Recipe - unsalted butter + pinch of salt?!
Wondering if anyone can explain why recipes (usually in baking) often list unsalted butter in the the ingredients, but then also say to add a pinch or 1/2 tsp of salt!.
Why not just used salted butter and omit the pinch of salt!?
Is there some chemical reason or to ensure the salt level is exact!?
Although I can't imagine there would be much difference between the amount of salt in salted butter and the added pinch!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Why not just used salted butter and omit the pinch of salt!?
Is there some chemical reason or to ensure the salt level is exact!?
Although I can't imagine there would be much difference between the amount of salt in salted butter and the added pinch!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
I have wondered this myself - I am too chicken to try to modify recipies :)!.!.!.!. so I just did a little searching and found this -
Some cooks claim that there is a noticeable taste difference between salted and unsalted butter, so my first suggestion would be to try it for yourself!. Make the same recipe with salted and unsalted butter and see if you can tell, or if you care about, the difference!.
Generally, you can replace unsalted butter with salted butter measure for measure!. If you do, then you will need to reduce the salt in the overall recipe by about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of butter used!. For some recipes, this may not matter!. For others, like classic puff pastry, you may find it too salty if you don't!.
There is some variation in the manufacture of butter!. Some brands may contain more or less salt, so you may want to start with less added salt and taste test, where possible!. Don't test anything containing raw eggs or other ingredients that may not be safe until they are cooked!.
To see how I came to the amount of 1/2 teaspoon per cup, note that the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference shows one cup of "Butter, salted" as containing 1308 mg of sodium and 1 cup of "Butter, without salt" as containing 25 mg, for a difference of 1283 mg!. They also show table salt as containing 2325 mg of sodium!. Dividing 1283 mg of sodium by 2325 mg sodium per teaspoon of salt gives 0!.55 or just over 1/2 teaspoon!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
Some cooks claim that there is a noticeable taste difference between salted and unsalted butter, so my first suggestion would be to try it for yourself!. Make the same recipe with salted and unsalted butter and see if you can tell, or if you care about, the difference!.
Generally, you can replace unsalted butter with salted butter measure for measure!. If you do, then you will need to reduce the salt in the overall recipe by about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of butter used!. For some recipes, this may not matter!. For others, like classic puff pastry, you may find it too salty if you don't!.
There is some variation in the manufacture of butter!. Some brands may contain more or less salt, so you may want to start with less added salt and taste test, where possible!. Don't test anything containing raw eggs or other ingredients that may not be safe until they are cooked!.
To see how I came to the amount of 1/2 teaspoon per cup, note that the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference shows one cup of "Butter, salted" as containing 1308 mg of sodium and 1 cup of "Butter, without salt" as containing 25 mg, for a difference of 1283 mg!. They also show table salt as containing 2325 mg of sodium!. Dividing 1283 mg of sodium by 2325 mg sodium per teaspoon of salt gives 0!.55 or just over 1/2 teaspoon!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
ha, i've noticed the same thing! the person who said that the amounts of salt are different is probably right!.!.!.however, i don't keep unsalted butter in my house, so i always just use salted butter & omit the pinch of salt, & i haven't had any bad results yet :-)Www@FoodAQ@Com
When I first started baking I used to make sure I had unsalted butter when a recipe called for it, but then noticed that they then required you to add salt!. So now I just use the salted and omit the pinch of salt!. There is definitely no difference!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Unsalted butter is an "in" ingredient at the moment, use salted butter, at least you can spread it on your toast afterwards!. unsalted butter is rather like lard!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
because the amount of salt in the butter is not the same as the amount in the recipe!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I have tried both and there is no difference,using unsalted or salted when the receipe calls for itWww@FoodAQ@Com