An Ode to Salt
Salt. It’s hard to pin down what comes to mind when I think of such a regular ol’ thing. Maybe it’s the pewter shaker with holes in the shape of an “S” from my childhood… or how we melt stubborn ice on our driveway… or the smell of California beaches after our family road trips westward… or the block our horses are drawn to in the pasture.... or the vast beauty of Utah’s Salt Flats.
It’s critical to life and health. It’s woven into all of creation — from the oceans and soil to our very sweat and tears, yet we never really celebrate it (other than that wondrous bougie crunchy flake salt, but I digress).
And when we cook or bake? Salt’s almost like the gravity of the kitchen — the thing that makes everything work. We only really notice if there’s too much or too little. The “just right” amount of salt steps graciously aside in order to highlight whatever it’s with.
Salt can do an assortment of incredible things. Let’s explore some perhaps surprising ones together today…
Salt can bring balance where it’s needed.
For drinks that can sometimes tend to be bitter like coffee, add a scant pinch of salt. You won’t taste it, but it will bring a gentle balance that is remarkable. I’ve been doing this for years and can’t stop/ won’t stop — it makes for the most delicious cup of joe (or latte or cappuccino) you can hope for.
For treats that can be overly sweet, salt tones down and again… brings lovely balance. A pinch in things like frosting and hot chocolate makes great treats near perfect.
Salt can preserve natural beauty.
If you’re boiling green veggies, a few pinches in the cooking water helps keep the color vibrant. For next-level brightness, add a bit of salt to said veggies’ ice bath when blanching to keep the chlorophyll from leaching out into the water.
Salt can enhance texture.
Whisking a touch of salt into raw eggs before scrambling them can help prevent the proteins from binding tightly and resulting in undesirable toughness. The result is softer and a more tender scrambled egg.
Salt makes things easier.
Salt added to boiling water for hard-boiled eggs helps make them easier to peel.
And the list goes on and on. Have you any unique uses for salt you’d like to share? We would love to hear them. I’d also love to hear how first-timers feel about a pinch of salt in your coffee… I say we band together and start a “Salted Coffee” club!
With love and gratitude -
Hally