Choices… Table, Sea or Kosher

Choices… Table Salt, Sea Salt or Kosher salt?

The nutritional value of sea, table and kosher salts are all the same … the difference lies in their taste and texture. The harvest of sea salt is through the evaporation of seawater, table salt is mined from rock salt and kosher salt is made by compacting granular salt.  All are fully refined with an end result of sodium chloride.

Table salt contains iodine which is necessary for normal thyroid function and often contains anti-caking agents … “when it rains it pours” too young to remember that, huh? There is no evidence that the additives in table salt are harmful. Supporters of sea salt believe it has a slightly different taste because in comes from the Sea and prefer sea salt because it does not contain iodine or other additives. But don’t worry you can find iodine naturally in many other foods. And then there’s kosher salt … my people tell me lots of chefs are using kosher salt in cooking and baking; its structure dissolves easily, it gives a pure flavor  but mostly it enhances the overall flavor of the food. And it too contain no additives.

Sodium is not all bad, it has a purposeful function;  it balances the pH level in our body, regulates the level of water in our body, and is important in nerve conduction. The recommended intake for a healthy adult is between 1500mg-2200mg daily.

In foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure which inhibits bacterial growth stopping spoilage.

Substitutions: 1/2 tsp. rock salt = 3/4 tsp. kosher salt = 1 tsp. table salt