GIVEAWAY! Real Salt

I would never use the word "gourmet" to describe myself. Words like rational, pragmatic, and dare I say, cheap might better describe me. But I am kinda a sucker for "gourmet" food products. I love to eat good food and am willing to pay a little more every once in a while for those really special ingredients that make a big difference like chocolate or cheese or olive oil.

One ingredient that I didn't necessarily think would make a big difference in my cooking was salt. We switched from regular table salt to a coarser Kosher salt and I'm not sure I tasted much of a difference - it just felt a little bit fancier to throw pinches of salt from a crock into my food. But then, at my local grocery store (Harmons in Utah) I saw this huge display for Real Salt. It looked so pretty because it was pink but it was also pretty expensive compared to what I usually bought. I thought it was cool that it was local and produced right here in my state but I passed it by. After a few more trips, my curiosity got the best of me and I leafed through the pamphlet that accompanied the display.


Another word to describe me might be skeptical (although I've had my share of gullible moments). But as I looked through that pamphlet, I thought it didn't sound too far-fetched. Mainly, it was saying that your everyday salt is overly processed and bleached but that Real Salt maintains a lot of trace minerals that are lost in that refining process. And because of the location from where it is mined, there are even more trace minerals than normal. So all that I could believe - it made sense to me. But did it really taste different? One of the workers from the grocery store was passing by and commented, "It really does taste different!" So I thought I would try it out.

Conclusion: It does! I didn't notice it at first because I was just throwing it in sauces and soups where I didn't readily notice the subtle flavors, but when I put it on my broccoli (that I just like to steam or boil and top with EVOO and salt) I felt like it tasted tastier - more flavorful or savory. It didn't just taste salty - it was a little more complex than that. I also felt like I didn't need as much to flavor my food.

The website describes it as enhancing the flavor of your food, not masking it. I don't know about the whole testimonial section that practically makes it sound like it can cure cancer (just kidding - more like high blood pressure) - it's a little too close to some of the crazy multi-level marketing claims of the dietary supplement industry here in Utah. But I think that if you take those claims with a grain of salt (pun certainly intended), you'll be okay.

So anyway, want to try it and taste for yourself if it really is better than your normal salt? We'll be doing a giveaway of Real Salt and you can choose if you want the 26 oz granular



(which comes in an earth-friendly pouch too),



16 oz Kosher,



or 16 oz coarse grind salt



(they even have a powdered form that I am just too lazy to post with the link and the picture right now...). And this is open to everyone, not just local Utah residents (although I know, it kinda defeats the purpose of supporting local but some things are worth shipping). Just leave a comment about which type of salt you would like and what your favorite foods are to salt. Also, for an extra entry, become a follower of our blog and leave it in a separate comment (or let us know if you're already a follower). The giveaway will be open until Sunday, July 18th at 10:00 PM Mountain Standard Time.

Disclosure: I was in no way compensated by Redmond Real Salt for this post and the statements made are 100% mine. I wasn't even provided a free sample of the stuff - I just really like the stuff (but I not-so-secretly hope the company will somehow see this post and maybe send me something or at least give me a coupon ;)