After some online research, I have seen the ‘Salt Light’ so to speak. The majority of the salt consumed in the United States is refined salt. It is often very bright while, has non-caking additives added to it and has an after-taste. Start tasting quality salts and then go back to tasting regular table salt (like you’d find in a vacation rental) and you’ll see what I mean.
Naturally harvested unrefined salt contains trace minerals, has no anti-caking agents, and may have little flecks of color (fun!). And, it tastes pretty darn good! Most unrefined salts that have not been tinkered with are from places like France, Himalayas (the pink salt) and wouldn’t you know it…Utah! I was super excited to find Redmond’s Real Salt, as they do harvest from an ancient sea bed in Utah. It was important to me to find a nice salt that is from the United States. I try to buy my produce locally, so consuming unrefnined salts from Utah is about as local as I can get.
I contacted Redmond and they were so nice to send out some samples for me to try. I received the Nature’s Finest Sea Salt, Real Salt Organic Garlic Salt, Real Salt Organic Onion Salt and Real Salt Organic Seasoning Salt to test out. Let’s just say we’ve been cooking up a storm here and testing all of the varieties and it’s been a flavor blast!
I went into my local fish monger and he convinced me to buy a whole local rock cod. He told me to season the inside and cook whole, about 10 minutes on each side on the BBQ gril. This was a job for the Real Salt Organic Seasoning Salt! This blend contains Real Salt, Organic Onion, Organic Corriander, Organic Mustard, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Paprika, Organic Celery Seed, Organic Tumeric, & Organic Parsley. (Kosher Certified by OU) We seasoned well, grilled and added a little lemon at the end. Not to toot my own culinary horn, but our dinner that night would rival that of any five start restaurant. The seasoning was perfectly balanced and really brightened the grilled fish.
As a pescatarian family, we eat fish about twice a week and then eat a vegetarian for the remaining days. The onion salt was a great addition to asparagus and red potatoes with a sprinkling of shaved parmesean. I used the garlic salt in homemade black bean soup with a little fresh cilantro, and it’s all I needed to make this nutritious soup a quick hit. I then used the Nature’s Finest Sea Salt when roasting baked acorn and butternut squash with a little fresh rosemary and olive oil. So delicious!
These are quality salts and best of all, the seasoned salts are organic. Many people (like myself) used to shake on seasoned powders and not give it a second thought. Thanks to my Internet friend Google, I did discover that I could have been potentially adding toxins to my gourmet creations. Spices and seasoned salts that are NOT organic, may contain chemicals, contain GMOs and are irradiated. Ok, this is where my geeky-friends come out and say irradiated foods help reduce bacteria! Um, yes..and the irradiated finished product also has decreased levels of vitamins and natural enzymes. So why do I want spices devoid of beneficial nutrients? Meh, no thanks – Organic is MUST be!
Spices and salts are as important to me as the fresh organic produce I am buying. If I don’t purchase unrefined salts and organic spices, then I am essentially (polluting) negating all the positive benefits of purchasing organic fruits and vegetables in the first place!
To learn more about Redmond’s Real Salts products, please click here. http://www.redmondtrading.com/shop/
They also offer a fun assortment of natural Clay and Earth Paste products which I will be testing out soon.
