Salt is Salt, Right?
Salt isn’t so scary, but some salts are. Let's talk about the salt you’re stocking in your pantry.
All salt is not equal
When we buy salt, it’s not always in its pure and natural form.
Refined salt, or what most of us just call “salt” is actually heat-treated and purified which strips out all trace minerals. It’s bleached to a perfect shade of white and then tossed with chemical additives to prevent crystals from sticking together. Yikes!
Unrefined salt is the pure form. It has sodium, chloride and other naturally-occurring minerals too. This symphony of 80+ minerals provides a balance of nutrients that are easily absorbed and utilized by the body, nutrients that are needed even in tiny amounts.
Tips for buying salt
Look for a straightforward label with one ingredient. “Sea salt” or “pink himalayan salt” is a great start.
Consider the source. Unfortunately, “sea salt” is not an automatic win. Consider where the salt is harvested since salt from our modern oceans can be contaminated with toxins from plastics. Sourcing from ancient sea beds is a good bet.
Check the color. A bit of color variation is a good thing! Minerals naturally have a coloring to them. If it’s bright white, the sea salt was likely bleached.
My favorite unrefined salts are Redmond Real Salt from ancient seabeds in Utah USA or Himalayan pink sea salt from ancient seabeds in Pakistan like HimalaSalt. This post is not sponsored and the links give me zero kickback. I simply like and trust them!
The caveats to unrefined salt
Switching to unrefined salt means you’ll have to ensure your diet supplies iodine. Levels are low in salt’s natural, unrefined form. Many refined salts, like Morton’s, have iodine added in during manufacturing. This actually imparts a distinct metallic flavor, so do yourself a favor by seeking iodine from food. Seafood, dairy, eggs and sea vegetables like kombu and dulse are all good sources of iodine. If you don’t regularly eat any of these, check out Maine Coast Sea Vegetables’s blend of unrefined sea salt with iodine-rich sea vegetables mixed in.
Many reputable unrefined salt brands are kosher-certified, but it can be difficult to find kosher-style large flakes for cooking. If a recipe calls for kosher salt and you don't have an unrefined kosher salt, substitute fine sea salt and use half the indicated amount to achieve the same level of saltiness. Redmond's Real Salt is an exception - they have kosher salt!
The minor inconveniences of refined salt are minuscule compared with the gains of added minerals, improved flavor and freedom from additives and processing chemicals.
Happy salting!
