# All-American Sane-sodium seasoned salt



## Allielump

Im not American but I really liked Lawry's seasoned salt too. I just havent seen it in the stores for a while now.


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## CaptTom

Every good chef knows the three secret ingredients to everything: Salt, sugar and fat.

We all crave salt. It's in our DNA. We can try to trick ourselves into not noticing a lower salt content in something we eat, but it's not easy. If you make a seasoning that's only half salt, people tend to sprinkle on twice as much of it.

Just about all the prepared food we buy is loaded with salt (all three secret ingredients, actually.) We're accustomed to that level of saltiness from our experiences in everything from fine restaurants to canned soup. If we taste an item with less salt, we feel like "something is missing." We can add all kinds of other spices, but it's really just trying to make up for that salt we're craving.

It is possible to condition yourself to a lower salt content, but it takes a long time and you have to basically cook everything yourself, from scratch. Reduce it too much, and you'll crave salt even more. I did it for years, but have sort of given up and just try to strike a balance now.


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## Nik333

Morton has a lower sodium salt that has potassium in it. Look for it in the spice section. It's in a tall light blue cylinder.


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## Nik333

DoomsDave said:


> You might remember Lawry's Seasoned salt, and I sure do, and I was shocked to find that it had more sodium than regular salt. How they managed that I don't know. I've heard they used various glutamates, etc. that have sodium in them.
> 
> Could Zsa Zsa be wrong? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3EtetspYiM And Tiffany H. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzzMihMvtKs
> 
> But, you can make your own. That All-American part is a bit of a spasm of jingoism. Use this stuff and have a spasm on the tongue. I sprinkle it on fish, chicken pork chops, corn-on-the-cob, popcorn. Among other things.
> 
> ESSENTIAL AGREEMENTS
> 
> 1 part mild paprika
> 1 part hot paprika
> 1 part black pepper (or 1/2 part black pepper powder)
> 1 part garlic powder
> 
> Onion salt to taste. Maybe 1 part? Or half a part? I use about half.
> 
> ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
> 
> 1 part coriander powder
> 1/3 part cumin powder
> 1/3 part turmeric (that yellow stuff from India)
> 1 part cardamom powder
> 1 part cinnamon powder
> Any other powdered or ground herb or spice, to taste.
> 
> 
> 
> Mix all that powdered stuff together and sprinkle on what you want to season. About 1/5 the sodium of Lawry's. You can, of course, use more salt, if you're so inclined.
> 
> Garlic powder is a pain in the rear. Store it, and it lumps up, so you might have to re-grind it. But use it, it's worth the trouble.
> 
> Black pepper powder is POWERFUL, like gun powder, if you know what i mean. (Looks like it too.) Too much and you'll run screaming down the street.
> 
> Cumin is a strong seasoning, like Superman, use too much and that's all you'll taste, like being stuck with the late Aretha in a phone booth while she sings full blast.
> 
> Onion salt is really better. Regular salt works, but onion salt soars to high heights. At least for me.


Does it taste like curry? I think it's just missing the ginger.


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## DoomsDave

Nik333 said:


> Does it taste like curry? I think it's just missing the ginger.


Nope, more like Zatarains, or whatever from Cajun land.


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## Nik333

I've never tried that. It seems like a Moroccan curry, with the cinnamon.

Once upon a time, I wanted to create a cookbook that compared dishes around the world according to flavors. Like - if you like this American dish, you might like this Chinese or Persian dish with similar flavors. It would help people explore other great cuisines.


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## DoomsDave

Okay, cinnamon's an optional ingredient

Maybe send me a Moroccan curry recipe, for my helpful handyman and me to cook up?


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## stick\shift

> I was shocked to find that it had more sodium than regular salt


Just to be correct, this is not true - Lowry's has 380 mg sodium per 1/4 tsp while salt is closer to 600.


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## Nik333

stick\shift said:


> Just to be correct, this is not true - Lowry's has 380 mg sodium per 1/4 tsp while salt is closer to 600.


Maybe there are other Sodiums like MSG?


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## stick\shift

Sodium is sodium regardless of what form. That said, Lowry's does not have MSG.


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## Nik333

stick\shift said:


> Sodium is sodium regardless of what form. That said, Lowry's does not have MSG.



