For most things I use Kosher salt....rarely use idodized. I figure I get enough iodine from shrimp!
I also have some fleur de sel which makes a lovely finish for steaks or eggs and some Himilayan pink sea salt...which seems harder than other salts and grates into s powder rather than crystals.
Linda C

Of all the different kinds of salt I have on hand, the one I never have is iodized table salt - I just never have it in the house. There are so many "better" choices, in my opinion. I use kelp, and other foods, as a source for iodine - I don't need it loaded into my salt.

I'm a big Celtic Sea Salt fan for general use, as well as kosher salt. Other kinds - canning salt (necessary for canning), Fleur de sel, Himalayan Sea Salt (fermenting) and flavored salt for bbqing. For bread, the additional minerals in sea salt (i.e. Light Gray Celtic Seal Salt from France) can be beneficial when it comes to gluten development.

Check out the link below at the Cook's Thesaurus for a lot of great information.

I order most of my salt from The Grain & Salt Society (http://www.celticseasalt.com/).

The one thing you need to be careful of is if you switch from a fine-grind of salt to a large grain. You will not get as much salt measure-for-measure if you use a large grain salt product, so you may need to adjust the amount of salt you use.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: The Cook's Thesaurus - Salt

I use iodized table salt for melting that thin skim of ice in the winter...:-)

I use kosher salt for most things. It is less dense than conventional table salt so I am less prone to oversalt things, seems to dissolve better, and doesn't have the bitter taste I sometimes get from table salt. Cheap enough in a 1 lb box.

For fun finishing salts, I like truffle salt (truffle aroma) and fleur de sel (fluffy light texture). We have some other salts - Himalayan, red, black, some weird green stuff, grey sea salt - but they are occasional treats, I usually forget to set them out.

I was taught that you needed to buy iodized salt and I always did that, but then for bread baking I would buy non-iodized salt because the taste was better. I still bought iodized salt for the salt shakers, then I tried Kosher salt and found I was using it more and more all of the time.

Then I read an article that said we no longer needed to use salt with iodine in it so now my salt shakers contain sea salt, and I still use Kosher a lot.

Kosher, gray, and Fleur de sel are three I keep on hand.

Lindac, be careful with table salt on concrete. It can due some damage that may have to be repaired in time.

David

For table salt, I use French Gray sea salt. I usually buy it at TJmaxx and the interesting thing about it, is that it's moist- and has a shelf life. It just makes everything taste better than dried salt. I like the large crunchy crystals.
I also have a smoked version of it that guests always like.

A few years ago I started making Herbed Salts, they are really nice for fininshing a dish.

HERBED SALT

3 Sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed from stems, or an equal amount of another herb
2 Cups Kosher Salt

Put the Herb and 1 cup Salt in a food processor and pulse about 8 � 10 times, or until Herb is blended into the Salt. It will be damp and look almost like wet sand. Place remaining Salt into a bowl and add Herb Salt and mix thoroughly. Pour onto a baking sheet and allow to dry completely. Transfer to jars with tight fitting lids.

You can adjust the quantity of hers up of down depending on your taste. Any combination you can think of is possible.

I've also put a shallow tray of salt in the smoker when I'm doing a shoulder, gets nice and smokey.

Steve

Steve that sounds interesting! I'm going to give it a try.

I use Kosher salt for just about everything, fleur de sell and some fancy sea salts for finishing or at the table.

I keep regular iodized salt on hand though for corn on the cob and french fries.

Mostly I use regular iodized salt and I have a box of kosher salt flakes.

I'm a fan of Dave's hot sauces so when I saw a Dave's salt shaker on Amazon I bought one. About $6 if I recall correctly. It has Eurasian black salt, Himalayan pink, Hawaiian red, smoked salt, Sel De Guerande, and ocean salt... all in the same compartmented shaker. I nice way to give a few a try.

I still use mostly regular salt shaker iodized salt.

: )
lyra

Some salt information about the different kinds of salt and herbal salt recipes.

I also use canning salt for canning, and kosher salt most of the time for everything else. I have some very fine gray salt that Readinglady/Carol sent me, because the big chunks in some salts are way too salty, you get that big "pop" of salt flavor.

