Sea Salt + Books
life is hard, food doesn't have to be #40 [vol2, 1.4]
Not all salt is created equal. If you follow my Instagram Stories, you know how much I love good salt.
Table salt, the regular white stuff in most salt shakers, is made from sodium chloride (2 minerals, NaCl) with anti-caking agents to allow it to remain free flowing. I don’t recommend eating table salt. My kids will tell you it’s good for killing slugs.
Did you know, if you eat one serving of dairy daily, you have sufficient iodine?
What is kosher salt?
Kosher salt usually describes the shape of the salt particle. It has a larger surface area making it conductive for adhering to meats and dissolving quicker in liquids. Maybe it feels fun on your fancy chef fingertips. Most kosher salt is simply sodium chloride.
<<story time: I tried to ferment a GIANT batch of sauerkraut once with cheap kosher salt. Ruined the whole batch. Learned the hard way that some kosher salts contain anti-caking agents, also known as preservatives. When fermenting we want to encourage lactobacillus (good bacteria) growth. The salinity keeps the bad bacteria at bay.>>
What’s the big deal about sea salt?
There are over 90 minerals in the ocean - minerals that our body can use and many of us are deficient. Sea salt is taken from naturally occurring salt in the ocean.
The quality of the end product greatly relies on the drying process. When sea salt is harvested the traditional way, a higher mineral content remains in the salt. The traditional way is when water evaporates naturally, via sun and wind. This is called solar evaporation. Boiling sea water or using fans to evaporate water results in fewer remaining minerals.
Sea salt is my preferred souvenir when visiting new places. A friend gave me Dead Sea Salt from her trip in 2019. I love to taste the differences.
Cost of sea salt will tell you its value in more than one way. Traditionally harvested sea salts have greater mineral content and are much more expensive than boiled seawater.
Back in the good-ole’ days of teaching classes in my kitchen, I started many classes with a salt tasting. I love the taste of sea salt so much I travel with a small container in my purse. Here’s a 6-pack travel set. The picture at the top is of salt gifts I’m taking a friend.
I primarily use two types of salt: fine grain Redmond’s Real Salt. It’s from the ground in Utah. Typically I buy the store brand at Natural Grocers. Also, I use a coarse grain of Baja Gold Sea Salt from Mexico. This 5lb package is cheaper per pound. It’s mineral content is excellent and far better than Redmond’s. I buy 50lbs at a time for a greatly reduced price. To order bulk, call the number on their website.
Fine and coarse salts are used interchangeably depending on the application. Coarse salt is best used in liquids or soups, when it has a chance to dissolve.
My friend, Valour, makes incredible smoked salts and flavored salts. She delivers locally and ships all over. Her salt makes wonderful gifts.
Books in January
I’ve started a Story Highlight with the books I’m reading in 2021.
A Woman of No Importance (gripping true stories of a spy in WWII)
The Ride of a Lifetime (by Disney CEO)
Before We Were Yours (based on true tragic stories of kidnapped children becoming orphans in Memphis during the Depression)
Steve Jobs Bio (Jobs of Apple fame, owned Pixar, which was acquired by Disney. The Ride of a Lifetime talked about Jobs and caused me to read more about him.)
My favs to read are biographies or autobiographies. I like novels but they render me useless until I finish them. We’re traveling today so I’m starting a novel from Oprah’s Bookclub: American Dirt.
My husband launched a podcast this week called Bottom Line Books.
No time to read? Tired of hearing all your friends talk about that one book you know you should read? Each episode we unpack one book and bring you the best ideas - the bottom line - of the book in about an hour.
Our family affectionately refers to my husband as our librarian. He visits the library at least once a week and brings us all books we love. He reads more than anyone I’ve ever met and wants you to read more too! His podcast is hosted with his friend, Matt Haas, who wants to read more but can’t find the time. So John gives Matt the “bottom line” of the book and they hash it out in conversation style. Two books they’ve discussed so far are Atomic Habits and Extreme Ownership.
Dinner conversation starter: ask your family about Valentine’s Day. What do they remember from years’ past? What expectations do they have for this year? Do they know why we celebrate this candy-love-focused holiday?
Julie
PS - I’m writing today from the airport. We are taking our *first ever* family vacation. We’ve been all over the world with ministry but this trip is funded from meals friends have purchased as well as Beautycounter profits I’ve saved. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible. We are unplugging and going skiing in Montana and staying with friends. So excited!! Thank you, too, to the TSA officer who didn’t take me to jail for bringing salt.