Can You Grind Salt In A Food Processor? -

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Normally, some persons wonder if there is a need to grind salt, well, it depends on the salt you speak about. Natural sea salt needs to be ground to get the best from it, while the normal package salts do not need to undergo such treatment.

Yes, you can grind salt in a food processor especially when they are in large quantity, but you have to be wary of the blades, as sea salts will corrode metal blades. To enjoy sea salts for what they truly are, there have to be grounded, and grounded properly.

Sea salts are generally hard and bulky to even consider serving alone. Prioritize Using a salt mill or grinder with a plastic or ceramic grinding system as ocean salt will erode a grinder with metal blade designs – including stainless steel.

Sea salt that is usually wet, such as, grey sea salt, needs a grinder with a plastic or ceramic blade. Ceramic grinders work in a way that is better than plastic as they are firmer and have a longer life span. The best ocean salt suitable for grinders is the coarse Gray Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, the Bali Pyramid Salts, Jewel of the Ocean, and Peruvian Pink Salt.

Why It’s Important To Grind Your Salt

It would be ridiculous to use sea salts without grinding them due to their bulky size. Grinding sea salts also help to release the flavour to other parts of your food by increasing its surface area – in simple words, you can only get the best out of sea salts if they are properly grounded.

Are There Cons To Using A Food Processor For Grinding Salt?

The only cons in using a food processor is that you stand the chance of corroding the blades of the food processor if used for a long period of time – other than that, a food processor will do a perfect job in decimating your sea salts into fine powder in a matter of seconds, and an example of such food processor is the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor.

How To Clean A Food Processor After Using It To Grind Salt

Since salts are very soluble in water, cleaning it from a food processor wouldn’t be a problem at all. Simply fill the container with water halfway through, then add just a drop or two of liquid soap – just to ensure that the taste of salt does not linger even after washing.

Spin your food processor to the highest speed for about 5-10 seconds then pour out the already foamy water and rinse immediately. Allow it to properly dry before using it for something else.

And if you used a mortar and pestle to grind your salt, simply wash pour water into the mortar, then use a sponge to wash thoroughly. Rinse the mortar and pestle afterwards and you are good to go.

Other Alternatives To Grinding Salt You Might Want To Know

Asides from using a food processor, a salt mill, or a mortar and pestle to grind salt, there are other unconventional means of grinding salt which includes using a flour roller and a paper bag – simply pour some quantity of the ungrounded salt into a thick paper bag, then tie up the ends and beat gently whilst turning the paper bag from side to side to aid uniform grinding.

The only problem with this method is that you tend to get salt splattering in the work area, so get you broom handy.

What Kind Of Salts Do Chefs Prefer?

Professional Chefs like Michael Latour don’t use iodized salt – Neither do Jamie Knott and Adam Weiss amongst many others. Iodized salt is a major no-no in many expert kitchens and an ever-increasing number of homes. The primary reason behind this change has been the influence it has on the taste of food, and the overall texture as well.

Chef Weiss even stated that “Iodized salt has a synthetic lingering flavour. It’s additionally very salty.” Latour also used the term “very salty” to describe iodized salt. He also stated that “It’s so focused and extreme,” and further continues, saying “Iodized salt is useful for your walkway, or snow, but not for eating.”

What do the culinary experts prefer using for both cooking and sprinkling on prepared food at the table? – in two words – kosher salt. This coarse and fine sea salt, similar to the valued Maldon from England.

Kosher salt isn’t just more delectable, “It has a spotless flavour,” according to Knott. However, it is way easier to use than table salt; the coarse grains give cooks more control. Latour adds that iodized salt doesn’t caramelize meat in the manner a kosher salt will. Besides, the cooks said they appreciate the additional crunch that enormous, coarse grains have to offer.

In one of his statements, Knott said “I’ve been utilizing kosher salt since age 12,” even at the saddle River Inn he runs, Knott boldly said “There isn’t any iodized salt in the whole building,” Latour equally stated that he only has it for customers who desperately need it, but as he has also come to notice, there hasn’t been any need for it.

Numerous individuals accept that sea salt, which is made by vanishing seawater, is way better than iodized salts. After the entirety of it’s not however handled as iodized salt seems to be. Iodized salt is normally mined from underground salt stores.

Besides, it has added iodine. “Man is continually intruding in things,” Knott said. Regardless of the taste improvement sea salt brings, health workers would contend that iodized or not, any salt made from sodium should be entirely avoided, or at the very least – minimized.

A lot of salt can easily cause hypertension, cardiovascular failures, and strokes. All in all, it is suggested that you regulate your salt use to under 2,400 milligrams per day; but research has it that the majority of us are processing much more — around 3,400 milligrams per day, the greater part of it from processed or canned food. Note that, a teaspoon of salt has around 1,500 milligrams of sodium.

Now the question most people ask is, why does table salt has added iodine? Western countries started adding iodine, a fundamental mineral, to salt to prevent any form of iodine insufficiency. An iodine deficiency can cause formative, intellectual, and thyroid issues.

Despite this effort, Iodine inadequacy is still an issue in certain nations – even in the well-developed country of china, although there seem to be little problems with countries that have digest lots of eggs, plain yoghurt, baked potatoes, and seafood such as the U.S.A. In any case, if you’re worried about your iodine intake, some ocean salts are iodized, such as Morton’s salt.

Who Makes The Best Salts And Pepper Mills?

