• Recipes
  • Urban Homesteading
  • Organic Gardening
  • Faith and Family
  • Homeschool
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

My Humble Kitchen

food • faith • family

  • New? Start Here!
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Egg Dishes
    • Meat and Fish
    • Pasta
    • Rice and Legumes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetables
    • Sandwiches
    • Casserole Meals
    • Crockpot Recipes
    • Odd Bits Recipes
    • Spanish Food
    • Naturally Sweetened Sweets and Treats
    • Condiments
    • Homemade Jams and Preserves
    • Whole Grains
    • Ferments
  • Shopping Guide
  • eBooks
You are here: Home / Eat Better / A "Real Food" Food Budget / Let’s Talk about Real Salt

A "Real Food" Food Budget Brands I Endorse Uncategorized

Let’s Talk about Real Salt

salt

On my journey to learning about real food, step by step, I started to learn about regular pantry staples that I needed to replace.

I’ve written about the differences in refined versus natural sweeteners, bleached products that you can replace for a natural alternative, and even the nutritional benefits of grinding your own grains.

Another pantry staple that I replaced for a much healthier alternative was white table and kosher salt.

But isn’t salt, salt?  The difference between refined and unrefined salt.

Refined Salt

Just as I’ve written about the refining process of other pantry staples, white table salt is also bleached and refined.  It’s brined in a solution which can include sulfuric acid or chlorine and heated to a point which removes all of its minerals and elements useful to our body.  Anti-caking and conditioning agents are added to make it’s shelf life forever.

Iodine is also added to prevent goiter (swelling of the thyroid), however; at such a small amount (.01%) it’s insufficient to provide for the body’s iodine needs.

Unrefined Salt

In contrast, unrefined salt contains all of it’s trace minerals and other elements that are naturally a part of it’s origin and never exposed to harsh chemicals.  It ends up being much more than just sodium and chloride.

A complete mineral analysis for Real Salt can be found here.

Unrefined salt is a whole food product which is easily utilized by the body.  Unrefined salt provides minerals (plus other important trace minerals) that help improve all bodily systems including the immune system, glandular system and the nervous system.

As a culinary use, unrefined salt also has a unique flavor and adds great texture to many different kinds of dishes.

Real Salt

There are a few different brands of unrefined salt that contain different amount of trace minerals dependent upon it’s origin.  Celtic Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan, and Real Salt.

I’ve used all three and my current unrefined salt of choice is Real Salt.

Real Salt is an all-natural sea salt taken from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah.

The deposit occurs with over 60+ natural trace minerals which gives the salt its unique color, unique flavor, and numerous health benefits.  Because the Real Salt deposit comes from an ancient sea bed, nature created the salt long before the earth experienced any pollution or contaminants that are troubling our oceans today.

The Real Salt deposit begins about 30 feet below the surface, covered by a layer of bentonite clay, which has protected it from erosion and from the possibility of modern contamination.

According to the Real Salt website…

Real Salt is currently harvested about 300 feet below the surface of the earth. The deposit is huge, so we carefully follow the food-grade veins and harvest the salt using carbide-tipped equipment that basically scrapes the salt off the walls of the mine. From there, the salt is screened and crushed to size before being shipped to our food-grade facility in Northern Utah. Real Salt is packaged after passing through a final automatic screening to be sure no metal residue or contaminants were introduced during the process.

What I love most about this salt is it’s speckled color and the price which fits most real food budgets.  It’s about $4.95 for a large shaker and can be found at most health food stores, coops, or health food sections of regular grocery stores.

Now that you know the difference between refined and unrefined salt and a few brands you can try, I’ll be sharing a post later this week on how I use fine salt versus kosher (large granule) salt in some summer dishes.

I’ll also have a giveaway and two specifically for newsletter readers.  If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, please do so below.

So tell me?  Do you use unrefined salt?  Which brand is your favorite?

