I guess you won't have to worry about the temperature outside for salt shipping!

lollobrigida wrote:All I know is that I'm allergic to Iodine. I can't have any food containing iodine in surplus without having a reaction of some sort. No raisins, grapes, grape jelly... if I am worried I've been exposed to radiation poisoning I can't drink two tablespoons of iodine to see if it reacts in my system. (Five cool points for anyone that knows what TV show I learned that from)

I also can't have heavily salted foods, either, because table salt has iodine added to it. It says right on the damn blue Morton girl looking thing - Iodized Table Salt. It's supposed to help people with iodine deficiency, but I don't have this problem. Ever.

However, Google says that some sea salts have natural iodine in it, but less than table salt. I just might risk it. If nothing else I can just bring them to work and see if someone else would want them.

Sea salt is not 'iodized salt'. The naturally occuring iodine that is in sea water (which is very minute) is the only iodine that would be in any of these 4 salts. They are very safe. I too cannot have much iodine myself, and sea salt is the ONLY type of salt I can ever (and always do) use.

One caveat to all of this is "Italian Sea Salt". It is very rich in naturally occuring minerals, with iodine being #1 much of the time.

lollobrigida wrote:Is this iodized in any way/shape/form?

I actually have an iodine intolerance and I can't handle a lot of iodine. I can't eat a lot of salty foods, despite LOVING them because I end up with a severely itchy nose.

If this isn't iodized I might have to get some it for cooking.

I just have no clue how to tell.

Most gourmet salts have no iodine added, as opposed to the table salts you'd buy at the store. Come to think of it--I'm not sure that they add iodine to kosher salt, either.

lassow wrote:Are the colors of the salts (besides the smoked) natural? And by natural, I really mean that I want to know if they are naturally occurring or added naturally.

They are ALL naturally occuring, just as the description states :-)

lassow wrote:Is the French Sel Gris another way of saying Fleur de Sel? What is the difference, if any?

Basically what is meant by the 2 salt names/descriptions are the following:

French Sel Gris = French Grey Salt
(gets it's color from the minerals in the area it's from)

Fleur De Sel = Flowers of Salt
(consider these to be something along the order of 'baby salt crystals' just starting out. They are smaller, more delicate, and disolve very easily.)

I have, and use both types in cooking, and/or as finishing salts depending on the food. They are both very good types of salt. I hope this helps out a little.

sgoman5674 wrote:Good news for those that keep kosher; this is Kosher!

Except for any of the smoked type sea salts, almost any/every sea salt is classified as being Kosher. However, that does not mean that it has been 'Kosher Certified'.

bbarlame wrote:Prime Rib Roast with Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt

I bet the smoked salt would be good in a bbq sauce or rub

Smoked salt gives soups & sauces, fish, etc. a great, earthy, smokehouse type of flavor influence. They are very good.

tytiger58 wrote:Anybody have recipes for that smoked sea salt?

a very interesting one, but quite good: milk chocolate fudge with bacon, topped with smoked sea salt.

A pub near us made that, and it was fantastic.

Here's a great smoked salt recipe

Barbecue Rub
Combine the following ingredients and rub onto ribs, roasts, or steaks before barbecuing.

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
4 Tbsp ground smoked sea salt
(I have a coffee mill that I use exclusively for grinding sea salt, peppercorns, and other spices.)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Or you can just use it plain for any meats on the BBQ, it has an amazing flavor.

lollobrigida wrote:Is this iodized in any way/shape/form?

I actually have an iodine intolerance and I can't handle a lot of iodine. I can't eat a lot of salty foods, despite LOVING them because I end up with a severely itchy nose.

If this isn't iodized I might have to get some it for cooking.

I just have no clue how to tell.

I'd be cautious of the French Salt, because it's stated to be high in nutrients and minerals. Which probably includes iodine. All of them have some naturally occurring iodine, but I don't think it'd be an issue with any of the other salts.
(PS why not just buy uniodized table salt?)

any idea on the material that makes up the grinding mechanism? metal ones corrode over time, while ceramic (and plastic?) does not

I've been considering added a salt grinder to my kitchen supplies, and if I can reuse these, it'd make the deal even better.

ryanroat wrote:any idea on the material that makes up the grinding mechanism? metal ones corrode over time, while ceramic (and plastic?) does not

Closeup photo looks all plastic. (Click on the main image for the slide show.)