Mills (either for pepper or salt purposes) is essential if you love having freshness immediately delivered to your food.

However, you should note that not all mills and grinders will deliver the same result – cheaply designed mills will definitely result in having very inconsistent bends when grinding which could end up clogging the opening meant for spicing up your food.

After various research and reading loads of recommendations. Below are the best pepper and salt mills you can find on the market today. These mills are designed to get the best out of salt and pepper to give your food a very rich taste. These mills will also serve as excellent housewarming gifts as well.

1. Peugeot Salt And Pepper Mills

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Chef and restauranteur timothy had this to say about the Peugeot salt and pepper mills “these pepper mills have been tested, and I can say they are tried and true pepper mills. I have used them all through my long carrier.”

The Peugeot salt and pepper mills are usually tested before they leave the factory, so you can always be sure they will work to specification – there are some cases where you find grounded salt and pepper inside a mill on purchase which is as a result of testing.

These mills are firstly designed to crack your salt, or peppercorns as the case may be, before going ahead to grind the substance to your taste and texture. There are up to six settings you can choose from depending on the need.

2. OXO Radial Pepper And Salt Mill

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Some chefs tend to prefer this meal due to its low price but solid output. It is also easy to use as well, and also designed with features that will probably make it anyone’s favourite.

It’s easy to fill and holds more pepper and salt than you can envision, while the transparent filler entryway allows you to know how much pepper is left. Just like I stated earlier, it is very easy to open and shake whether you are sprinkling, or grinding.

An easier aspect to operate is the crank, especially when you need a huge amount of pepper – the top handle is also very comfortable.

The base holds ground pepper and salt for you if you wish not to grind straight into the food – your counter also retains its sparkling look since the container is not designed to spill pepper when not in use. This mill has a ceramic grinding system that makes it very suitable for salt and pepper grinding.

3. Cole And Mason Pepper And Salt Mill

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A beauty in its own right, this acrylic double grinder is prepared for your kitchen or table – on arrival, you get it preloaded with salt and pepper.

It is very easy to use as the two sides both use the same working principle — simply hold the base and centre and curve to grind. At that point flip it over and hold the base and centre and wind again to grind the other flavour.

The handle allows you to change from coarse to fine grinds on each end. To fill, you basically unscrew the whole grinding instrument from the body of the grinder so you have a wide opening to pour in the salt or pepper, and since the body of the grinder is clear acrylic, you can see initially how much salt or pepper is left.

4. Latent Epicure Pepper And Salt Mill

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This is the only battery-operated pepper and salt mill. These means have tapped into the world of tech with a press button feature and a LED light that lights up the view so you can undoubtedly know how much salt or pepper you’ve added to your soup or serving of mixed greens.

This is a bunch of two grinders; one for salt and one for pepper. A holder is included in the design, so you’ll generally have a perfect spot to keep the grinders, as well as to keep away any other form of grindings off your counters.

The texture of the grind is chosen by using a handle on the lower part of the grinder, and the spice hold turn separated effectively for topping off. This works on batteries – rechargeable, not dry cell.

5. Grind Gourmet Pepper And Salt Mill

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These little grinders are ideal for travelling, regardless of what the occasion is. They are excellent regardless of the spot you place them in your kitchen, and they serve as cute gifts as well.

They’re not difficult to use, which makes them perfect in the kitchen, especially when adding a final detail to plates as they’re arranged in a beeline for the lounge area.

This mill is clear, so it’s not difficult to see which is salt and which is pepper, and they accompany an unmistakable design to keep them flawlessly set up any place they rest.

They likewise incorporate a little pocket so they can be gotten into a knapsack, a pocket, or baggage without stressing over unintentional grinding and spills.

An example of sea salt and pepper comes with the set, so they’re prepared for grinding when they show up. This set is likewise accessible in treated steel.

Things To Note Before Purchasing A Pepper Mill

Before you get intrigued or carried away by these beautiful pepper mills, there are some things you should consider.

The Material Of The Body/Container

Regardless of the material of the grinder system of a mill, the material of the body can likewise influence how your mill functions.

While it might appear to be profitable to have a straightforward (normally plastic or glass) body since you can see when you’re getting low on peppercorns or salt, you should remember that flavours should be kept in a cool, dry spot. When flavours are exposed to direct sun, it can make the peppercorns lose their flavour and fragrance more rapidly than if they were inside a wooden or misty body.

Size Of The Container

In most cases, it boils down to your personal choice in terms of size. The greater the size of the mill, the more peppercorns or salt it can store.

Refilling Position

All mills depend on gravity and a grinder to process the peppercorns and salt. How you top off the spices a mill is designed for, varies on the factory setting. Some have a screw-off top that expects you to remove the head of the mill when replacing it with peppercorns or salt.

In others, there might be a chute that flies out of the way, permitting you to top off without totally removing the head from the body. Some designs have their grinding instrument at the highest point of the mill, which will require you to refill from the opposite end of the container.

Texture Adjustment

A few models offer a dial at the lower part of the mill that permits you to set how coarse you need the pepper or salt to be processed. This gives you the alternative to put out pepper so thick that you can feel it between your teeth or so fine that you can scarcely see it in your dish. In certain models, you can in any case change the texture.

Notwithstanding, the mill in question might not have a preset dial, thereby, expecting you to fiddle with the handle at the highest point of the head and continuing to grind until you’ve got your ideal texture.