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    Nourished Kitchen » Herbal Remedies » Mineral Salt

    Posted: Dec 3, 2020 · Updated: Dec 9, 2020 by Jenny McGruther · This post contains affiliate links.

    Mineral Salt

    Savory with rich umami notes, this seasoning salt recipe is rich in minerals. Nutrient-dense sea vegetables blend with herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and minimally processed salt to form a delicious, savory homemade seasoning.

    Jump to Recipe | What is it? | What about iodine? | What's in it? | Tips | Variations

    Mineral Salt with Sea Vegetables, Herbs and Reishi Mushroom

    What is mineral salt?

    Salt is a crystalline mineral that is made up of two elements: sodium and chlorine. In nature, it also contains a wide variety of other minerals such as calcium, sulfur, potassium, and magnesium (1). Accordingly, minimally processed and unrefined salt will naturally contain trace amounts of these minerals.

    There are two primary sources of this minimally processed salt: sea salt and salt mined from underground ancient sea beds. For sea salt, producers will slowly allow seawater to evaporate, leaving only the salt flakes behind. Salt also comes from mines in which producers access underground salt deposits left from ancient sea beds.

    What about iodine?

    To make table salt, producers will then wash and bleach the salt, refine it to remove other trace minerals, and then include various additives. The most notable of which is iodine (as potassium iodide) as well as anti-caking agents such as sodium aluminosilicate and magnesium carbonate.

    The producers of table salt began adding iodine to salt at the urging of public health officials in the early 20th century who found that deficiency in this mineral was leading to goiter and learning disability (2). As a result, not only did incidences of goiter plummet, but IQ also increased (3).

    Natural mineral salt contains iodine, but only in trace amounts. If you stock your pantry with minimally processed, additive-free salt, try incorporating other iodine-rich foods into your meals such as sea vegetables, seafood, and dairy products.

    What's in it?

    In this recipe for homemade seasoning salt, we've included other mineral-rich foods such as sea vegetables, herbs, and medicinal mushrooms. Together, they give salt a rich umami note while also boosting natural salt's mineral content, too.

    Minimally processed real salt is mined from underground salt deposits left by prehistoric seas. It has a pinkish color and contains sodium chloride as well as a wide variety of other minerals in trace amounts.

    Kombu is an edible kelp. You can find it sold in strips about 6-inches long or in flakes. It contains beta carotene, vitamin K, folate, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc and other minerals.

    Dulse is a seaweed with deep color and salty flavor. It contains iodine, potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron.

    Wakame contains iodine, calcium, magnesium, and folate.

    Nettle is a nutritive, anti-inflammatory herb that also contains vitamins A and C as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals. It also makes a delicious infusion.

    Celery seed is a spice with a salty, bitter note. It contains many minerals including calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

    Reishi mushroom is an adaptogenic herb that supports your body's stress-response system. It contains various B vitamins as well as potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium.


    Where to buy mineral salt

    You can find minimally processed real salt at most natural foods grocers and spice shops. It's sold as large crystals, coarsely ground, or finely ground. You can also order it online for convenience, too.

    > Find it here

    Tips for making seasoning salt

    It's easy to make your own mineral-rich seasoning salt. As long as you have a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle), you can make this recipe in less than five minutes. While it's easy to make, there's a few things to keep in mind.

    • Grind the herbs as finely as you can, so that they mix easily with the sea salt.
    • Try sifting the herbs with a fine-mesh sieve to remove any large bits that remain after grinding.
    • Stir the herbs thoroughly into the salt, and give your container of salt a good shake if you notice they start to settle.
    • Include the herbs you love. This is a forgiving recipe with a lot of room for experimentation, so use it as a base for your own formulations.
    Rate this Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Mineral Salt Recipe

    Mineral-rich sea vegetables, medicinal mushrooms, and herbs are blended with minimally processed, unrefined sea salt to make a savory seasoning. You can use it in place of table salt to give a little mineral lift to your meals, or try it with fish.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Servings: 1 cup
    Print Save Recipe Saved!

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons kombu flakes
    • 2 tablespoons dulse flakes
    • 1 tablespoon wakame
    • 2 tablespoons dried stinging nettle leaf
    • 2 teaspoons celery seed
    • 2 slices dried reishi mushroom
    • 1 cup finely ground real salt

    Equipment

    • Spice Grinder

    Instructions

    • Measure the kombu, dulse, wakame, nettle, celery seed, and reishi mushroom into a spice grinder, and grind until they form a smooth powder. Stir the powder into the salt, and then transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store the salt up to 1 year at room temperature.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @nourishedkitchen or tag #nourishedkitchen!

    Variations

    Try adding sesame seeds. Sesame seeds blend beautifully with sea vegetables and sea salt, and are the foundation for the Japanese seasonings gomasio and furikake.

    Swap the nettle for onion or garlic powder, which give this salt a delicious, ultra-savory component.

    Swap reishi mushroom for shiitake, or skip it entirely if you prefer.


    Other herbal recipes you might like:

    • Solé Water
    • Nettle Infusion
    • Fire Cider
    • How to Make CBD Oil

    citations and resources

    1. (2020) Real Salt Mineral Analysis. Redmond Trading Company.
    2. Markel, H. "When it rains it pours": endemic goiter, iodized salt, and David Murray Cowie, MD. American journal of public health vol. 77,2 (1987)
    3. Nisen, M. (2013) How Adding Iodine To Salt Resulted In A Decade's Worth Of IQ Gains For The United States. Business Insider..
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    Hi, I'm Jenny! I'm a nutritional therapist, herbalist and the author of three natural foods cookbooks. You'll find nourishing bone broths, simple herbal remedies and loads of fermented goodness on this site.

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