Himalayan Pink Salt?

dougcrann

What's the deal with it? Different taste than Sea Salt? I have been smoking our Salt  (Sea Salt) and peppercorns for a while now. Smoked some of the pink stuff a while back. Just realized my Salt grinder is pretty much empty..and we are out of smoked Sea salt. Be at least a couple of weeks before I can smoke some Sea salt....
Years ago I tried some of the Himalayan stuff and didn't care for it...seemed gritty but it very well may have been because it was not ground all that fine...looked more like it was just smaller rocks...
Thanks for any/all thoughts...

nolaegghead

It looks pretty.  Tastes salty.  Costs more. 

Hans61

I dig it, get mine from Costco. I use more than I would a table salt or sea salt as the flavor pretty mild.

Toxarch

nolaegghead said:

It looks pretty.  Tastes salty.  Costs more. 

^This. 
Mined in Pakistan and sold to Westerners. The pink color is iron oxide found in polyhalite which is odorless and tasteless. Pakistan myth is that the natural minerals in the salt are good for you. There are only trace minerals other than the polyhalite.
I use the coarse pink salt in my grinder because that's the only rock salt I can seem to find lately and it's not that expensive in bulk.

There's too much junk in sea salt for me to put that in my food.

Darby_Crenshaw

I think the only salt that truly tastes different is smoked salt

the one thing pink salt is not (and you didn't ask this, but sometimes people wonder/ask), is that it isn't at all related to the 'pink salts' or curing. That is nitrite mixed with 'regular' table salt and then colored pink as a visual warning

jbreed

Learning all the time on this board....

Hans61

Yeah pink salt doesn't taste different, it tastes like salt. But to my palate its mild. Just my opinion. 

BizGreenEgg

It's salt, but there is the argument that the different crystal sizes and structures (other mineral impurities) affect the salt "bloom".  So while it is still salty, it may be more rounded and linger longer.  All those artisan type salts are finishing salts; they're meant to be added at end of prep/cooking, just before serving.  Whether they really alter the food drastically is personal opinion and how fancy pants you want to be.

fishlessman

the one advantage to pink salt is that it never cakes up in the mill, my mill is too small for the stuff.  grey salt takes on the smoke better but its really pricey salt.  for me its kosher at home, iodized at work, and seasalt in the plastic grinder at camp where i dont want an expensive grinder. my pink salt sits pretty on the top shelf with my collection of vinegars , thai fish sauces, that really stinky italian fish sauce etc

Begger

I received a BLOCK of this stuff for Christmas.    I'm told to use it as I would a plank.   

yljkt

Can it be used in the bottom of a drip pan? 

Doc_Eggerton

be careful with pink salt.  Curing salt is dyed pink so you will not confuse it with seasoning salt.  You can kill your self with curing salt.

Lit

Not that pricey at Costco they have a big ass container for $10 it's gotta be a couple pounds. As stated above the pink salt is less salty atleast from what I have noticed. I make a lot of bread and I always add a couple grams when using pink salt. 

Darby_Crenshaw

the salt in pink curing salts is actually more dangerous than the nitrite concentration. They cut the nitrite with salt to make it virtually impossible to ingest. Because eating straight salt is damn near impossible. Especially accidentally


if they didn't cut it with salt, the nitrite concentration would be 100%


if you ate enough pink salts (curing salt) for the nitrite to be a problem, the salt would have killed you long ago

again. A spinach salad has more nitrite in it than a case of hotdogs

SGH

Darby_Crenshaw said:

the salt in pink curing salts is actually more dangerous than the nitrite concentration. 

Amen brother. But getting folks to believe this is the problem. In most folks minds the word "nitrite" automatically signifies poison for some reason. 

Mosca

Begger said:

I received a BLOCK of this stuff for Christmas.    I'm told to use it as I would a plank.   

That's a different thing. Google "salt block cooking".

Focker

Makes one wonder how many bellies have been chucked, trying to cure with Himalayan. 

jabam

Focker said:

Makes one wonder how many bellies have been chucked, trying to cure with Himalayan. 

I almost made that mistake. Lol

Dredger

Has anyone found a grinder that will stand up to the Himalayan course rock salt? It breaks every one I tried so far. I buy the fine for bulk cooking, but the course just chews up my grinders. It works in an OXO for manual, but I am looking for a push button for the table.

NPHuskerFL

@Dredger Sure I'll help ya spend $$$
 I've used this mill for several years   Even though it has plastic gearing it's done well. 
SpiceCrafts Salt and Pepper Grinder Set, Stainless Steel Salt Grinder, FREE Recipe eBook & Guide, Ceramic Grinder, Dual Salt Mill & Pepper Mill, Salt Pepper Grinder Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PID7KAM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_6tX4xbC7BAZ4X

I'd love to get my hands on a few of these though. 
http://shop.kitchengrindz.com/

Dredger

Thanks @NPHuskerFL, but I am looking for a battery operated one. My OXO manual does a great job, but when I am working with a recipe, the battery operated ones are my go to. They handle kosher salt with no problem, but Himalayan is a tough challenge.

Darby_Crenshaw

why the need to grind fresh for a recipe? salt doesn't go stale.

you can get himalayan salt already ground, no?

HeavyG

Darby_Crenshaw said:

why the need to grind fresh for a recipe? salt doesn't go stale.

True dat. Himalayan salt has already sat "on the shelf" about 250 million years and its "sell by" date is probably another 250 million years down the road.

Dredger

Thanks @Darby_Crenshaw and @HeavyG. I do use the fine for stovetop cooking, but prepping meat, I prefer to control the grind coarseness if that makes sense.

Toxarch

Never had an electric grinder that lasted. For manual mills, it's hard to beat the Unicorn mills for salt or pepper. I hate using any other pepper mill.
For steaks, I use the salt grinder because I prefer a more course salt. For regular recipes, the already ground salt works fine.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00550TI1W/ref=pd_aw_sim_79_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DXD1SG9C04WZ3MGZYQHX

NPHuskerFL

@Toxarch The "Unicorn Magnum" doesn't appear at first glance to resemble a mill.

Toxarch

NPHuskerFL said:

@Toxarch The "Unicorn Magnum" doesn't appear at first glance to resemble a mill.

Just be sure to get the big black one because a lot comes out of it. 

nolaegghead

Put a little, or a lot, of peppah in, well, whatever, with the unicorn magnum.