How to Smoke Salt: 3 Ways to Use Smoked Salt in Your Cooking

Smoked salt is salt that has been smoked low and slow over burning wood for up to two weeks. The resulting smoke flavor depends largely on the type of wood used to smoke the salt. The most common types of wood used to lend salt a smoky flavor are oak, mesquite, cherry, maple, hickory, applewood, and alder wood.

The type of salt you use contributes to the flavor as well. Most smoked salt recipes call for coarse sea salt, kosher salt, or Himalayan pink salt. It's possible to smoke fine grain salts like table salt, but they won't pack as much flavor as coarse salts. Smoked salt differs from flavored salt, which is typically flavored with liquid smoke or artificial additives. Smoked salt is perfect for adding a genuine smoky taste to BBQ rubs, soups, and cocktails. Plus, it's suitable for vegetarians; applewood smoked salt makes a great alternative to bacon bits, for example.

To smoke salt at home, follow one of these two methods.

• Hot smoke method: A gas grill with a smoker box or a pellet grill are ideal for hot smoking salts. Heat your grill to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill a disposable aluminum pan with salt and spread it evenly in a single layer. Add your wood chips as directed according to your grill model. Smoke the salt for at least four hours or up to twenty-four hours, stirring occasionally until the salt has reached the desired flavor.
• Cold smoke method: To cold smoke salt, you will need a gas grill and a cold smoker device such as a pellet smoke tube. This device uses wood pellets to create smoke while keeping the temperature of the grill under eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Place an aluminum pan or a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded up at the edges directly on the grill grates. Fill the pan with salt and spread it evenly in a single layer. Smoke the salt for four to twenty-four hours, stirring occasionally until the smoked flavor has reached the desired intensity.

Smoked salt is a versatile seasoning that you can use in a variety of recipes.

1. 1. Homemade BBQ seasoning blends: Give briskets, ribs, and chicken an authentic smoky flavor without the long cook time. Add hickory smoked salt to a homemade seasoning blend and generously rub it on meats before cooking on the grill or stovetop.
2. 2. On the rim of a cocktail glass: Add smoked sea salt to the rim of your Bloody Mary or margarita for a next-level, savory experience.
   
3. 3. As finishing salt in vegetarian recipes: Give vegetables, soups, and stews an added boost of umami with a sprinkling of smoked salt.

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