Any ideas why this wouldn't ship to PA? Is it just a coding problem on woot's end? I wouldn't think salt shipping is governed like wine is...

I have to try it. This looks great, Lots
of uses, and I wanted to light up the map for
Iowa! Can't wait to get it!

I always seem to badmouth the gourmet salt offers, but this from the product description just begs for mockery:

"A small amount of harvested reddish Hawaiian clay (Alaea) enriches the salt with iron oxide, and seals in moisture when you are grilling your favorite foods."

I'm not necessarily opposed to rust in my food, but are we seriously to believe that a few parts per million of rust on a steak will have any impact whatsoever on the sealing of moisture? I'm not saying not to buy this, but seriously, are we supposed to buy this tripe?

mobaz wrote:Here's a great smoked salt recipe

Barbecue Rub
Combine the following ingredients and rub onto ribs, roasts, or steaks before barbecuing.

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
4 Tbsp ground smoked sea salt
(I have a coffee mill that I use exclusively for grinding sea salt, peppercorns, and other spices.)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Or you can just use it plain for any meats on the BBQ, it has an amazing flavor.

Sounds yummy! Just a heads-up though, 4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup, so you can use your 1/4 cup measure again instead of dirtying your Tablespoon.

ldsmom7566 wrote:Except for any of the smoked type sea salts, almost any/every sea salt is classified as being Kosher. However, that does not mean that it has been 'Kosher Certified'.

Check out the website. They are claimed to be "Certified Kosher"

Edit: I called them and the hekture (kosher symbol) given is the "Circle-K" a very reliable one. They also certify Tropicana OJ.

agingdragqueen wrote:I think they've fixed the issue since then- have you tried again? It's allowing me the option at least. Please write into service@woot.com if you still have issues!

*Sigh* it works now. A blessing and a curse!

I'm checking out the picture here and wondering if you can get this stuff let in the bottle and not in a pile by the bottle... Hmmm...

lassow wrote:Are the colors of the salts (besides the smoked) natural? And by natural, I really mean that I want to know if they are naturally occurring or added naturally.

i wondered the same thing myself but i looked it up and they are naturally occuring. its amazing how salts from different regions take your dish to another level. love it! i bought these on amazon a month ago for $30

brucedoesbms wrote:I have a hard time putting self-contained grinder salt/spices into my own grinder at home... is there a better way to remove contents to another grinder without taking the hammer to it?...

i bought this set from amazon and the great thing about it is that the grinders are reusable! its a screw on cap

brucedoesbms wrote:Great question...

this is what I have found regarding a Guide to Sea Salt & Gourmet Salt...

French Sel Gris translates to grey salt

agingdragqueen wrote:I think they've fixed the issue since then- have you tried again? It's allowing me the option at least. Please write into service@woot.com if you still have issues!

As long as it's not alcohol they can ship to PA.

capnkrik23139 wrote:As long as it's not alcohol they can ship to PA.

Yep I was being a bit sarcastic. It was a bug that has been fixed

The difference between the Fluer and the Gris is in the way they're harvested. The Fluer is the first minute crystallization from the salt pond. The salt forms a delicate layer that must be captured at a certain point, by hand IIRC. The Gris is from the same salt ponds, but it is the normal crystallization.

As far as grinding goes, the shape of the salt crystal makes a big difference in how you perceive the salt in a dish. Small thin flakes dissolve on the tongue very quickly, while big chunks linger (seems obvious right?)

Potato chip manufacturers have recently started playing with this because they were tasked to reduce the amount of salt contained in their snack foods. What they found was that by manufacturing the salt into flat flakes, the chip still tasted just as salty as before, but with a 25% reduction in how much salt they needed.

From a cooks standpoint, grinding the salt allows it dissolve on things like mashed potatoes and meat, but you can still use the large chunks for a finishing move on a dark chocolate ganache coin, or a plate presentation. That said, I don't think I'd grind most of these, preferring the presentation and/or texture of the larger crystal except the Gris or Fluer.

agingdragqueen wrote:One day, one day someone will make alcoholic salt.

And it will become a staple during woot-offs.

