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Questions tagged [salt]

Questions about the use of culinary salt in the kitchen.

Saltiness is one of the five basic flavors (along with sweet, sour, bitter, and umami). Therefore, salt is one of the most important ingredients in cooking, since it's the only way to achieve that flavor.

Use this tag for questions about using salt in any culinary application, or for other kitchen purposes (such as ).

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Should you add some salt to flour when baking?

I was always taught to add a pinch of salt to flour when baking (mainly cakes / muffins and puddings). I have recipes that specifically mention adding salt and others that don't. Is there a scientific reason to add salt?
rbrayb
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Does salt interfere with the yeast in the dough swelling process?

I was told by a friend that, when making pizza dough, I should add the salt at a later stage than the yeast, because it might disturbe the yeast from doing its thing... I apologize for not having anymore concrete information, I just wanted to check…
hizki
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Is it okay to salt beef before or while cooking it?

I recall reading that you should not salt beef until after it is cooked or it will dry the beef. Yet I see recipes that call for salt in a beef marinade. Is it true that you should only salt beef after it is cooked?
julie
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What does salt do in bread dough?

I'm making a bare-bones bread recipe, but I was wondering what the salt does. It looks like it helps it rise, but how does it compare to sugar? How do they interact with each other?
AGreatUsernameChoice
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What type of salt for sourdough bread baking?

I have a sourdough bread recipe that calls for either Real Salt or unrefined salt. I do not have either of these and I’m not sure if these salts are fine or coarse. I have Himalayan pink salt coarse for grinding, coarse kosher salt & Morton’s…
Phyllis
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Keeping meat dry after salting it

One of the tips I always get about cooking is seasoning meat before I put it in the pan for a sear, but one of the other tips I get is to keep the meat dry so it can actually brown and develop a crust. I know that salting meat draws out moisture to…
alicia1123
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Is there a substitute for cheese salt?

I've started to learn how to make cheese and all the recipes call for cheese salt. What is it about this particular salt that makes it different than others? Some of the reading I've done have a few comments that suggest there is no difference…
NKY Homesteading
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Are olives always salty

I've just bought olives in foil bag in Lidl (name Baresa Aceituuas verdes) because I like to eat olives. This is probably the 1st time I eat them with no other products (not in salad etc.) They are so salty that I can hardly eat them. In country…
Marian Paździoch
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Bread with no salt

I've been doing a lot of yeast bread baking as of late and I got to wondering what the salt in the bread was for. Upon doing some research it turns out (aside from perhaps some flavor) the purpose is to "Control" the yeast during the rise. This…
iamkrillin
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Soup is too salty!

I made a mistake with my lastest batch of chicken soup, and it's too salty to eat. Is there any way to save it?
Elizabeth Schechter
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Is there an authoritative source on whether salt affects pasta stickiness?

The Seasoned Advice answer to Why add salt to the water when cooking pasta? is that it makes the pasta less sticky by inhibiting starch gelatinization. This seems to be a controversial question, with lots of improperly sourced answers spreading. Is…
user4697
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Boiling things using salt

Since recently i have to cook for myself and a lot of products mention i should boil some water with salt and when it boils add the product. Why on earth do you have to add salt to the water?
Aerus
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Good salt:water ratio when boiling pasta

I have found that when adding salt just before adding pasta, that more is better. But how much is too much? What is a good ratio of salt to water when cooking pasta?
Jason P Sallinger
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What are the tradeoffs between soy sauce and salt to pick when to use which between the 2?

What are the tradeoffs between soy sauce and salt to pick when to use which between the 2? Does it come down to dry vs wet? Both seem to do the same job of being mediums for adding sodium/saltiness to something. One in a dark liquid form and the…
user1821961
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Is it a good idea to add salt to egg whites before beating them?

It seems to be conventional wisdom to add a pinch of salt before beating the eggs. However, this website gives a scientific explanation of why it's a very bad idea. Could you tell me who is correct? Agitation causes the little bunches of proteins…
Yulia V
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