Need help to grind my salt
October 25, 2016 9:57 AM Subscribe
I seem to have overly flaky salt, with the result that it sort of leaks out the bottom of the grinder onto the counter and plates, rather than being released by actual grinding. Is there a proper grinder for flaky-type natural salts, or do I need to either find rockier salt or go to a sugar-bowl approach?
Spouse and I have a pair of pepper/salt grinders that are loosely like this one. We used them for a number of years happily, but recently it seems like any salt we buy -- sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt, or whatever natural variants are sold in the stores near us -- is less a rock crystal lump than flakes or small bits. These seem not to be ground up at all -- they mostly just fall out the bottom as you move the device around, leaving a heap where it sits on the counter, sprinkling uncontrolled amounts on your food, etc. I'm happy putting regular iodized salt in the shaker on my table, but I'd like the option of using natural salt for cooking, and this situation clearly isn't working. What do other people do to use natural salts? Do you just spoon it out of a bag? or have I just ended up with the wrong sort of grinder, and This Thing will do the trick? Appreciate any guidance...
Spouse and I have a pair of pepper/salt grinders that are loosely like this one. We used them for a number of years happily, but recently it seems like any salt we buy -- sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt, or whatever natural variants are sold in the stores near us -- is less a rock crystal lump than flakes or small bits. These seem not to be ground up at all -- they mostly just fall out the bottom as you move the device around, leaving a heap where it sits on the counter, sprinkling uncontrolled amounts on your food, etc. I'm happy putting regular iodized salt in the shaker on my table, but I'd like the option of using natural salt for cooking, and this situation clearly isn't working. What do other people do to use natural salts? Do you just spoon it out of a bag? or have I just ended up with the wrong sort of grinder, and This Thing will do the trick? Appreciate any guidance...
In my opinion, there's no reason to grind salt. Pepper grinders make sense, because peppercorns need to be ground right before use to be both edible and tasty. Reducing salt in size doesn't do an equivalent, and salt snobs will tell you that you actually want the opposite - bigger chunks or flakes of salt hit the tongue in a pleasing way that table salt doesn't. I'm inclined to be part of that group but it could just be placebo effect.
I'd like the option of using natural salt for cooking
If you're measuring salt by volume, recipes usually expect you to be using finely ground table salt, so you might need to adjust, especially for baking. As long as the volume you use is the same, the size and shape of the salt you use in cooking doesn't really matter, as it'll melt into liquids anyway.
What do you mean by natural? Are you trying to avoid iodine? Other than that, table salt is pretty much the same as kosher salt.
posted by Candleman at 10:42 AM on October 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'd like the option of using natural salt for cooking
If you're measuring salt by volume, recipes usually expect you to be using finely ground table salt, so you might need to adjust, especially for baking. As long as the volume you use is the same, the size and shape of the salt you use in cooking doesn't really matter, as it'll melt into liquids anyway.
What do you mean by natural? Are you trying to avoid iodine? Other than that, table salt is pretty much the same as kosher salt.
posted by Candleman at 10:42 AM on October 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
We just keep some kosher salt in a ramekin by the stove (source - my wife is a chef). Agree that there's really no reason to grind salt.
posted by fixedgear at 10:49 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fixedgear at 10:49 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: What do you mean by natural? Are you trying to avoid iodine? Other than that, table salt is pretty much the same as kosher salt
Well, sea salt appears to include healthy trace minerals that purified salts don't, and sometimes that add taste.
I guess beyond that, in the "why grind" category, is some mix of Because We Had the Grinder and aesthetic pleasure. Of course, it might be true that grinding was useful with the large rocks and is pointless with the flakes, so maybe the cellar is the way to go...
posted by acm at 11:15 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Well, sea salt appears to include healthy trace minerals that purified salts don't, and sometimes that add taste.
I guess beyond that, in the "why grind" category, is some mix of Because We Had the Grinder and aesthetic pleasure. Of course, it might be true that grinding was useful with the large rocks and is pointless with the flakes, so maybe the cellar is the way to go...
posted by acm at 11:15 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
sea salt appears to include healthy trace minerals that purified salts don't, and sometimes that add taste.
There's definitely a little shift, but it's subtle enough that I only notice it when I use quality salt for finishing the food right before serving rather than cooking. I cook with kosher or table salt. If you're interested in other flavored salts, I'm a big fan of truffle or porcini infused salts.
posted by Candleman at 11:34 AM on October 25, 2016
There's definitely a little shift, but it's subtle enough that I only notice it when I use quality salt for finishing the food right before serving rather than cooking. I cook with kosher or table salt. If you're interested in other flavored salts, I'm a big fan of truffle or porcini infused salts.
posted by Candleman at 11:34 AM on October 25, 2016
Because We Had the Grinder
FWIW, my salt grinder has been repurposed to be a second type of pepper grinder. I usually keep black pepper in one and pink peppercorns in the other.
posted by Candleman at 11:51 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
FWIW, my salt grinder has been repurposed to be a second type of pepper grinder. I usually keep black pepper in one and pink peppercorns in the other.
posted by Candleman at 11:51 AM on October 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
If you prefer to buy sea salt, buy fine sea salt. Not all sea salt comes in big flakes. Sea salt merely means that it's salt that comes from the sea and not a mine.
Salt grinders are 100% a pretentious racket that nobody needs. If you are buying expensive fleur de sel or maldon salts -- which are rare and sought after because of their large flakes -- and then grinding them down, you're throwing money away.
posted by Sara C. at 3:32 PM on October 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
Salt grinders are 100% a pretentious racket that nobody needs. If you are buying expensive fleur de sel or maldon salts -- which are rare and sought after because of their large flakes -- and then grinding them down, you're throwing money away.
posted by Sara C. at 3:32 PM on October 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
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I also use the smaller Ziploc Twist N Loc to keep finishing salt in, since they seal pretty well.
If you're set on the grinding thing, the OXO Salt Grinder actually sits upside-down, so the grinder is up, so nothing will spill. I use the pepper version, and I love it. You'll need to get the bigger crystals of salt to use in it... look for course grinder grade.
posted by Huck500 at 10:23 AM on October 25, 2016 [3 favorites]