Choosing a Fine Sea Salt Substitute

Updated on November 9th, 2022

Isn’t a tablespoon of salt the same as a tablespoon of salt? That’s not the case. Because different varieties of salt have varied particle sizes, the amount of salt in a tablespoon can differ. Each of us has a favourite salt. There’s a chance you have more than one. But if you don’t know the difference, if you reach for the same box at the supermarket because other salts—and there are many—appear fancy, strange, or superfluous, it’s worth looking into alternatives. Knowing how different varieties of salt perform in your kitchen (including shifting textures, flavours, and saltiness levels) will only help you enhance your cooking by allowing you to choose the ideal salt for any occasion.

You might be looking for a fine table-salt alternative if fine sea salt isn’t your favourite form of salt. Hawaiian red salt, Kosher salt, rock salt, and celery salt are just a few of the options. Choosing one over the other can be beneficial, but don’t go overboard. A handful of the top options are listed here. Which one are you going to pick?

What are Some Substitutes For Fine Sea Salt?

• Celery Salt

Celery salt has a peculiar flavour. Its saltiness and herbal flavour go well with a wide variety of dishes. Celery salt, often referred to as lovage salt, is manufactured from the seeds of the celery plant. This salty substitute for table salt is also available as a powder. It’s a common ingredient in baking and spice mixes. Celery salt, unlike sea salt, contains no chemicals and is suitable for vegans.

Celery salt can be used in any savoury cuisine. It has a moderate flavour, thus it’s best used in combination with other spices. To add a dash of celery taste to salads and veggies, sprinkle it on top. It can also be used to lend a salty flavour to meats. Continue reading to learn more about celery salt. Here are a few reasons why you should try celery salt.

• Hawaiian Red Salt

If you can’t locate traditional sea salt, Hawaiian red or black salt works well as a substitute. Hawaiian red salt has a deep, earthy flavour and the crisp crunch and rich flavour of sea salt without the cost. Sea salt and charcoal are used to make black Hawaiian salt, a fine sea salt replacement. Kala Namak also has charcoal in it.

Alaea salt, also known as Hawaiian red salt, is made from the volcanic mud of Hawaii and is high in iron oxide. This salt is a good alternative to kosher salt, but it’s hard to come by. Although kosher salt is called for in many recipes, Hawaiian red salt is a better option. Hawaiian salt is the greatest sea salt replacement, according to health experts. While Hawaiian red salt does not have the same flavour as kosher salt, it will nonetheless impart an earthy flavour to your cuisine.

• Kosher Salt

While fine sea salt can be substituted for Kosher salt in cooking, there are a few factors to consider when deciding between the two. To begin, you’ll need to determine whether you’re allergic to Kosher salt. Kosher salt has additives and is not as nutritious as other sea salts. Furthermore, it may take longer to dissolve in liquids and require greater volumes than other salts.

While both types of salt are considered kosher, table sodium is more readily available and makes a good alternative. It can be used in place of kosher salt in cooking recipes due to its fine texture. One quarter cup of kosher salt equals one teaspoon of fine sea salt. While the nutritional values of the two salts are comparable, you should always read the nutrition label on the salt you’re using.

• Rock Salt

Rock salt, often known as culinary salt, is a good sea-salt replacement. Because of its huge, precisely sized grains and low salt content, it’s a popular sea salt alternative in hundreds of recipes. It’s also cheap and easy to come by. It can even be used in desserts like ice cream.

Colourless and free of contaminants and tastes, the purest rock salt is colourless. Himalayan pink salt or Hawaiian red salt are available for purchase. Rock salt, on the other hand, is coarser than sea salt and must be processed until it matches sea salt in texture. It can be used in place of sea salt at a 1:1 ratio. Due to volcanic clay, Hawaiian red salt, also known as Alaea salt, has a distinctive red tint. This mineral adds iron oxide to rock salt.

What are Some Tips for Substituting Different Types of Salt?

Any type of salt can be used in place of another, however the size of the granules does matter in a few situations. What kind of salt is ideal for cooking depending on your needs: Salts that dissolve quickly, such as kosher salt and sea salt, are great for baking, seasoning, and preserving food, while larger flakes offer texture and flavour as a finishing salt. Observe the following guidelines:

• For finishing, use big flakes.

Finishing salt should be flavorful and crunchy on its own. Finer salts will dissolve quickly and may oversalt your cuisine.

• When baking, use fine salts.

When baking, use quick-to-dissolving salts like fine sea salt or table salt.

• Use half the amount of table salt and half the amount of kosher salt.

If your recipe calls for Diamond Crystal kosher salt (a chef’s favourite), use half the amount of table salt you have on hand. Remember that table salt takes longer to dissolve and may impart metallic flavours.

• Allow additional time for bigger flakes to dissolve.

Morton’s kosher salt and fine sea salt can be used interchangeably, however Morton’s will dissolve more slowly.

How the Salt you Choose Affects your Cooking?

Each salt brand creates crystals that are diverse in size and structure due to the different techniques of manufacture. That is to say, 1 teaspoon of DiamondCrystal is not the same as 1 teaspoon of Morton kosher salt. Because the crystals in Diamond Crystal kosher salt are bigger, fewer of them are needed to fill measuring spoons; 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt weighs 3 grams.

