Where Does Salt Come From? — How to Make It

Eater
11 Jun 201809:20
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script offers an insightful look into the traditional and natural process of crafting high-quality sea salt, used by renowned restaurants and chefs across the country. The journey begins with the collection of ocean water, manually carried in buckets, and filtered to remove impurities. The script highlights the meticulous, solar-evaporation method, which, despite being time-consuming and unpredictable, is chosen for its ability to produce a pure and flavorful salt. The salt's unique characteristics are influenced by the natural minerals and algae present during the evaporation process, giving it a distinct minerality and color. The meticulous harvesting, based on the visual appearance of salt crystals, and the handcrafted nature of the process, are emphasized. The final product is described as a clean, pure, and flaky sea salt that enhances the flavors of food, serving as a foundation in cooking and a delight to the taste buds.

Takeaways
  • 🍽️ The company sells to high-end restaurants such as 11 Madison Park, Nomad, Gramercy Tavern, Untitled, and The Dutch, supplying about 50 pounds of salt weekly.
  • 🌊 They produce sea salt by collecting ocean water, which is then turned into salt used by top chefs and restaurants across the country.
  • 🏖️ The founder has been making salt as a hobby for about 30 years and started the business in 2010, selling the first jar in the summer of 2011.
  • 🌞 The salt production process is natural and traditional, using solar dehydration, which is considered the best but also the hardest method.
  • ⏱️ Salt production is time-consuming and unpredictable due to the reliance on natural evaporation, which takes longer in colder months.
  • 🚰 The seawater collected is filtered to remove sand and other impurities before being placed into salt urns for evaporation.
  • 🌡️ The evaporation process is faster in the summer, taking about three weeks, and slower in colder months, taking approximately three months.
  • 🧂 The salt's flavor and minerality are influenced by the natural compounds and algae present in the seawater, which are moderated during the filtering process.
  • 🔍 The readiness of the salt for harvesting is determined by visual inspection of the salt urns for the presence of crystals.
  • 👨‍🍳 Chefs who use this salt compare its taste to fleur de sel but with a different texture, noting its clean and pure flavor profile.
  • 🌱 The company's approach to salt production is sustainable, with a focus on not depleting natural resources, and the process is labor-intensive, done by hand.
Q & A
  • How did the process of making salt start for the speaker?

    -The speaker began making salt as a hobby almost 30 years ago.

  • When did the speaker start their salt-making business?

    -The business of salt-making started in 2010.

  • What drew the speaker to making salt?

    -The speaker was drawn to making salt due to its naturalness and traditional methods.

  • How is the ocean water collected for making salt?

    -Ocean water is collected by hand, bucket by bucket, with about 2,000 gallons obtained weekly during the summertime.

  • What is the preferred method of dehydration for the salt-making process?

    -Solar dehydration is preferred despite being long and unpredictable, as it's considered the best way to do it.

  • What is the estimated yield of salt from 100 gallons of seawater?

    -From 100 gallons of seawater, an estimated 15 pounds of salt can be produced.

  • How is the seawater filtered before the salt-making process?

    -The seawater is filtered to remove sand, floating debris, and swimming organisms, first through a filter and then through another filtering step.

  • What factors influence the flavor and color of salt?

    -The flavor and color of salt are influenced by the minerals present in the environment where it's harvested, such as lava for Hawaiian black salt and iron deposits for Himalayan pink salt.

  • How long does it take for salt to crystallize during the colder months?

    -Salt crystallizes over approximately three months during the colder months.

  • What is emphasized as the unique aspect of the speaker's salt according to some chefs?

    -Some chefs compare the taste of the speaker's salt to fleur de sel but note its entirely different texture.

Outlines
00:00
🧂 Salt Production for High-End Restaurants

The video introduces a salt-making business that supplies high-quality sea salt to renowned restaurants such as 11 Madison Park, Nomad, Gramercy Tavern, Untitled, and The Dutch. The founder's journey from a 30-year hobby to a business that started in 2010 is highlighted. The process of making salt is emphasized as natural and traditional, with water collected by hand in buckets, yielding about 50 pounds a week for the culinary industry and the rest for retail. The founder's passion for food and the importance of using salt as a finishing touch are discussed. The video also takes viewers to the ocean to witness how seawater is transformed into fine sea salt, with a focus on the labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of the solar evaporation method.