Interesting. Sodium comes in many forms. We may just be talking at cross-purposes.


From the Mayo Clinic, forms of sodium used in baking:


sodium-containing compounds, such as: 

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate)
Baking powder
Disodium phosphate
Sodium alginate
Sodium citrate
Sodium nitrite


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## stick\shift

Right but all of those will show up on the label as part of the sodium content of the food/product.


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## DoomsDave

Hmm. Maybe Lawry's reduced their sodium content after I last looked at it. It was quite a while back. The Lawry's we had in the office got used up and not replaced. 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mixture is lower, though I'd be curious as to how to do an analysis and see. It's possible that preservatives with some of the spices might contain sodium of their own.


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## Nik333

DoomsDave said:


> Hmm. Maybe Lawry's reduced their sodium content after I last looked at it. It was quite a while back. The Lawry's we had in the office got used up and not replaced.
> 
> Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mixture is lower, though I'd be curious as to how to do an analysis and see. It's possible that preservatives with some of the spices might contain sodium of their own.


When I studied Nutrition in college, we used the USDA's Food Composition tables. It was a big book-like compilation. Now it's the USDA Food Composition database. You can put in ingredients. Just make a table with a pen & paper. I used to analyze people's intakes for nutrients for school. Usually friends.


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## DoomsDave

CaptTom said:


> Every good chef knows the three secret ingredients to everything: Salt, sugar and fat.
> 
> We all crave salt. It's in our DNA. We can try to trick ourselves into not noticing a lower salt content in something we eat, but it's not easy. If you make a seasoning that's only half salt, people tend to sprinkle on twice as much of it.
> 
> Just about all the prepared food we buy is loaded with salt (all three secret ingredients, actually.) We're accustomed to that level of saltiness from our experiences in everything from fine restaurants to canned soup. If we taste an item with less salt, we feel like "something is missing." We can add all kinds of other spices, but it's really just trying to make up for that salt we're craving.
> 
> It is possible to condition yourself to a lower salt content, but it takes a long time and you have to basically cook everything yourself, from scratch. Reduce it too much, and you'll crave salt even more. I did it for years, but have sort of given up and just try to strike a balance now.


I agree and disagree.

Oh yeah, restaurants love to dump in the salt, fat and sugar, no two ways. All of them, do. All of the TV chefs, too, dear god. (Except Chef Prudhomme who made a point of re-assessing some of his recipes to reduce salt and fat content.)

But you can trick yourself into taking less salt over time by avoiding prepared foods and making things from scratch as I've come to do. You know you're on the right track when: (a) restaurant food starts to taste too salty; and (b) when you bring some of your food to a potluck and most people put salt in it. I have high blood pressure, and watching the diet helps, though it's not the whole thing. 

Also watch the beverages; soda and beer both contain lots of sodium, though the amount in beer varies quite a bit by brand apparently. https://www.reference.com/food/sodium-content-beer-brand-56a52cb44a3a0d88 Canned anything (almost) is sure to be high in sodium, though there are exceptions.

It does take time to reduce salt intake if you're used to a lot, but you can do it. The biggest thing, I think, is to get in the habit of looking at the sodium content of everything you eat. I did that and ran (screaming) from my favorite canned Mexican _pozole_ which contained about 150% of your daily needs per serving, with three little servings in an ordinary can; easy (too easy) to eat the whole thing.

Oddly, it seems that if you go out of your way to trick yourself, the trick works better. I use lemon and lime juice, as well as herbs to make reduced salt seasonings. One thing I've not found to be so good is using potassium, though heaven knows I've tried. (Ick.)


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## Nik333

I would bet what you eat with your beer than the sodium in the beer.

I'm frequently astonished by the saltiness of some things that claim a lower sodium. A bag of chips can get an imperfect amount of salt. I just assume the Table of Content is Hooey for some things.


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## DoomsDave

Nik333 said:


> I would bet what you eat with your beer than the sodium in the beer.
> 
> I'm frequently astonished by the saltiness of some things that claim a lower sodium. A bag of chips can get an imperfect amount of salt. I just assume the Table of Content is Hooey for some things.


I've thought of that, too. I mostly avoid pretzels, chips, things like that, though, sometimes the Devil does get into me . . . . 

