Salt

What foods do you salt that may be strange?

Growing up we salted: apple slices, all melons, all vegetables.

Nowadays I don't find a need to salt any fruits, just veggies.

I find I even like pepper more than I did as a kid and even add pepper to some vegetables, lately cream corn (no salt) and find I really like it!

My Dad used to also salt apple slices.
I don't think there is anything unusual that I salt. I do know of someone who used to add salted peanuts to her Pepsi. I imagine it was more for the salt than the peanut flavor.

When we were kids, my Mom salted slices of Swiss cheese before she ate them!

Grapefruit. A light salting seems to make it sweeter.

Interesting ones so far! Bubba I was thinking that but since we never did it, couldn't post with experience. I've also heard of folks sugaring grapefruit. I can eat it straight though. But sometimes salt DOES bring out the sweet, as in the case of melons.

Off topic---but do you extra sugar anything? Growing up the non-sugar cereals...you know plain Cheerios and Raisin Bran we sugared the heck out of that! I loved it then but couldn't stomach as much sugar now.

I had a friend that salted watermelon and grapefruit. Not me!

Completely forgot about watermelon. Like both salt and pepper on cantalope. But if they are not available, I don't slow down - it's all good anyway.

I still put a ton of sugar on grapefruit . But by the time the citrus gets to Michigan, it needs sugar.

I was a real sugar freak as a kid. Sugar on frosted flakes, sugar on anything I could get away with. My favorite was butter/sugar sandwiches. Can you believe it? (and I was allways a skinny kid and adult too) Ah, but maturity hits you and you fill out, without the added sugar.

LOL CHICK!!!!!! SO TRUE! I eat LESS junk now (just really don't "crave" things) and still add a couple pounds more every few years. But still....still petite. For now. Bwahahaha!

I grew up in Michigan so ROFLOL about "by the time the fruit gets to Michigan"!

My brothers ate those sugar sandwiches. I snubbed my nose at them. We called them "fairy sandwiches."

When I was a kid, mom used to put salt on raw potato wedges and give them to us. I loved them. I ate the sugar sandwiches, too! LOL

My DH's mom used to make cinnamon toast for the kids. When I mentioned I liked it too, he tried to make some. He didn't know that sugar goes on it and couldn't figure out why his was so bitter! LOL He learned something that day.

LOL - I grew up in N. Minn. - Quickly learned that the ruby grapefruit from TX were sweeter than the regular ones from FL.

I too, used sugar, until my stepdad let me try a piece of his salted one.

Remember butter/sugar bread, too. Sometimes placed a slice on the wood stove lid with a dash of cinnimon to toast the bottom and slightly melt the sugar.

OH yeah, Mom liked the raw potato wedges to!

I only like the rubies to Bubba. Same thing goes for pummelo (cousin to grapefruit---the red ones WAY sweeter than the white).

LOL on the cinnamon SUGAR :).

Oh, cinnamon toast. Mom would put butter, sugar and cinn on bread and put it in the broiler. That was so good. We would also have rice with milk and lots of sugar and cinnamon on that too.

Lol about the fairy sandwiches. I am surprized how many of you all ate those too.

And I thought they were a Michigan thing! :)

We would cut up banana chunks to put in milk with a spoonful of sugar to eat for a snack. YUM!

We ate the sugar butter sandwiches too :)) I can't eat cantaloupe without salt, raw potatoes with salt, and give me a garden fresh tomato, wash it off, and eat it like an apple with salt.

We don't buy/use iodized salt anymore, I only keep kosher and sea salt in the house. My kids actually eat very little salt, and I don't cook with it at all.

Janis

Bananas, milk, and graham crackers.

Woofens: I don't cook much with it either (bake yes according to recipe) but find I can't "taste" the salt if added while cooking, I need it on top. :)

Now tomatoe slices I like salted, but cherry or grape tomatoes I can eat saltless. Go figure.

What is the difference between kosher and iodized salts? I know sea salt is the huge crystals.

I cannot eat eggs or potatoes without salt. I too have the sea salt now. I don't go for a lot of salt, but some things just need the salt to bring out the flavor.

iodized salt has iodine added. I'm not sure if kosher salt has the iodine or not, but I know sea salt doesn't. We have a huge box of the kosher salt, I think I've used it 2x LOL I use the sea salt daily on my food, but I had to borrow iodized salt to bake cookie at Christmas :)

Oh yeah, any vegetables almost always need some salt.

Ever see the people who salt so much they have salt particles all around their dinner plate on the table when you clean up?! ROFLOL! Used to be me! Growing up Mom was just a saltaholic so I learned from her but the older I've gotten the more I just didn't care to have it on things. No health reason behind it.

Same goes for pepper, the ones you buy make a big difference. I'm to lazy to buy a pepper grinder (besides would leave pepper particles all over the table) but I did switch from the like McCormic pepper at the local grocery to this bulk pepper from Sam's Club. Had some people over (who use the powdered form of "pepper" if you call it that from the regular stores) and they poured out some of my Sam's Club pepper and said, "Woah, you can SEE it!" ROFLOL! It's nice bigger chunks and looks good on the palate.

Hmmm, iodine huh. What IS iodine? And why would it need to be added? Anyone want to refer to my other thread: useless information? I could use some. :) Tee Hee.

