Two Teaspoons Kosher Salt is Better Than One
A surprising number of people ask me how much kosher salt to use in their cooking. Many of them have heard the numerous horror stories about the huge amounts of sodium in processed foods. Kosher salt, they think, is better for their health, so its no wonder they are concerned.
Heres the thing: table salt is not meant to be consumed in its raw form. Its very refined and contains numerous additives that have been filtered out, leaving a solid salt that is hardly recognizable as salt. It has no value as a food seasoning or cooking ingredient.
Salt made from sea or rock salt, on the other hand, contains trace minerals and other elements that are good for your health. Table salt also contains traces of preservatives and sodium, which may cause health problems. Table salt also contains an excessive amount of impurities that may be harmful to human health.
Table salt may also contain di-sodium phosphate (DSP), which is a dangerous byproduct of chlorine bleaching. Even though the DSP is present in small amounts, it adds no nutritional value to the food. In fact, recent studies have shown that the DSP may be contributing to increased heart disease and even cancer, since the preservatives tend to prevent the absorption of nutrients found in vegetables and fruits.
While some people believe that table salt cant possibly contain harmful chemicals, many additives have been banned in the United States due to worries about health issues. For example, most types of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives are prohibited. While there are some products on the market that still contain a small amount of these ingredients, the evidence is strong that they are not needed in food for a healthy diet.
Salt is important in making breads, gravies, sauces and many other cooking and baking recipes. It is also very important in winter months when food preparation and cleanup become far more difficult. I often add two teaspoons of kosher salt to my kettle to prepare kettle corn. Sometimes I sprinkle that little bit on my popcorn.
I like to serve four tablespoons of table salt with my dinner plate or bowl. Even if you dont use table salt for dishes, chances are that table salt will be in your home.
Kosher salt is just plain old table salt distilled to remove the impurities. You can find it in bulk at any grocer that carrying groceries.
A few years ago, a handful of suppliers offered table salt, but the quality was so poor that most consumers were reluctant to purchase it. That is no longer the case.
Thanks to technological advances in distillation and evaporation, table salt today is as pure as table salt could possibly be. Companies like Sterling Kosher Salt are creating table salt that closely resembles its old-fashioned cousin.
Kosher salt is now used extensively for table salt in restaurant kitchens and in homes all over the country. You will find it in Mediterranean restaurants, and not only for your everyday meals but for snacks as well.
We like to serve table salt with our popcorn, pasta and even our oatmeal. You will find it in many kitchens and homes in the US, and you can rest assured that table salt is much better for you than table salt made from de-mineralized rock salt.
