My mom gave me a recipe card with 'salt to taste' and nothing else

I was making her chili last week and got stuck because every recipe online says a specific amount like 1 teaspoon. But after 10 years of line cooking I realized she was right, your ingredients and personal preference change it every time. How do you actually measure salt when you're cooking at home?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaiharris3d ago

Man my mom did the exact same thing with her meatloaf recipe. Just said "season until it looks right" and that was it. The first time I tried to make it I was so frustrated I almost called her. But now I just taste as I go, especially with chili because the beans and tomatoes all suck up salt differently. Your mom was right honestly, the amount changes based on if your broth is store bought or homemade, if you added extra veggies, even the weather affects how things taste. I just add a little, stir, taste, repeat until it tastes like it needs salt but not too much. You kind of develop a feel for it after a while.

nancy_miller1d ago

I read somewhere that humidity actually changes how salt hits your tongue, @kaiharris, which makes total sense now.