Links of Interest

  • Is salt really bad for me?
  • Comparing Real Salt to Celtic or Himalayan
  • Does Real Salt have the iodine we need?
  • Comparing Real Salt to Himalayan or Celtic
  • Real Salt and Radiation


20 Comments

About Diana Bauman

Diana is a mother of three, proud wife, and humbled daughter of God. She finds the most joy meeting with Jesus in her organic gardens. She is completely blessed to be able to call herself a stay at home mom where she home educates her children, joyfully serves her husband, and cooks nourishing, real food, for her family. She loves connecting with people on facebook, google+, pinterest, and instagram.

« Simple Lives Thursday, #103
Homemade, Whole Wheat Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns »

Comments

  1. Jackie @Auburn Meadow Farm says

    July 10, 2012 at 9:47 am

    I have been wondering about the dangers to our salt supply due to fracking and other agricultural and industrial pollutants.

    Like knowing where out water supply comes from, where our garbabe goes and how our local electric grid works, most of us take salt completely for granted.

    It would be a big surprise to learn the hard way just how reliant we are upon it.

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    July 10, 2012 at 10:36 am

    I use Real Salt & love the pinkness; I am also ordering Celtic Sea Salt for a change of taste!

    Reply
  3. nestra says

    July 11, 2012 at 6:48 am

    I use kosher salt now but am intrigued by unrefined salt. I may have to pick some up next time I am at the co-op. Do you use it for both cooking and at the table?

    Reply
    • Katherine Atkinson says

      July 11, 2012 at 12:21 pm

      Hi Nestra, 🙂

      Real Salt is kosher in that a rabbi comes and inspects the facility and process and declares it “kosher”, but for most “kosher” means larger granules, which Real Salt also has available.

      So whether you’re wanting kosher certified or larger grains of salt, Real Salt has you covered! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Fawn says

    July 11, 2012 at 8:22 am

    I use both, but after reading this, I think I’ll ditch the processed stuff! Thanks for the info 🙂

    Reply
  5. Molly says

    July 11, 2012 at 9:22 am

    We have just switched to different types of salt including celtic and kosher. i want to try the Himalayan with fermenting. i’d love if you went into more detail about the other types of salt- you only covered the one. are they sponsoring you? 😉

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      July 11, 2012 at 10:23 am

      Molly, they are a sponsor but this post is not sponsored. There’s actually a link from Real Salt where they compare the different types of salt. It’s a good post as they do let you know they are all good salts.

      http://blog.realsalt.com/2010/08/comparing-real-salt-to-himalayan-celtic/

      I do think I should do a post though with all 3 in the future 😀

      Reply
    • Katherine Atkinson says

      July 11, 2012 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Molly, 🙂

      I just commented to another reader, but Real Salt is kosher because a rabbi comes and inspectes to certify that it’s kosher, but when most people think of “kosher” they’re thinking of larger grains of salt which Redmond offers as well.

      “Kosher” salt is still refined salt if it’s white. “Real” salt (not the brand but the “real thing”) is not white. Any salt that is pure white with no flecks is refined and processed and demineralized which is what you DON’T want. 🙂

      There are only three salts that are worth eating: Celtic, Himilayan, and Real Salt.

      Himilayan and Real Salt are both from ancient sea beds and are buried deposits that are unexposed to modern toxins and polutants. Celtic is harvested from the sea and so is potentially exposed to modern toxins and polutants.

      They all have slightly different tastes depending on the mineral content, but Real Salt (the brand) has a salty-sweet taste where Himilayan has kind of a smokey taste. Himilayan is also MUCH more expensive because it is imported from Pakistan.

      Hope that helps. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        July 22, 2012 at 3:00 am

        The Celts are not the only ones still harvesting salt from the ocean. Koreans do it too.

