table salt vs sea salt

[twirl]

what the heck is the difference
isn't salt --- salt

[breezysummerday]

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/saltguide.htm

Lot's of information about difference types of salt
and a whole page on the difference between sea salt
and table salt.

[thegrammalady]

 sodium is sodium and sea salt, table salt makes no difference

[paris]

Table salt usually is iodized salt.  Lack of iodine can cause goiters, so they started adding iodine to table salt.   I use both for different recipes.

[openboat]

Table salt has had minerals other than sodium removed, and is usually iodized.  The big difference for cooking is the shape of the salt - kosher and sea salts tend to have larger flakes with more surface area so they dissolve faster and are easier to sprinkle by hand.  Sea salt often has other minerals and can have a noticable color.  Pickling salt has a very fine grain and is not iodized.

[Wattle]

   I use both for different recipes.

    Time to throw it in the bin Paris!! 

[jbeany]

I think sea salt has a more intense flavor.  If you are trying to cut down on sodium, that's a good thing - less salt needed to get the same amount of flavoring.

[Romona]

I read an intersting article about some doctors seeing an increase in thyroid problems because of low salt and people using salt with out iodine. I remember growing up that most of my great aunts and my grandmother having neck scars from goiter surgery. I thought that it was an automatic thing that everyone would have to get the surgery.

[paris]

i didn't mean I use both at the same time!      

  I use both for different recipes.

  Time to throw it in the bin Paris!!

I use no salt in my foods, but I cook for many and use sea salt for some recipes.  I think everything tastes too salty now.   Because people don't have goiters anymore, I think many forget that the iodized salt is important.   

[Tolulena]

There is also a difference between table salt/sea salt and something called "Celtic salt". Celtic salt has a lot more trace minerals (and moisture) in it as it is harvested in a traditional manner and not processed or bleached to make it white like table salt and even sea salt. Celtic salt looks kind of grey and to me it doesn't taste as sharp. Most Celtic salt you buy has a nutritional information panel telling you what minerals are in it and in what amount, so if you  are limiting potassium, phosphate, etc you can avoid or take into account.  Pretty much all the extra minerals are not present in table or sea salt. There are a lot of alternative practitioners claiming Celtic salt will cure all kinds of ills and I suppose it's possible that some extra minerals in people's diets could restore levels, etc, but I would think it doesn't apply to the resticitons kidney patients can have.

[redz812]

Both of my sea salt and morton salt containers state that the salt contains NO iodide. Is iodide the same as iodine???