Salt

[Binky Profile]

This is my salt haul, from visits to French supermarkets for the sel de camargue or a trip to Guerrero Negro in Baja California where the salt is collected on an industrial scale

diesel gas station near me

We saw the sel de guerande at our local TK Maxx but the canister was discoloured at the bottom, as though it had suffered from damp. It put us off buying.

[Renee Profile]

What a wonderful collection of sea salt Binky!

[Binky Profile]

The French salt is reclaimed in a more genteel way.

This is how the Mexicans collect theirs




The whole area is covered in these orange trucks trundling backwards and forwards to the beach and back to the plant. We asked why so much salt was needed, and the manager said that salt was required in automotive manufacture, so much of it went to the US.

The local shops all sold the salt for pennies a bag. I think our big bag was about 20p. The French salt is ten times that!

[Badger's Mate Profile]

We've got some salt from Tavira on the Algarve. Nearer French prices than Mexican, iirc

[Binky Profile]

We live 5 miles from Maldon. Their salt is French prices.

[Joanbunting Profile]

When we lived on Long Island in the Bahamas we were temporarily housed in one of the beach houses owned by the American salt company called Diamond Crystal. To get to the hous we had to drive through the salt flats. Depending on their stage of evaporation the pans went from muddy pink to mucky grey and then finally white. They smelt horrible. They too were harvested by huge bulldozers. That place only lasted for a few years more after we left.

I see you have been shopping for your Camargue salt in Leclerc Binky!

I have also got Pink Himalyian and Black Cyprus, both given me for presents and I also use North Shields smoked salt which a friend sends me. Their pepper with chilli is good too.

[THE MOD TEAM Profile]

Why not start a thread on salts? And everyone post a piccy of all the salts they can find at home! Over to you Binky...

[Binky Profile]

These are two more salts from my cupboard. I posted others on the Chatterbox thread. Maldon isn't exotic as it's only 5 miles away. The rock salt was purchased because someone told me that rock salt was healthier than sea salt.

Do you have a preferred salt?

[jeral Profile]

You have a fine collection Binky

I was sent some Maldon in place of Allspice. How they worked that out as a sub I've no idea. No worries though as I love sprinkles on almost anything, even though I don't use or like salt in cooking as it changes the taste too much.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

If and when I can find it, I use sea salt. There´s a beach on Margarita island where salt is collected, and I buy it by the sack! It´s really divine, and you only need a little.

[Binky Profile]

The rock salt is from seams thousands of years old, before pollution and other nasty things entered the ocean. Sea salt is contaminated according to some. I have no idea myself, and don't believe it would be on sale if it was dangerous to health

[Suffs Profile]

I buy either Maldon or Cornish sea salt as my everyday go to for filling the salt pig in the kitchen.

The salt mill for our dinner table needs a hard salt crystal so I buy Waitrose coarse sea salt crystals for that and I have a jar of W’rose cooking salt for brining god pickles etc.

[jeral Profile]

James Martin always insisted (or used to insist) that rock salt was better for fish. With hindsight, perhaps he might have been referring to freshwater fish.

[Binky Profile]

Everyone used to have Cerebos or Saxa table salt.

Isn't that (table salt) fortified with iodine or something similar?

[jeral Profile]

I think some in the USA have iodine added but definitely not in the UK. There is an inert de-clumping additive that's of no concern at all.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I seem to remember that most US recipes ask for kosher salt. I was never able to find why and how is it different

[THE MOD TEAM Profile]

Topics from initial Chatterbox discussion merged into Binky's new thread

[Joanbunting Profile]

Great, thanks

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I seem to remember that most US recipes ask for kosher salt. I was never able to find why and how is it different

Yes, It's the iodine, Thomas Keller says it can make food quite bitter so Kosher salt, which is not fortified is often preferred

You can buy iodised salt in the UK, comes in a garish red and yellow packet so you don't get it by accident, I think the local Kurdish population prefer it as they come from an iodine deficient region, so some of my local shops sell it

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/cerebos-extra-fine-iodised-table-salt/559124-79136-79137?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwIPrBRCJARIsAFlVT88pXQ1xJ1c1w037I9bE7JX0_I_4qo_YQXmt6k_bipCyGecLFXVaaMcaAkgkEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Sorry for double posting, but here's my salt and pepper collection, I put the pepper in to make it worth taking a photo

From left to right, bargain TK Maxx black pepper, yellow tin of posh Vietnamese pepper bought in Brighton, jar of pink peppercorns, TK Maxx sel de Guerande, jar of coarse sea salt crystals for table salt mill, salt pig containing fine French Atlantic sea salt for cooking