10 Ways You're Misusing Salt

Posted by Terri Coles on June 8, 2015

If you've ever watched 'Chopped Canada', you're probably aware of one of the most popular complaints from the judges: not enough salt. Concern about dietary sodium has led many of us to remove the salt pig from the kitchen and the salt shaker from the table, but the taste of our food is suffering because of it. Here are 10 ways you might be using salt incorrectly and some tips on how to do it right.

seriouseats.com

1 of 10

Not Salting the Blanching Water

Add salt to the water at the beginning when you <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/are-the-rules-of-big-pot-blanching-true.html" target="_blank">blanch vegetables</a> or when you cook them in water. Having the salt there from the start will improve the overall seasoning, even more than if you just added salt at the end.
dianesfoodblog.com

2 of 10

Sticking to The Recipe

Consider the amount of salt listed in a recipe <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/salt-to-taste-taken-with-a-grain-of-regret/2014/02/03/011876a8-886e-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html" target="_blank">a guideline</a>, not a hard and fast rule. Salt food to your taste, as you cook. If it tastes right to you with a bit more or less than the recipe suggests, then it’s probably right.
foodrepublic.com

3 of 10

Different Types of Salt

Salts are not necessarily interchangeable — different kinds have <a href="http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/10/01/5-types-salt-every-cook-needs-know" target="_blank">different cooking purposes</a>. The flat flakes of kosher salt mean it dissolves easily and evenly, but because it pulls moisture out of food, it’s not an ideal cooking salt. Fleur de del, on the other hand, doesn’t melt easily and therefore makes a good finisher.
Flickr/Inquisitive Eye

4 of 10

Ignoring Specialty Salts

If you’ve dismissed specialty salts like pink himalayan or fleur de sel as foodie fads, you’re missing out. When used as finishers, <a href="http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp#.VXVxk2RViko" target="_blank">specialty salts</a> can add everything from a punch of flavour to a brightness and interesting colour to your food. For example, the clay in red Hawaiian sea salt adds an earthy flavour and an authenticity to the recipes of the island, while kala namak or Indian black salt adds an eggy flavour to dishes.
Flickr/PSC1011-GO

5 of 10

Only Seasoning Once

Don’t just dump all your salt in at the beginning of cooking, or even at the end. Salt a little to start, then continue to add it as necessary throughout the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/28/experts-use-salt-in-cooking-why" target="_blank">cooking process</a>. You’ll get a better sense of how much salt is really needed and a more fully developed flavour overall. Chefs say that most home cooks tend to under season, so you probably have more wiggle room for salting than you realize.
Flickr/Annabelle Orozco

6 of 10

Not Using Finishing Salt

A bit of salt to <a href="http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2014/12/09/finishing-salts/" target="_blank">finish off your dish</a> can really make the flavours pop and allows you to enjoy the taste of the salt itself. Mark Bitterman, author and owner of <a href="http://themeadow.com/" target="_blank">The Meadow</a>, recommends that everyone own at least three finishing salts: sel gris, flake salt, and fleur de sel.
foodrepublic.com

7 of 10

Forgetting to Salt the Pasta Water

That bit of salt you add to the water before tossing the noodles in seems inconsequential, and it’s easy to forget it. But don’t: it’s your only opportunity to <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cooking-pasta-properly.aspx" target="_blank">season the noodles</a> as they absorb the water during cooking.
Flickr/Kai Schreiber

8 of 10

Not Salting At All

There has been a lot of discussion about dietary sodium and <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/sodium-health-risks-and-disease/" target="_blank">excessive intake</a>, which can scare some people away from salting their food at all, whether it’s during cooking or on the plate. But the real concern is the excessive use of sodium in processed foods, where one meal can easily exceed your recommended daily intake. You would have to add a lot of salt to freshly prepared foods to even come close to consuming what you might get from a single frozen dinner. Unless you’ve been advised by your physician not to for health reasons, don’t be afraid to use salt in your cooking.
Flickr/Tim Hoggarth

9 of 10

Over Salting

As essential as salt is to the cooking process, there is such a thing as too much (this is another reason why you should salt gradually during the cooking process!). If you find that you’ve <a href="http://food52.com/blog/10046-how-to-save-an-overly-salty-or-spicy-dish" target="_blank">over salted</a> your dish, try to balance out the flavours by adding a little bit of sugar, vinegar or lemon juice to up the sweetness or acidity. For liquid-based dishes, try adding more of an unsalted liquid like water or coconut milk to dilute the salt. If it’s not a liquid-based dish, add more bulk like extra grains or vegetables.
thebittenword.com

10 of 10

Using Pickling Salt for Anything but Pickling

Curing or <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/six-types-salt" target="_blank">pickling salt</a> has a flavour similar to pink himalayan salt, but you don’t want to sub one for the other. Curing salt is used for making pickles and sauerkraut, and is nearly 100-percent sodium chloride, with no iodine fortification or anti-caking agents. It’s much more concentrated than cooking salts, so for that reason it can be dangerous in large quantities — and in any case, isn’t going to make your meal taste very good. Terri Coles is a freelance writer living in St. John's, NL. She writes regularly about food, health, nutrition, and travel.
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