5 options for using salt (but probably not)

Salt may be the most frequently used and abused – catchment area in the kitchen. While his role is undisputed when improving the taste, the forces extend far beyond. It can pull excess liquid out of vegetables to keep them crispy and keep meat moisture. Salt also acts as a preservative and keeps meat and cucumbers hard and spicy when used in the correct quantities. Learning the power of the salt can make you a better cook – here is how.

No kitchen is complete without salt, but which salt should you use? There is no difference between kosher salt, table salt and sea salt – all usually when cooking – since all are almost 100% sodium chloride (NACL). What distinguishes it is her density (the mass per unit of volume of a granular solid), which affects the texture of every salt and how quickly it dissolves. The costs for each salt also vary.

Kosher salt: Kosher salt is ideal for the spices of food: the large, coarse grains do it Easy to pinch and sprinkle. It is also relatively inexpensive, which is suitable for tasks where you need a lot of salt such as dry glasses and salt noodle water. However, not all kosher salts are the same, and the densities of salt vary from brand to brand. Kosher salt is what we demand in the vast majority of our recipes in serious Eats, and we recommend using the kosher salt with diamond crystal, as it has light, airy flakes that quickly dissolve.

Table salt: Table salt is usually cheaper than kosher salt, as it is inexpensive to dismantle and process. It often contains anti -makers to ensure that it flows freely out of the box.

Sea salt: As the name suggests, sea salt is harvested from the sea. His texture and density can vary greatly. Fine sea salts can be used for cooking food (although we generally still recommend the spices with kosher salt). Flaky sea salts have a rough, crispy texture that delivers a sharp salt content, which makes it ideal as a finish salt. While there are budget -friendly options, sea salt tends to be somewhat more expensive than both table salt and kosher salt.

If you want to deal with salt, read our comprehensive Guide to different saltsincluding Hawaiian salt and Himalaya black salt.

One of the most important ways to taste your food is to season during the entire cooking process. As a senior culinary editor, Leahwrites: “If you are done correctly, you will be seasoned to maximize the delicacy and also generate harmony with other flavors such as acid, sweetness and bitterness.” It gradually recommends the seasoning, the tasting after each adaptation and is particularly careful when reducing liquids because the evaporation process can taste excessively salty. If you exceed a dish, try it out dilute the liquid Or add ingredients such as starch, acid or cream to compensate for the taste of the bowl.

While a damp salt lake moisture can help with the restraint of moisture, it also introduces excess liquids that dilute the taste. However, a dry brine improves both juiciness and taste. The ointment of the meat pulls moisture to the surface, where it forms a salt lake, which is then repeated and the meat takes off from the inside. When the salt penetrates deeper, it dissolves muscle proteins and restructures them, which then use less and show less moisture during cooking, which leads to tender, juicy meat.

After several hours of dry brinkle in the refrigerator (the time of the brink varies depending on the meat cut), the meat surface is significantly drier than before. And like the former editor Sasha in his wrote Guide to the dry brinkle“Because the moisture in the meat is not pushed out so much, thanks to the dissolving proteins and the relaxation of the muscle fibers, the surface of the meat remains dryer during the cooking” and makes it easier to brown.

You may have heard the expression “Salt your pasta water like the sea”, but that’s a myth. Our editorial director, Danieltested pasta water with Five salt content values In the range of 0.5% to 3.5% salt, determine the ideal ratio. The sea water is about 3.5% salt to weight, which corresponds to about 35 grams of salt per liter of water. He found that 2% was the upper limit of what was tolerable – Nikelis experienced, but not excessive – but 1% was the ideal.

Learning how to ferment at home opens up the possibilities for more tasty, tasteful food. Salt helps to maintain meat, cucumbers, various jangs (Korean sauces) and Miso – many other foods – for months or even years. For example, a simple lacto-fermented cucumber requires nothing more than salt and a clean container to create a microby-rich environment required for fermentation. Make Hot sauce with chipotle, garlic and cumin or sauerkrautThen serve with your meals to give you a kick of warmth or a nice acid boost. Salt not only inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria And reduces the risk of spoiling, but also the finished product.