Comments on: How to Relate to Your Himalayan Salt Block http://www.saltnews.com/2008/01/how-to-talk-to-your-himalayan-salt-plate/ the world of gourmet salt Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:20:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Mark Bitterman http://www.saltnews.com/2008/01/how-to-talk-to-your-himalayan-salt-plate/comment-page-1/#comment-24978 Mark Bitterman Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:50:06 +0000 http://www.saltnews.com/how-to-talk-to-your-himalayan-salt-plate/#comment-24978 Kim, There are two causes of foods coming off your Himalayan salt block as two salty. If you are serving something at room temperature, then the moister foods such as tomatoes simply cannot spend much time on the block between preparing and serving. Green apples and fibrous things like jicama, or fattier foods such as salmon can stay on a salt slab for a little while longer, but still, limiting the time the food spends on the salt block is the controlling factor for saltiness. If you are cooking on the salt block, then you need to be sure the salt brick is hot enough. 500 degrees F is a good rule of thumb for cooking most foods on Himalayan salt blocks. You can tell when you are at 500 degrees by placing your hand over the salt block. If it is INTENSELY hot when your hand is about 5 inches from the surface, you are at 500 degrees. Alternately, you can use an infrared thermometer (very cool gadgets that run about 100 bucks). Salt blocks are generally for sauteeing food, not frying it. Saute means "jump" in French; so in other words, the food should virtually leap off the hot salt block surface it is so hot. As a general rule of thumb, the wetter the foods, the hotter you should saute. Onions = lower temperature : Scallops = higher temperature. A properly heated salt block will give your foods a well-seared surface, so there is little opportunity for the salt to get too mixed up with the food. Hope this helps. Kim, There are two causes of foods coming off your Himalayan salt block as two salty. If you are serving something at room temperature, then the moister foods such as tomatoes simply cannot spend much time on the block between preparing and serving. Green apples and fibrous things like jicama, or fattier foods such as salmon can stay on a salt slab for a little while longer, but still, limiting the time the food spends on the salt block is the controlling factor for saltiness.

If you are cooking on the salt block, then you need to be sure the salt brick is hot enough. 500 degrees F is a good rule of thumb for cooking most foods on Himalayan salt blocks. You can tell when you are at 500 degrees by placing your hand over the salt block. If it is INTENSELY hot when your hand is about 5 inches from the surface, you are at 500 degrees. Alternately, you can use an infrared thermometer (very cool gadgets that run about 100 bucks). Salt blocks are generally for sauteeing food, not frying it. Saute means “jump” in French; so in other words, the food should virtually leap off the hot salt block surface it is so hot. As a general rule of thumb, the wetter the foods, the hotter you should saute. Onions = lower temperature : Scallops = higher temperature. A properly heated salt block will give your foods a well-seared surface, so there is little opportunity for the salt to get too mixed up with the food.

Hope this helps.

]]> By: Kim http://www.saltnews.com/2008/01/how-to-talk-to-your-himalayan-salt-plate/comment-page-1/#comment-24956 Kim Wed, 03 Nov 2010 02:21:05 +0000 http://www.saltnews.com/how-to-talk-to-your-himalayan-salt-plate/#comment-24956 I have a salt plate and have tried to love it!!! It is just too salty and has a funny after taste. I have been reading your care instructions and we have followed all of them. What would cause it to have an overly salty taste? I have a salt plate and have tried to love it!!! It is just too salty and has a funny after taste. I have been reading your care instructions and we have followed all of them. What would cause it to have an overly salty taste?

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