my friends in humid places: I noticed in FL that they use many salt grinders. I'm thinking because

A

angak1

Well-known member
of the humidity, grinding works best for salt. Do you also keep kosher salt for cooking? does it clump? I'm looking on Amazon for a salt grinder. I like the dual salt/pepper grinder that is in one piece for near the stove.

 
I think they use salt grinders for the "look". Parents lived in FL and we live in

humidity in the Carolinas. No excess of grinders to my knowledge.

 
In S. Fl. we pretty much use a AC 24/7 but once in a awhile it get

cool and the windows come open...Today's the day! Yipppy! I use kosher salt for everything and it never clumps. I keep it by my stove in a glass container that has a little top on it and I never have a problem. I keep the raw sugar that I use in my coffee in a little jar with no lid and it will clump slightly if it is really humid but if it's that humid the windows are usually closed and AC on.

 
I guess I just noticed the grinders at every restaurant we visited. some open air, so I guess that

would call for grinders, maybe.

 
That may be. Maybe on the beach but I haven't been for ages.

I doubt you'll have a problem in you house. Maybe it's a problem for the tables but I'm sure the cooks in the back didn't use grinders.

 
Buy it if you want a new toy, but it's probably not necessary. Also, switching up your salt

can be a big change. Some salts are 'saltier' and take some adjusting.

I can't remember if it was when I was traveling in Central America or Thailand, but in humid countries, sometimes they put a bit of rice in salt shakers. Apparently that helps a lot with humidity.

 
I have an open salt cellar next to the stove with Diamond Kosher that

does clump just a bit. When I go for a pinch or spoonful I just mix it up. On the table I have a salt shaker with a plastic top that has a little raw rice mixed in with the salt...still needs to be shaken to break it up.

My thoughts why a restaurant may go with a salt grinder:
>the metal tops on the shaker rust
>the grinders are disposable so they don't have to be filled daily
>Alessi makes the salt grinders that go with their pepper grinders
>Salt grinders are cool

I find the salt grinders are more salt crackers which gives larger pieces than Kosher salt.

I wonder if I'm going to die from lack of iodine since I haven't had iodized table salt in the house for about 30 years...

 
Ang, clumping is only an issue if you keep a salt shaker outside.

I (embarrassingly) have Morton regular (ionized), Morton NOT ionized, Morton Kosher (kept in a pig sitting on the stove), Maldon flakes, Himalayan pink (rocks, in a tiny grinder), La Baleine sea salt rocks and I'm not even going to go into the seasoned salt variants.

Point is...I'm not at the beach just a mile inland from the Intracoastal but I've never had a clumping problem in the house. Ever.

Save your grinder money. You'll need it to pay for A/C.

 
I do use a grinder but only because I like Hawaiian salt. But Kosher salt....

...is what I use for cooking. I find that here, where it is often about 100% humidity (no air conditioning at my house), when I pour the Kosher salt out some will "stick" on the top of the container- then it melts and is wet. I don't have trouble with clumping if I use Kosher salt for cooking but it is an irritating thing to have a puddle. The Hawaiian salt does not do this but the chunks are large enough that I like them ground.

 
LOVE, love, love my hawaiian salt!. It was funny going through Maui security, as

they opened up each one individually, then used a wipe on it, then put a security clearance label on it. I purchased quite a few. (Favorite so far is black lava!) I am so glad we were not in a hurry, as it was quite a process.

My lil guy enjoys it so much that on a special lunch day, I add in a small, tiny sized plastic container a few pinches of a few different salts. He then seasons his own sliced hard boiled eggs, that I have in a different container. Theoretically, I can do it at home, but I think he enjoys creating his own lunch in the lunchroom.

He comes home from school so excited to talk about how he told all his friends about lava salt and hawaii!!

 
I have black lava salt and have never really used it much. Someone told me

it is used as a garnish to make things pretty. She gave an example of deviled eggs with a sprinkling of black lava salt. How do you use yours?

 
yes, I've done that, but didn't see any of that on any tables. just salt grinders. Osteens in

St Augustine may have had regular old salt shakers with the rice added. very old fashioned place with terrific shrimp

 
we're on the east coast. just one town south of Mar! just above Canaveral area

we are driving one car down from Seattle in mid-March, should be "home" by end of March and will stay till first week of May. this visit anyway. hopefully will be full snowbirds next fall/winter

 
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