of-the-oven sweet potato fries, you’ll want a larger sea salt flake, like Maldon salt crystals or fleur-de-sel. These are fancier and cost more, but a little goes a long way, so go ahead and splurge to get this experience at home.

In my own kitchen, salt gets added to everything I make. Everything. And mostly it’s kosher salt (Diamond Crystal to be precise). Because of the frequency of salting in my cooking and because the flakes of kosher salt are larger, a shaker isn’t a practical way to keep it. So we keep salt on the counter alongside the utensils and the olive oil in a “salt pig.” (Read more about those and see pictures here.) Essentially, a salt pig is any vessel where you can reach in and pinch or measure out the amount of salt you need. I remember first seeing this on “Food Network” eons ago and it blew my mind. Now I consider it an essential kitchen tool. 

One of the mantras of the salt chapter of “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” is when cooking, don’t let a recipe dictate the amount of salt you use. Maybe start with it as a guide, but always “salt to taste.” I used to hate that vague instruction in a recipe; I like hard and fast measurements. But as you build your home cooking confidence, you’ll get a feel for it. “To taste” is literally dipping a clean spoon or finger in and tasting it. And if it does need more salt, you’ll begin to understand how much your “pinch” should be to bring out the amazing flavor your cooking deserves. My advice is to add in salt gradually.

One of the qualities about salt that most of us don’t realize is its ability, through diffusion, to evenly distribute itself within the cell walls of a protein or vegetable and season within. Essentially, let salt do its thing behind the scenes. Try this as an experiment the next time you’re cooking chicken: depending how much time you’re giving yourself, take the chicken out of the package, dry it very well with paper towels, salt it on both sides and let it sit (either out on the counter for 15 minutes if you’re cooking soon, or overnight in the fridge). The salt makes its way into the protein and flavors it in a way you’d never get from salting the surface right before cooking. Once you’re ready to cook, you’ll see that there’s more moisture on the surface of the chicken; this is because the salt has drawn the water out (not to fear, this doesn’t mean you’ll get a dry piece of chicken). Pat that chicken dry again and get to work. Notice how much more flavorful it is.

Gosh, salt is rather magical and I have a lot more to say about it than I realized. I didn’t even get into talking about salting pasta water, salting vegetables before roasting, salting to cure, salting water in order to ferment, brining, mentioning the whole foods and sauces that add their own wonderful saltiness, and on and on. I guess what I’m saying is there’s a whole salty world out there to explore, my Healthy-Curious friends, so go to. And don’t let a food manufacturer or restaurant dictate how much sodium is going into your diet. As Samin says, “In almost every case, anything you cook for yourself at home is more nutritious, and lower in sodium, than processed, prepared, or restaurant food.” So be excellent to yourselves.

Has salt surprised you in some way as well—for good or bad? Please let us know below. Let’s build community by sharing!

Xoxo Julie