I had to go look to see about the kosher salt. Wikipedia said that it has a larger grain than regulartable salt and usually has no additives. They also said iodized salt is kosher, too. It's all in how they use it.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2440.asp

Here is the first link I found when I googled iodized salt vs sea salt. Lots of links though.... http://www.google.com/search?q=iodized+salt+vs+sea+salt&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

But..... I am the person that doesn't make my kids drink milk either. Humans are the only species that drink milk into adulthood, and if you have a balanced diet, you get plenty of calcium from it, and don't need the added calcium from milk. I do keep milk for my coffee, and cocoa for the kids and to cook with, but I will never and have never forced my kids to drink milk with their meals. :-D

Ah Woofens, you SHOULD check my other recent thread (useless information) I talk about how calcium from milk isn't that helpful. The protein in milk keeps your body from absorbing most of that calcium! LOL!

We don't "force" foods here. Usually with my meals I always want water. Grew it it was almost always milk. But at milk prices these days I'll take water, LOL! Just use the milk for cereal.

I love salt, just love it, love it, love it. It must have come from growing up, because out of us 5 kids 2 of my DBs and me can't eat hardly a thing without salt. We are the people who leave the pile of salt grains around our plates, lol! The rest of the family tells us that we salt our salt and I think they are right. However, I don't think I put salt on anything strange.

Now, sugar, on the other hand...I don't want any of that, except a bit in my coffee. Give me any cereal and I'll eat it plain, been like that since I was a kid. Everyone else would have this sugary syrup at the bottom of their bowls, YUCK! Just the thought makes my teeth hurt and my tummy roll!

When I was a kid my Mom used to put sugar on her tomatoes when she ate them. I've tried it and, of course, I prefer salt.

Thanks for the info on the sea salt, I'd like to try that. I wonder though, I'm allergic to iodine...but always buy iodized salt and have never had a problem. I wonder if sea salt would be ok or not? Maybe it's not worth trying...it's not worth a trip to the ER.

Read that during pregnancy you AND the fetus actually need MORE salt in your diet. Who am I to object? :)

did anyone mention radishes? kind of did a quick read thru and didn't see any--doesn't everyone salt radishes? i also remember the slice of raw potatoe with salt that someone mentioned having as a kid--we even would have a little peice of raw hamburger with salt when my mom was cooking---

Um, I'd have to eat a radish first. :) Never have had one but imagine I WOULD want it salted ;)

Love radish sandwiches - butter on one side - mayo on the other - lots of sliced radishes and lightly salted.

never ate a radish!?!!--not that they are great but still--never had a radish sand but now want to try one--thanks bubba for the idea--

Iodine is necessary for our thyroids to function properly. If I am not mistaken that is why "they" started putting iodine in salt: because "long, long ago and far, far away" (LOL) there was evidently a growing number of the populace with iodine deficiency so they figured just add it to the salt and the nation's thyroid problems would diminish greatly. I guess it worked because "they" are still doing it.

My DH salts most fruit: canteloupe, grapefruit, watermelon, apples. I, on the other hand don't salt any of those. Yuck!! I do love salt on raw potatoes and also on tomatoes. Anybody ever tried Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt? Now that is great on veggies and a host of other foods--but not on fruit!

Great thread Tir! I normally salt just a bit during cooking but I do not use salt at the table. For the past few years the only thing that I do salt at the table is potatoes and for me that is a must!

Now I 'used' to salt all the things mentioned above but since going on BP meds I try to make myself stay away from salt. And I'm like Heather, I love it. And I don't much care for sugar either. Sweets just don't appeal to me... but give me a bag of chips and I have no problems devouring the whole bag! LOL

You really should try radishes. I love them. Especially the smaller ones that aren't so hot. Hmmmm....maybe I will start using a bit more salt as I'm starting to crave all the melons, radishes, grapefruits and all other fruits and veggies mentioned above. I also used to love a bit of salt on cucumber slices.

My DH uses way too much salt. It annoys me that he just salts his food without tasting it first. Bad BAD habit!!!!

I'm guilty of salting my food before I taste it. What's worse is my doc told me her attitude is, "Use the salt and take BP meds" She's a salt-a-holic too so no real help there.

DH told me not that long ago that a discussion at work turned to salt. Someone said folks who salt their food before tasting it are control freaks.....because salting your food before you taste it represents that you think you can control your own destiny. LMBO!

We can't?! LOL!

Well my Mom was dining with a heavy smoker once. Mom, saltaholic, was salting her food. Smoker says, "That's BAD for you!"

Coming from a smoker.

What a riot! Don't we all have vices? Just give me the salt.

i cut back on salt a long time ago --i have always loved salt --once you cut back you can still enjoy (love) salt but less of it--now some things are just too salty--i love salt on popcorn, potatoes, salted nuts, chips, salted seeds--pretzels--oh the list goes on and on--but i don't add much salt at the table anymore

Heathrjoy, there may be something to what you mentioned about being a control freak if you salt your food before you taste it. My DH is a control freak (he'd never admit to it, but he is) and he is one of those who salts everything before he even tastes it. Since I know he is going to salt it anyway, I leave off the salt while cooking.

I think Heather hit the nail on the head... certainly in this household. LOL My DH wouldn't admit it either, but he is a control freak BIG TIME! Our problem is that I am also a control freak... what a miracle things are going OK around here. LOL Maybe it's because I let him think that he's controlling everything???

bwahahaha!

Now I WAS thinking...I salt before I eat and I'M not a control freak.

But now that you mention it....is thinking I can do the job better so I just do all the jobs myself...is that the definition of control freak???? LOL!

Edited to say: Not "better" per say, but perhaps faster, cleaner, better....etc

This message was edited Jan 27, 2008 2:58 PM

Yep, that's it, Tir. You are an official control freak--welcome to the club. LOL

P.S. a word of advice to you as a fairly new mom---let the kids do it even if they don't do it YOUR way--you'll be glad when they get older that you did. (voice of experience speaking here)

This message was edited Jan 27, 2008 3:00 PM