Smoked salt tips?

OhioEgger

I was at a small farmer's market last week and picked up a small jar of applewood smoked sea salt. Tried it at home and was really impressed at the great flavor, so I went back the next day and got a larger jar of it.

Seems like doing this yourself should be easy, but I've never tried. I've smoked plenty of cheese, mostly with the A-maze-N gadget, but never salt.

Looking through past threads, I see suggestions all over the place. Cold vs hot smoking, dry vs wet salt, a few hours vs 10-12 hours, etc.

If anyone here has good experience with this, I'd love to hear your advice.

lkapigian

I have done it both dried and wet, can’t tell much difference so I just do dry, some people put them on screens, I just use pans and keep it mixed, the longer the better as is will fade … 

Botch

I wonder if popping the pan of salt into the freezer until just before putting it on the smoker, so more of the smoke vapor condenses onto the salt, would be worth the time?  

lkapigian

Botch said:

I wonder if popping the pan of salt into the freezer until just before putting it on the smoker, so more of the smoke vapor condenses onto the salt, would be worth the time?  

Interesting thought !

caliking

if you plan on using pellets for smoke, you may want to look for pellets that are made entirely from the wood they claim to be of. 

Most of the pellets out there are made form some kind of base wood, "flavored" with oil/essence of cherry/oak/hickory/mesquite, etc. 

OhioEgger

Botch said:

I wonder if popping the pan of salt into the freezer until just before putting it on the smoker, so more of the smoke vapor condenses onto the salt, would be worth the time?  

Very interesting. Seems like salt crystals would warm up extremely fast, but easy to do and maybe worth the extra step.

MasterC

I cook on salt blocks occasionally and it doesn't retain a woody flavor after the scrape and wipe. Any residue trapped in the natural crevasses might but not noticeable when  reused. 

Does the smoke really penatrate or just coat the salt?

OhioEgger

MasterC said:

Does the smoke really penatrate or just coat the salt?

A fair question. But sea salt crystals are not only very irregular (compared to table salt) but much larger. So there is quite a lot of surface area to coat.

All I know is that the smoked sea salt I've bought has an amazingly good taste.

rekameohs

OhioEgger said:

Looking through past threads, I see suggestions all over the place. Cold vs hot smoking, dry vs wet salt, a few hours vs 10-12 hours, etc.

I do mine on a toaster oven sheet pan, and usually leave it on for 4-6 hours (or more), checking/stirring every hour or so.  I usually go by the color change.

I have also done coarsely ground pepper, and been happy with the results.  Looking to do more now that it is starting to cool off.

Both make great Christmas gifts, in small jars.

fishlessman

ive just done it flat in a pan mixing and a light water mist every half hour. you need to put it in an air tight jar for storage or the smoke seems to fade away. havent done it in years but its great with bloody marys

OhioEgger

fishlessman said:

you need to put it in an air tight jar for storage or the smoke seems to fade away. 

A great point, thanks. 

lkapigian

I think the commercial producers use a liquid smoke then dry, I know I have some commercial that even not in airtight containers they are still smokey , much longer than the stuff I do. I imagine you can take liquid smoke , mix lightly with salt and then in oven or dehydrator 

RyanStl

I've never heard of smoked salt, but sounds interesting.