Most of the salts have a difference in flavor that can only be noted if you are using them as "finishing salt", or salt that it added to food as it's consumed, not cooked into it. So, in my opinion, tossing a handful of expensive himalayan pink salt into a pot of pasta is pretty much a waste, use the cheap stuff and save the good stuff for flavoring.

Elery has also smoked some salts, and I made some morel salt once with dried and powdered morels and sea salt, it was an interesting flavor but I haven't dried morels since to make any more.

Steve, the herb salt sounds really interesting, I'm going to try that. Thanks!

Annie

Thank you everybody for sharing the information.

I often put just salt and peppar on my salads instead of dressing - would any of these salts be better than another for that?

Annie - Great point about using it in cooking vs. finishing.

I guess what about using coarser vs. finer it was mentioned. Lets say I'm rubbing a roast or a steak, would a coarser salt add something or won't it matter.

Love the idea of Herbed Salt. Have to try that.

McCormick makes a sea salt grinder with an adjustment for 3 sizes of coarseness. It's delicious! Great next to the peppercorn medley grinder. Mmmm! They make several other grinders of mixed flavors (cinnamon & sugar, lemon pepper, steakhouse, italian blend, more) which seem to be so much more fresh and flavorful than the traditional dried jar herbs/spices. I've gotten all of the varieties I've seen and love them all.

I love this thread. Thanks Lyfia, for starting it!

I also use sea salt, kosher salt and other finishing salts exclusively. As my flavoring choices are limited due to allergies, I especially like smoked wood salts like alder or hickory. I never use iodized salt, but keep regular Morton's on hand for baking or gargling!
I'm not a fan of the grey salt, the moist texture is clumpy, but the one salt that we love is Murray River Salt from Australia.
Murray River is lighter than Fleur de Sel and best used by sprinkling or by pinching the fingers together for an awesome finishing salt.

Here is a salt discussion from Billy and ET Quetzal
link, scroll down to just below 87

Here is a link that might be useful: sea salt/table salt

I too use mostly sea salt. I buy Hain fine sea salt for baking, and have an assortment of sea salts (most from Maine because I am, too). I especially like the Maine Sea Salt Applewood smoked salt, mmmm. So tasty on pizza.

I am wondering how you all store it? Do you have a "salt pig?" I'd like to use it more effectively at the table but don't like having the jar there.

Sea salt grinder here, too.

No salt pigs, just an odd assortment of wooden and pottery lidded bowls and jars, and some little crystal salt cellars that I drag out once in awhile. Sea salt in an old tupperware shaker and kosher salt for cooking/baking. Pickling salt (though I use Diamond Crystal most of the time). For finishing we like Himalayan and Celtic sea salt, French gray, roasted Szechuan pepper salt, and our latest favorite, Tricia's citrus salt (last batch made w/half Celtic and half Himalayan).

I smoked salt once..it smelled smoky, but didn't have much smoke flavor.

I buy salt less than once a year - I almost never use it as such. I have a box of Kosher salt that is at least two years old, and I have a one pound container of Mediterranean sea salt that I replace every 16 months or so.

Instead of salt, I use soy sauce, fish sauce, ponzu sauce, or soup bases, depending on the flavor I want. I pretty much only use salt with savory carbohydrate foods such as rice, grits, or breads. I tend to omit salt in almost all desserts and also in many vegetable dishes. I very much dislike the taste of salt in desserts and I find it offensive in many vegetable dishes. I prefer potatoes and corn without salt, as well as various types of squash. I find that salt interferes with my ability to taste the vegetables. Whereas some chefs say that salt enhances flavor, I find that it often disguises or masks flavor. I put salt on meat or fish not because I like the flavor but to help make it moist. I think salt is very much an acquired taste, and it is one that you can un-acquire by simply reducing or eliminating it. I think many people add salt to dishes without thinking, as if salt is required in all recipes. I use it in as few as possible. If someone wants to add salt later, they can, but I like to have the ability to taste food without salt.

Lars

My doctor told me to put iodized salt back in my kitchen! I started having a slightly swollen thyroid and he asked me if I had stopped using iodized salt...he knew right away what my answer would be, of course "yes!" I said! He said stop worrying about iodize in salt, "you need that iodine!"

With that said, I have all sorts of salts...different uses. But for the shaker, I use iodized tabel salt.

I also read to not use iodized salt for bread making.