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Questions tagged [salt]

Questions about the use of culinary salt in the kitchen.

178 votes
11 answers
152k views

Why add salt to the water when cooking pasta?

What is the effect of adding salt to the water when cooking pasta?
bryn's user avatar
  • 2,401
80 votes
10 answers
41k views

Are there any advantages to freshly ground salt?

Recently, I've seen salt grinders sold in stores. I understand that freshly ground pepper has a plus over pre-ground pepper in terms of freshness and strength. However, salt to me seems like a mineral,...
Mennyg's user avatar
  • 881
58 votes
15 answers
45k views

What is the point of a salt mill?

Salt mills and pepper mills often come in pairs. I understand the purpose of the pepper mill: It breaks open the pepper corn and releases the aroma. But there is, to my knowledge, no such thing as a ...
Peter Eisentraut's user avatar
40 votes
13 answers
266k views

How to fix food that got extra salty?

How to fix food that got extra salty? I imagine this depends on what the food is. With spaghetti, you can add water or change water if you detect it on time. But what about grilled meat? Or a tomato ...
Vinko Vrsalovic's user avatar
  • 1,341
36 votes
14 answers
92k views

Why did my grandfather-in-law salt his beer?

My grandfather-in-law was born in England in the 1920s and fought in World War II. Somewhere along the line he acquired the habit of salting his beer before drinking it, which persisted for the rest ...
SevenSidedDie's user avatar
34 votes
6 answers
13k views

Is there any truth to the idea that you shouldn't multiply seasonings when multiplying a recipe?

I often hear cooks discuss that idea that if you are multiplying, say, a recipe for 4 to be a for 32, that you shouldn't multiply some herbs, spices, or salt. I've never understood any reason why this ...
Michael Natkin's user avatar
34 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why are salt and pepper the "classic" dinner table seasoning?

Is there a reason we use salt and pepper on so many dishes and they can be found in any kitchen table at dinner time? Does it have to do with their flavor synergies, or were they just more available "...
nopcorn's user avatar
  • 475
33 votes
5 answers
31k views

Why would you place potatoes on salt when baking in the oven?

Several of my recipe books call for baking potatoes on a layer of (rock) salt, e.g. I'm currently following one for gnocchi that has this very instruction. Searching yields many recipes, but I can't ...
Jeroen's user avatar
  • 3,001
32 votes
8 answers
197k views

How long do you let a steak from the fridge come up to temperature, and when do you salt it?

Before cooking a steak, you're supposed to let it sit out at room temperature. You're also supposed to salt it. What is the proper timing for these steps? How long do you let the steak come up to ...
user avatar
31 votes
4 answers
5k views

Can you candy salt?

Bear with me... I'm working on a pretty amazing ice cream. It's Dulce de Leche, made the kind of scary traditional way of boiling cans of sweetened condensed milk, then mixing that with a custard and ...
Jolenealaska's user avatar
  • 58.6k
31 votes
5 answers
14k views

What is the difference between sea salt and regular table salt?

I often sea sea salt sold in grinders to be used at the table, with comments about how it tastes better. What sort of taste differences would I notice using sea salt vs table salt, and what other ...
Ryan Elkins's user avatar
  • 6,203
30 votes
9 answers
95k views

What are some good substitutes for salt for those on low sodium diets?

I try to keep my sodium intake fairly low to ensure that my blood pressure doesn't get too high. Salt is such a common part of cooking, and it's especially difficult to cook Asian-style food without ...
LeopardSkinPillBoxHat's user avatar
29 votes
4 answers
150k views

How much to reduce salt when using salted butter in place of unsalted butter

I normally don't keep unsalted butter on hand since I use it so seldom. So when a recipe calls for salt and unsalted butter among its ingredients would it be alright to use salted butter and reduce ...
Don O'Donnell's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
25k views

What can be done with accidentaly oversalted beef?

I mistakenly marinated some thin beef with regular salt for one day before barbecuing it, turns out you're not supposed to do that! Even after washing it, it is unbearable to eat it by itself. I'm ...
Mojimi's user avatar
  • 375
27 votes
10 answers
55k views

Why is it important to add salt during cooking?

This may seem like a silly question, but given that each persons' tastes are different why is it that salt is added during cooking? It seems better to just allow the person eating the food to add ...
O.O's user avatar
  • 2,197

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