Salts (and their Uses) - Part I
8th April 2023
Salts are some of our most popular products at the Hub. I won't go into salt chemistry and all the possibilities here - that's what Dr Google is for. Some common salts that you are likely to be familiar with are sea salt, Himalayan salt, epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). In this review, I will be focusing on sea salt. We will look at the others in coming weeks.
We should start by drawing a distinction between sea salt and table salt
Table salt is usually processed and obtained from salt brine, but sometimes it is manufactured from sea salt that is washed and stripped of other minerals. It usually contains additives such as sodium aluminosilicate as an anti-caking agent, to keep it from forming a hard, solid pack.
Sea salt is evaporated in large ponds, and still contains other minerals apart from sodium and chloride, such as sulphate, magnesium, calcium and potassium, all of which are important in various body processes and structures such as joint, skin and hair health, liver detoxification pathways, digestion, nerve and muscle function, energy production, cardiovascular health, hormone secretion, blood clotting, kidney function, fluid balance and more.
A high sodium intake without an adequate potassium intake (such as with table salt), increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The rich mineral profile of sea salt compared to table salt is important to think about.
Our favourite supplier of sea salt is Olsson's. They produce amazing sea salt from the Great Australian Bight, naturally evaporated by the sun, and with no chemical processes involved in its manufacture.
Olsson's sea salt varieties differ primarily in the source of the salt in the flaker pan, and therefore the structure and flavour of the flakes. For example, Fleur de Sel sea salt flakes are made from the top 10-15% of the flaker pan, and are larger than the Blossoms flakes, which come from the middle 50% of the flaker pan. The Diamond flakes come from the bottom layer of the flaker pan, where marine mineral and trace elements have been deposited during the flaking process resulting in an intense sea salt flavour. Olsson's often also have a macrobiotic range that is similar to Celtic sea salt.
Uses for sea salt
Sea salt has many uses, from cooking, fermenting and preserving foods to skincare, including:
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Salt is an excellent flavour enhancer in cooking. It enhances the perception of certain flavours, such as sweetness and umami, by stimulating the taste buds. It also balances out other flavours, such as sourness and bitterness, by masking their intensity;
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Sea salt is often used in skincare products because of its exfoliating properties;
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Sea salt can be mixed with baking soda and used as a natural toothpaste;
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Sea salt can be used as an abrasive cleaner for pots and pans or to remove stains from clothing; and
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Sea salt has been used for centuries as a natural preservative for food. It inhibits the growth of bacteria and moulds in fermenting food.
Apart from sprinkled on food, the main use for salt in our house is in fermenting.
Fermenting is an easy way to increase the nutritional value of foods while preserving them. Scroll down for two simple fermenting recipes I use regularly!
And please get in touch for help or advice on which type of salt might suit your needs best, or for help with fermenting your first batch of sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut
From Sandor Ellix Katz ~ Wild Fermentation (modified)
Cabbage
Salt (eg Olsson's Sea salt)
Optional: Other vegetables - eg radishes, turnips, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, Jerusalem artichokes, ontions, shallots, leeks, garlic, greens, peppers, etc
Optional: Seasonings - eg dill, juniper berries, caraway seeds, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, dried fruit, etc
Remove and reserve the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut into quarters and remove and reserve the core. Scrub root vegetables (but don’t peel).
Chop or grate all vegetables into a bowl. Experiment with coarseness and fineness of vegetables. The finer they are, the easier it is to get the juices out of them. (Fermenting large chunks requires them to be submerged in brine, however).
Salt the vegetables as you chop and add them to the mixing bowl, tasting as you go. It’s easier to add salt than to remove it. Use 1-3 tablespoons salt per cabbage. I usually use about 2 to 3 tblspns per cabbage, but I love a salty kraut, and I like fermenting for long periods.
Squeeze/massage the vegetables for a few minutes, to break down cell walls and release juices. The vegetables should feel wet and start to feel limp.
Pack them into a jar. I sometimes use 1.8L jars, and estimate about 1kg of vegetables per litre. If my ceramic fermenting crock is free (because I'm not fermenting something else), I prefer to use that instead as it takes the work out of burping the ferment.
Press the vegetables down with force, to expel air pockets and release juices to cover the vegetables. Continue until you're left with a couple of centimetres at the top of the jar. The vegetables need to remain submerged in the brine, so fold one or two of the reserved outer cabbage leaves and fit them inside the jar to cover the vegetables like a plug. Use the reserved cores or some carrot stumps between the cabbage leaves and the lid to keep the whole lot pressed down, or invest in some weights (glass or stone).
Release the pressure at least daily for the first few days. Fermentation happens faster in warmer weather. Ferment for as long as desired, at least 7-14 days, but the length of fermentation depends on personal preference. The longer you ferment it, the softer the vegetables, and the more acidic the result. Move to the refrigerator to slow fermentation once the desired flavour is achieved.
Fermented vegetables
From Sandor Ellix Katz ~ Wild Fermentation (modified)
Any vegetable (except ripe tomatoes, although you can brine green tomatoes), including garlic
Salt
Filtered water
Optional: seasoning, herbs, garlic, etc
Optional: fresh grape, oak, sour cherry and/or horseradish leaves
Remove blossoms from vegetables such as cucumbers. Rinse, careful not to bruise them.
Vegetables can be left whole or chopped. Whole vegetables take longer to ferment.
Make a brine solution by dissolving 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 cups filtered water, and add to the vegetables.
Make sure the vegetables are submerged in the brine. Contact with air causes mould formation, so weigh them down with a weight, a smaller jar, etc.
The brine will start to get cloudy after a day or two. Fermentation will take 4 to 14 days, depending on temperature. Start tasting after 4 or more days, and move to the fridge when they taste as desired.