By comparison, a single teaspoon of Morton kosher weighs around 5 grams. Morton table (iodized) salt weighs around 7 grams per teaspoon. Even while 2 grams may not seem like much, it might be the equivalent to 12 teaspoons of salt. Depending on the recipe, this could be enough to turn a dish from bland to overly salted in one direction.

A word on weights: 3 grams of coarse salt equals 3 grams of fine salt or 3 grams of flaky salt in terms of saltiness. So, if a metric baking recipe calls for 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, you can use whichever salt you like instead. If you want to change one brand of salt for another in a recipe that just gives volume measurements, you’ll have to do some maths.

It’s impossible to grow tired of salt. We’re talking about figuratively speaking. “I have 600 million-year-old Himalayan salt,” Bitterman stated. He recommends storing delicate salts in an airtight container to prevent humidity from affecting the supple texture of the salt. Glass is superior to plastic in this regard. Anti-caking ingredients are present in refined salts like kosher salt, so there’s no need to be concerned about storage and texture loss.

Is Fine Sea Salt the Same as Table Salt?

Taste, texture, and processing are the key distinctions between sea salt and table salt. Most saltshakers include table salt, which is granulated white salt. The majority of table salt comes from subterranean deposits. Other minerals are removed during the processing. Iodine, which is crucial for thyroid health, is often added to table salt.

The salt created by evaporation of ocean water or water from salty lakes is referred to as sea salt. It has a lower processing level than table salt and contains more trace minerals. These minerals contribute colour and flavour to the dish. Fine grains or crystals of sea salt are available.

Sea salt is frequently recommended as a healthier alternative to table salt. However, the nutritional content of sea salt and table salt is the same. Table salt and sea salt both have about the same amount of sodium by weight.

Consume salt in moderation, regardless of the type. The American Dietary Guidelines recommend reducing sodium intake to fewer than 2,300 mg per day. 1 teaspoon of table salt contains about that much sodium.

Can I Use Himalayan Salt Instead of Sea Salt?

So when we talk about salt, we’re usually talking about sodium chloride. Although sodium and salt are frequently used interchangeably, sodium is not salt because it contains no chloride. Non-chloride sodium sources include sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, and monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Monosodium glutamate is a flavour enhancer used in processed foods, and its safety is still up for debate.

We don’t need much sodium to thrive as humans; nonetheless, most of us eat a high-sodium diet (3 grams per day), despite the fact that current standards recommend limiting sodium to less than 2.3 grams per day. The majority of sodium in our diet comes from processed foods and eating out.

Evaporating seawater from salt lakes or ocean water yields sea salt. Although sea salt is advertised as being healthier than table salt, the sodium level of both is same. Some trace minerals found in sea salt, such as zinc, iron, and potassium, are helpful. The issue arises as a result of increased ocean pollution; sea salts may include high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals.

Pink salt, often known as Himalayan salt, is mined in Pakistan. The presence of iron oxide gives the salt its unique pink tint. Himalayan salt contains trace elements like iron, manganese, zinc, calcium, and potassium, as well as having a lower sodium concentration than table salt or sea salt. Himalayan salt is touted as a healthier alternative to normal salt due to its lower sodium level and availability of trace minerals. Himalayan salt contains no additional iodine, which can lead to hypothyroidism in iodine-deficient people. Utilising Himalayan salt has no demonstrated health advantages, just as using Himalayan salt lamps has no proven health benefits.

In What Recipes Fine Sea Salt is Used?

Sea salt can be found on any restaurant menu, from appetisers to desserts. However, as any chef will tell you, everyone’s tastes are different. And, regardless of how the meal is seasoned before it leaves the kitchen, customers are likely to add their own pinch of salt and pepper once their dish is placed in front of them. Using sea salt to bring out the natural flavours of meals without making salt the first “taste” when guests take a bite is crucial — and an art form in and of itself.

1. Seasoning pasta and potato boiling water with salt
2. Preparing beef, pork, poultry, and vegetables with seasonings before cooking.
3. Seasonings and marinades made from scratch can benefit from a pinch of sea salt.
4. It can also be used to start batters and bases for everything from breads, pastries, and baked items to soups and stocks.

5. Removing moisture from specific foods (essential for making perfectly crunchy fried or baked zucchini, for example).

6. COCKTAILS. Sea salt is a terrific resource to have on hand at the bar because it can be used in everything (and everything!) in the kitchen. Cocktail sea salt can be utilised to generate an endless assortment of imaginative sips beyond a nicely rimmed margarita glass.

Conclusion

Check out the salt options in the spice department of most supermarket shops. The shelves are stacked with salts ranging from fine to flaked to coarse, as well as conventional iodized and non-iodized table salt. Most salt can be swapped for each other depending on the size of the crystals. If you’re substituting table salt for ordinary sea salt (not coarse or flaked), you can use the same quantity of each. When you utilise higher amounts, the bulk of the change will be noticeable.

Limit your salt intake, and while the appropriate quantity of salt to consume is still debated, there is no scientific evidence that switching pure sea salt, Himalayan salt, or Celtic salt for table salt has any health benefits. Exposure to ocean pollutants such as lead, microplastic, and a lack of iodine is a significant issue when using unprocessed sea salt.