Finishing Salts - Not Just For Steak

Finishing salts don't necessarily increase your salt intake.

Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest.

Finishing Salts
I received a beautiful collection of finishing salts for Christmas. I haven't had a lot of experience with them, other than a few unique ones my friends brought me back from Iceland last year. So it's been a lot of fun to experiment with them.

First of all, let's answer the question, "what is a finishing salt?" A finishing salt is an unrefined salt that is generally used on top of food, not cooked into food. They have various textures, some really big and chunky and some more delicate. Finishing salts can be infused with various flavors and can be used on top of every kind of food imaginable. I used to think that finishing salts were just used on top of steak and other meats, but they can be sprinkled on top of grains, potatoes, eggs, fruits, vegetables, even ice cream. My favorite dark chocolate truffle is topped with a chunk of sea salt.

Flavory's Essential Gourmet Finishing Sea Salt Collection came with six different salts. At first, I began to read up on what to do with each one, but I finally just put them all out on our dining table and started experimenting.

Place your finishing salts on the dining table
and start experimenting.

I found that most of the flavored salts were very subtle, except the smoked salt. What I enjoyed more than the flavors, were the different textures. I loved the big chunky ones, especially the Black Pyramid that gave me a surprise crunch and burst of flavor as I enjoyed it on my baked potato. 

Black Pyramid on a baked potato with Tofutti

These fun salts are from Iceland

The blueberry finishing salt from Iceland is excellent on ice cream.

Blueberry finishing salt on coconut Bliss ice cream

But Isn't Too Much Salt Bad For Me?
Sodium is an important mineral that your body needs to regulate body fluid, blood pressure, blood volume and acid-base balance. It is required for muscle and nerve conduction. If you don't get enough, you could experience low blood pressure, muscle cramps, dizziness and nausea. But many Americans use too much which could lead to hypertension and water retention.

The recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,300 mg, about 1 teaspoon. Those at risk for heart disease are cautioned to keep their daily intakes of sodium down to 1,500 mg or less. 

But using finishing salts could actually lower your salt intake if you:
* Cook your food or recipe without any salt. 
* Then, top your dish evenly with a modest amount of finishing salt. 

The taste and texture of the finishing salt will dominate and you will not notice the absence of salt from your cooked dish!