05:02
🌊 The Art and Science of Sea Salt Harvesting

This paragraph delves into the nuances of sea salt production, explaining how the environment affects the salt's flavor and color. It contrasts the salt-making process with other methods, such as drying on a lava flow, which would yield different flavors and colors due to the minerals present. The importance of the ocean's flavor, contributed by the combination of salt compounds and algae, is emphasized. The video outlines the seasonal variation in evaporation times, from a few weeks in summer to three months in colder months. The harvesting process is described as more of an art than a science, relying on visual cues to determine when the salt is ready. The narrator shares a tasting experience, noting the clean, pure flavor and the flaky crystallization of the salt, which is compared to fleur de sel by chefs. The video concludes with the narrator's appreciation for the foundational role of salt in cooking and the satisfaction of witnessing the natural process from seawater to finished salt.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sea Salt
Sea salt is a type of salt made from the evaporation of seawater. It is valued for its natural, unrefined quality and is often used as a finishing salt to enhance the flavor of food. In the video, sea salt is the main product being discussed, with the process of its creation from ocean water being a central theme.
💡Evaporation
Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a vapor, which is a critical step in the production of sea salt. The video explains how the seawater is collected and then naturally dehydrated through solar evaporation, resulting in the formation of salt crystals.
💡Fleur de Sel
Fleur de sel, which translates to 'flower of salt,' is a type of hand-harvested sea salt known for its delicate flavor and texture. In the script, chefs compare the taste of the produced sea salt to fleur de sel, highlighting its high quality and the unique texture that distinguishes it from common salt.
💡Mineral Content
Mineral content refers to the trace minerals present in the salt, which can affect its flavor and color. The video discusses how the mineral content varies depending on the source of the seawater and the method of evaporation, leading to different tastes and colors in the final product.
💡Naturalness
Naturalness is the quality of being in or derived from nature, without artificial additives or processes. The video emphasizes the naturalness of the sea salt production process, from hand-collecting seawater to using solar evaporation, which is considered the best but also the hardest method.
💡Himalayan Pink Salt
Himalayan pink salt is a type of rock salt that gets its pink color from the presence of iron deposits. It is mentioned in the video as an example of how the mineral content in the environment can affect the color and flavor of the salt.
💡Siphoning
Siphoning is the process of drawing off liquid from a container without disturbing the sediment. In the context of the video, siphoning is used to transfer the seawater through a filter with a 50-micron mesh, which is as fine as a hair's diameter, to remove impurities without eliminating the algae that contributes to the salt's flavor.
💡Algae
Algae are aquatic plants that play a role in the flavor profile of sea salt. The video explains that the producers aim to moderate the amount of algae in their salt rather than eliminate it completely, as it contributes significantly to the taste.
💡Crystallization
Crystallization is the process by which a solid forms from a solution, in this case, the formation of salt crystals from the evaporated seawater. The video describes the crystallization process as an art, dependent on environmental conditions, and how it results in the flaky texture of the sea salt.
💡Restaurants and Chefs
The video mentions several high-end restaurants such as 11 Madison Park, Nomad, Gramercy Tavern, and others that purchase the sea salt. Chefs are highlighted as appreciating the natural sea salt for its ability to enhance the flavors of their dishes, which underscores the product's appeal in the culinary world.
💡Sustainability
Sustainability refers to using resources in a way that does not deplete them or harm the environment. The video's narrator discusses the importance of maintaining the natural environment while producing salt, which is why they continue to use traditional, labor-intensive methods that are more sustainable.
Highlights

The company sells to high-end restaurants such as 11 Madison Park, Nomad, Gramercy Tavern, Untitled, and The Dutch.

Approximately 50 pounds of salt are sold weekly to restaurants and food makers, with the rest going into retail packaging.

The process of turning ocean water into fine sea salt is explored, highlighting its use by top chefs across the country.

The founder has been making salt as a hobby for about 30 years and started the business in 2010.

The first jar of salt was sold in the summer of 2011, emphasizing the product's quality and taste.

The founder's passion for food and natural, traditional methods of salt making are key to the business's philosophy.

Water is collected by hand in buckets, with about 2,000 gallons gathered each week during the summer.

Solar dehydration is used for salt production, which is natural but also the most challenging method.

The company collects around 100 gallons of water per run, with two to three runs conducted daily.

Only about 15 pounds of salt are produced from 100 gallons of seawater due to the intentional non-100% yield.

The salt production process includes filtering the seawater to remove sand and other impurities.

Salt production is seasonal, with a break from the end of November to mid-January due to cold and damp conditions.

The flavor of the salt is influenced by the ocean's natural compounds and the presence of algae.

The color and flavor of salt can vary based on the minerals it comes into contact with during the drying process.

Salt harvesting is done by hand, with the process being more of an art than a science, relying on visual cues to determine readiness.

The crystallization process takes about two to three months, depending on the season.

The final salt product is described as clean, pure, and with a nice flaky texture, suitable for use as a finishing salt.

Chefs compare the taste of the salt to fleur de sel, but with a distinct texture.

Salt is considered the foundation of cooking, used from the beginning to the finishing stages of a dish.

Transcripts
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