Seasoned Salt

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Combine in a small bowl: ¼ cup salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon ground mace; 1 teaspoon celery salt; 1 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon dry mustard

2. Step 2.

   Mix well. Store indefinitely in an airtight container at room temperature.

3. Step 3.

   Smoked salts are made by smoking salt using any of a number of types of hardwood, such as hickory, apple, or cherry. Use as an ingredient in dry rubs or sprinkled on cooked meats, fish, vegetables, soups, and even on desserts where a smoky flavor is desired. See Smoking.

4. Step 4.

   See Curing Salts.

5. Step 5.

   Table salt is a finely grained free-flowing type of salt, composed of about 99 percent sodium chloride. Much table salt has added iodine (iodized salt), though it is possible to find table salt without added iodine. Iodized salt is recommended for certain regions where the water and soil lack iodine, an essential trace element. Most salt sold at supermarkets is iodized, and the label will say “iodized.” Do not use iodized salt in pickling or fermentation. The additives in the salt will cloud the brine and may impart undesirable flavors.

6. Step 6.

   While there is no true substitute for salt, salt substitutes are available on the market. They are chloride salts in which sodium is replaced by calcium, potassium, or ammonia. Because they contain higher levels of other electrolytes in place of the sodium, they should be used only on the advice of a physician. Salt-free seasoning blends, different from a salt substitute, are a tasty alternative to salt and salt substitutes because they are sodium-free and free of the replacement electrolytes. Fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh herbs, and vinegar all make delicious sodium-free enhancements to food as well.