        If you want to find another exotic salt, check into Korean bamboo salt. 🙂

        Reply
      • Noori says

        June 6, 2013 at 12:32 am

        I have ordered Celtic salt from a website and it said their salt are all unrefined. One of the salts I ordered was Celtic White FINE salt. But you said if they are WHITE they are refined. Please let me know because they said all the salts are Unrefined. Thanks.

        Reply
        • Diana Bauman says

          June 9, 2013 at 2:34 pm

          Noori, what brand is it?

          Reply
      • S says

        January 27, 2017 at 9:38 pm

        There are many natural, unrefined salts around. Just look at any culture which has/had ancient salt-extracting traditions. From Ukraine to anywhere else covering this art-form. Earth salt, sea salt, rock salt… The options aren’t as narrow as you assume.

        Reply
  6. Paula Krueger says

    July 11, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    Interesting. I’m going to replace mine, too. I’m almost out of table salt anyway

    Reply
  7. Megan @ MAID in Alaska says

    July 12, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Such a great post! I’ve been wanting to write something similar, but just couldn’t get it together. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 I’m going to share the link to your post on my Facebook page!

    🙂 Megan

    Reply
  8. Iris Kaplan says

    May 27, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Please tell.me how much Real Kosher Salt to use iny recipes as I have always used regular grocery store Kosher salt. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      June 9, 2016 at 6:44 am

      You can substitute it 1:1.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Difference Between Fine and Kosher Salt + Giveaway! - A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says:
    July 18, 2012 at 7:31 am

    […] that I’ve written a post on refined versus unrefined salt, I wanted to share with you how I use fine and kosher Real Salt in my […]

    Reply
  2. Mini, Sweet Cherry Cardamom Pie - A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says:
    August 3, 2012 at 7:30 am

    […] As the weeks went by, I came to realize that not many people understood the quality of ingredients I was serving them.  Freshly milled organic grains, organic fruit, organic sugar, even Real Salt. […]

    Reply
  3. A Recipe: Naturally Sweetened Walnut Sandie Cookies - A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says:
    December 5, 2012 at 8:00 am

    […] Real salt  for standard table salt […]

    Reply
  4. Naturally Sweetened, Salted Honey Caramels + Giveaway! - My Humble Kitchen says:
    February 27, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    […] its been nearly 2 years since I’ve written about refined versus un-refined salt,I thought I’d touch on it again. If you subscribed to my 25 Day Grace Filled Journey to Real […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

My family of 7

I’m Diana – mother of five, proud wife, and daughter to an amazing God. Here you’ll find an encouraging community seeking to nourish our families both physically and spiritually. You’ll find us in our kitchens, gardens, and homeschool rooms pursuing a simple life in food, faith, and family.

Read More…

Real Food, Faith, and Family Straight to Your Inbox!

PLUS, receive my eBook a Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours and a Real Food Menu Plan Printable FREE!

Living Foods

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch - Gluten-Free

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch

How To Make Milk Kefir - A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink | myhumblekitchen.com

How To Make Milk Kefir – A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Planner

Winter Recipes

Honey Sweetened, Christmas Granola - Candy Canes and Chocolate Chips | myhumblekitchen.com

Honey Sweetened Christmas Granola with Candy Canes and Chocolate Chips

A Simple Beef and Barley Stew | myhumblekitchen.com

A Simple Beef and Barley Stew

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Fudge Brownies | myhumblekitchen.com

Almond Flour Fudge Brownies

A Vegetable Curry

Quick Bake Einkorn Biscuits | myhumblekitchen.com

Quick Bake Einkorn Biscuits

View More Winter Recipes

#probioticseveryday

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch - Gluten-Free

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch

How To Make Milk Kefir - A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink | myhumblekitchen.com

How To Make Milk Kefir – A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink

Homemade Yogurt | myhumblekitchen.com

Homemade Yogurt

Naturally Pickled Leafy Greens and Stems with Onions

A Simple Recipe for Homemade Natural Fermented Pickles

View More Gut Healthy Recipes

Copyright © 2025 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...