7 Things To Consider Before Buying Himalayan Salt Blocks

You have a genuine interest in Himalayan salt block tiles, right? We can’t get enough of anything Himalayan salt either!

Salt plates are an exceptional tool when cooking.

Whether you grill seafood or service cold sashimi, it adds that extra kick.

However, there is one catch.

While you can buy regular kitchen pans in the market and use them right away, you’ll need to know about Himalayan salt blocks before you can use them as cooking tools.

So if you don’t like reading product manuals, then skip this.

This article will give you everything you need to know, so you’ll be practically an expert by the time you’re done reading it.

We will cover how to properly take care of these tiles and what can go wrong if you go in head-first.

Only For The Dedicated

If you are unable to follow instructions, please do not use salt plates.

If you don’t have patience learning or following instructions, I wouldn’t recommend salt block cooking.

If you don’t follow directions, you may end up with a disappointing purchase because salt tiles need specific care.

If you don’t follow directions, your block may crack, or your food will be too salty. At worst, it will crack, leaving you with an expensive but useless chunk of rock salt!

There Are Imperfections In Salt Tiles

Mother Nature created these salt blocks in the deep bowels of the Earth. As a result, they have distinctive lines, grooves, or even fissures.

The Himalayan salt tiles are handled with care by the companies that distribute and sell them, and those that are unacceptable for cooking are immediately removed.

Others are removed even more if they fail to survive an initial heat treatment.

Although there will be lines and fissures in your salt block, they are its natural form. This is what makes them unique and unusual.

Tiles Made Of Himalayan Salt Must Be Tempered

Despite the fact that some companies cure their products before selling them, you are still advised to temper new tiles for the best protection. Tempering will make them stronger and more durable.

You can heat or cool them to extreme temperatures with these textiles, and they are also very adaptable.

It is important to temper one SLOWLY.

It is also possible to damage your tile if the sudden extreme heat cracks it and it has a bit of water or moisture inside it.

Here are the exact steps:

• Place the tile in the oven.
• Wait 30 minutes after starting with the lowest oven setting.
• The temperature will be raised by 70 degrees in the second step and reset for another 30 minutes.
• Do this until the temperature reaches above 500 degrees.
• With the movable crystal in place, You can now turn the oven off without opening the door.
• It would help if you waited until your salt block reaches room temperature.
• If you would like to keep your crystal block from breaking, never shortcut this process.

Any cracking sounds or lines resulting from tempering are common and not to be overly worried about.

It Is Important To Heat A Salt Block Properly

It would be best if you remember the following when heating your Himalayan salt correctly:

• It would help if you let it dry completely for 24 hours before you use it.
• Between the flame and the coals, there must be some airflow.
• Just as with tempering, you need to start slowly and start at a low setting.
• Put the heat on low for 15-20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium heat and wait another 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat to high for another 10-15 minutes.

It Must Reach 500 Degrees for Cooking

For those like me who need their kitchen tools to know what temperature they’re at, invest in a laser thermometer.

You aim at your salt tile and read its temperature.

Old-fashioned methods are suitable, too. Just spray a little water onto the surface, and if it evaporates instantly, you’re ready to go.

Heated salt tiles can stay hot for quite a long time, as we discussed in our earlier article, so don’t touch it until you are confident it has cooled down.

What will happen if you don’t heat your salt slab correctly? Your food will not cook in the best way it can and might turn out too salty.

There Is No Need To Slather Oil

You can’t use the same oil as you would typically for a regular pan.

During cooking, the oil may get into the cracks of your crystal and ruin it, it could even catch fire while you are grilling, and even if it doesn’t, it will go rancid after a while, even after cleaning it.

Instead, you should spray or brush the oil directly onto the steak, fish, or whatever you are cooking.

Salt Blocks Should Not Be Washed In The Dishwasher

Salt blocks are simply large blocks of salt.

So what happens when you put it in the dishwasher? The salt dissolves in water, of course. For this reason, don’t try to place it under running water or dunk it in a puddle of water.

You may be wondering, but how do I clean it? Well, salt is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. You do not need soap or other cleaning agents to clean it.

It will take a little over 3 hours for the crystal slab to cool down.

Then, you can wipe it clean with a scouring pad. You should be able to remove blackened food bits from your sink with a scouring pad.

Put your sponge away and wipe with a rag. Dry with an absorbent cloth, and allow it to air dry.