BTW, what's that your avatar is up to? Getting ready to try out one of the recipes in the forum for the Albariño?

sgoman5674 wrote:Check out the website. They are claimed to be "Certified Kosher"

Edit: I called them and the hekture (kosher symbol) given is the "Circle-K" a very reliable one. They also certify Tropicana OJ.

Thanks so much, we keep kosher and try to be careful about the certifications. Now, if only it were easier with cheese...

I'm wondering if we should be concerned about shelf life. Probably not, I assume...

I was chosen to be a Lab Rat in the http://wine.woot.com/monday offering this week, and they included some of the smoked salt from this offering!

I'm planning on grilling some hamburgers this evening, and I'll try it out. Nothing fancy, but I normally don't use any spice on my burgers.

I'll post later what I thought!

*edit*

The burgers were delicious! I also added a bit of the salt to the potatoes (these were baked in olive oil and a little butter), and the slight smoky flavor was great!



I've has similar results with liquid smoke, but this seems to have a more natural (less chemical) flavor, and in the salt form, is easy to sprinkle on top of foods that liquid smoke wouldn't be appropriate for.

Thanks again WD for allowing me to participate in the Lab Rat program!

hadidg24 wrote:i bought this set from amazon and the great thing about it is that the grinders are reusable! its a screw on cap

Thanks.

Are the grinders adjustable too? (If so, do they adjust well?)

brucedoesbms wrote:I find it very interesting that you include raisins, jelly, etc. in your list of banned foods -- however, in this pdf. Low-Iodine Diet Guidelines, those foods are considered SAFE...

Seriously? Tell that to my body.

I mean, I can eat them, just not every day, because it's that I can't have too much of it in my system. I could probably get away with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every... four days without running the risk of any inflammation/itchiness.

Everyone wanted to know about my crazy health thing, right??

mwinkykitty wrote:Ah Jericho, good series that ended far too soon.

You can get the comics! It lives on!

canaryk wrote:I'd be cautious of the French Salt, because it's stated to be high in nutrients and minerals. Which probably includes iodine. All of them have some naturally occurring iodine, but I don't think it'd be an issue with any of the other salts.
(PS why not just buy uniodized table salt?)

Believe it or not, I only recently made the connection between my insanely itchy nose + salty foods being related to my iodine allergy. Plus, I live with other people and there is already still a lot of salt in the house.

Thank you though, to those of you that told me which ones probably had more than others. I'll definitely order a set and see how it goes.

I bought the salt set offered back in November, and at the pace I'm using it I think I'm good for another 10 years or so. Yup, I don't use a lot of salt. So, maybe if this is offered in a woot-off in 2019 I'll have to spring for it.

But for those who doubt the difference a good salt can make, take it from me that it's a wonderful indulgence.

the various smoked salt recipes had me intrigued...until I went to my local whole paycheck and saw they had all these salts for $9.99/lb. I got the smoked salt, it was actually using applewood, although it was from the NW, in yakima (I'm in portland so this may only be regionally available). I tried it on grilled oysters and corn for dinner tonight, and it was bit much for both. The smoke flavor was very strong, phenolic. Perhaps a dash mixed into my rib rub or on some other hearty meats would work, but after tonight's experiment with trying to get wood grilled flavor from my propane grilled foods, I wasn't too impressed...the 3.5 oz I got for just over $2, a much better deal then woot, will last me for a long time. Just some food for thought...

ccrida wrote:the various smoked salt recipes had me intrigued...until I went to my local whole paycheck and saw they had all these salts for $9.99/lb. I got the smoked salt, it was actually using applewood, although it was from the NW, in yakima (I'm in portland so this may only be regionally available). I tried it on grilled oysters and corn for dinner tonight, and it was bit much for both. The smoke flavor was very strong, phenolic. Perhaps a dash mixed into my rib rub or on some other hearty meats would work, but after tonight's experiment with trying to get wood grilled flavor from my propane grilled foods, I wasn't too impressed...the 3.5 oz I got for just over $2, a much better deal then woot, will last me for a long time. Just some food for thought...

You may wish to try using a Smoker Box when using a gas grill...

Just got the "last call" announcement through Twitter.

How can sea salt be kosher? Sea water has fish poop including poop from crustaceans in it, as well as all the sewer runoff that is dumped in the ocean.