Which is why I try to cook as much for myself as I can, from scratch. It's not that hard, and cooking is art you can eat every day, if you want to. 

I wonder if there's a way to do home calorie content test without a fancy lab. I suspect not, but one can hope.

(Hmm. Looks like you're missing a word or two in your post. But I think I get the gist . . . )


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## Nik333

DoomsDave said:


> I've thought of that, too. I mostly avoid pretzels, chips, things like that, though, sometimes the Devil does get into me . . . .
> 
> Which is why I try to cook as much for myself as I can, from scratch. It's not that hard, and cooking is art you can eat every day, if you want to.
> 
> I wonder if there's a way to do home calorie content test without a fancy lab. I suspect not, but one can hope.
> 
> (Hmm. Looks like you're missing a word or two in your post. But I think I get the gist . . . )


No, there isn't. But, you can buy a mini scale, weigh it & look it up in the USDA database.
You'll have it memorized, soon.


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## DoomsDave

Nik333 said:


> No, there isn't. But, you can buy a mini scale, weigh it & look it up in the USDA database.
> You'll have it memorized, soon.


And I will scream.

But, I'll weigh. And see.


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## DoomsDave

Oh, the cult of salt includes Grandma!

I used to add salt to water before cooking it, now I don't. Sorry Grammaw . . . . 

https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/how-boil-water-really-0


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## wooleybooger

DoomsDave said:


> I used to add salt to water before cooking it, now I don't.


I used to marinate my water in bourbon before boiling it. :wink2:


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## Startingover

Told my doc, Life isn’t fair, I don’t like sweets, fat, I dont drink ir smoke.....but I want salt!!!

He just said ‘no it isn’t’


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## BigJim

I need to try some of the suggestions here, I am very salt and sugar intolerant.


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## ktownskier

DoomsDave said:


> Oh, the cult of salt includes Grandma!
> 
> I used to add salt to water before cooking it, now I don't. Sorry Grammaw . . . .
> 
> https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/how-boil-water-really-0


I am not sure why you aren't salting your cooking water. You don't do it to lower the boiling point, you do it to season your food. 

You can't season pasta unless you salt the water. You don't need much, just a handful or so. (1-2 TBLS). Same for potatoes and other veg. It may seem like a lot, but it isn't. 

On a side note, if you are cooking in a stainless steel pot, don't add salt until the water boils. 

Enough lecturing for now. 
@wooleyburger, shame on you for wasting good bourbon. An ice cube or two, or a bit of water, but don't boil it!! :devil3: Personally, I like to add sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters, and a big solid ice cube. 

I like the pseudo-lawry's seasoned salt. I would like to suggest using granulated garlic and onion instead of powder. Much better flavor. 

Making your own seasoning mixture is a lot of fun. Using a mortar and pestle put in your favorite spices. I like to add a little curry for pork. Rosemary for steak. I don't add a lot of salt, but I do use kosher salt. Black pepper, a lot of granulate garlic and onion. And then smoosh it all together with the mortar and pestle until you get the texture you like. 

Sprinkle on the meat you want to season and rub it in. It will help make a nice crust. 

I also like to use the same seasoning mixture throughout the rest of the cooking. 

Just before serving, I like to add a bit of kosher salt to the food. Even salads. That bright burst of sodium makes up for the lack of salt I used in the rest of the cooking.


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## papereater

ktownskier said:


> Just before serving, I like to add a bit of kosher salt to the food. Even salads. That bright burst of sodium makes up for the lack of salt I used in the rest of the cooking.


Why the neeed for salt to be Kosher? I dont get it. Table salt is table salt. Regular table salt will also give you a burst. Also cheaper.


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## ktownskier

papereater said:


> Why the neeed for salt to be Kosher? I dont get it. Table salt is table salt. Regular table salt will also give you a burst. Also cheaper.


Table salt dissolves too easily. The bigger flakes of kosher salt tend to stand out a bit. 

Also, kosher salt is not really "Kosher" other than it doesn't contain iodine. 

Well, that type of salt is used in the Koshering process, but that is a different story. 

Sodum Chloride is Sodium Chloride, but salt used for cooking is varied. 

For a real treat, I use sal-de-fleur (hand harvested sea salt) on my grilled steaks. No need for any steak sauce.


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