Flaky Salt
Ingredients
Salt: OP likes to use kosher salt for this process, though they've also tested it with sea salt and pink rock salt with equally great results.
Water: it’s best to use distilled (or at least filtered) water. If you use tap water, then you can get a powdery calcium build-up over the salt flakes.
Step 1: Dissolve the salt
First, combine the salt and water in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat.
Bring the mixture to a soft boil, often stirring until all the salt dissolves and the water is clear again.
You may need to add a little extra water to the pot if the salt doesn’t dissolve fully – but be aware that you need to fill a container/tray with this water, so don’t add too much.
Step 2: Transfer the saltwater to a wide dish
Once the salt is fully dissolved, and the water is clear again, it’s time to transfer it to another dish. Use a large, wide, shallow dish for the best results, like a large baking dish. Alternatively, you can use multiple dishes.
Avoid using metal containers that can corrode with long exposures to water. OP recommends using either glass or ceramic.
Step 3: Leave the mixture to evaporate
Now it’s just a waiting game – the water will naturally evaporate over time and, as it evaporates, it will leave behind a thin, crusty layer of salt that can be flaked up into smaller flakes. However, there are different methods you can use for this.
- Letting it air dry: This process can take several days, depending on how much you are making. I placed my container by a window, and it took 4-5 days for all the water to evaporate. The lower, slower evaporation rate is ideal for forming larger salt crystals
- Using a dehydrator: Use a dish that fits inside your dehydrator and dehydrate for between 8-12 hours at 113ºF/45ºC. This will yield flakes – though not quite as ‘flake-y’ as the above method.
- In the oven: Use the oven’s lowest heat. Somewhere between the range of 104°F/40°C to 140°F/60°C would be ideal. This will take a similar amount of time to dehydrate, so it is my least favorite option for power usage.
- On the stove-top: The last of the methods requires you to start the evaporation process on the stove-top. Once all the salt has dissolved in the mixture, turn the heat to low, and allow it to simmer and naturally evaporate until almost all the water is gone (don’t stir during this time!). This took me around one hour for the amount I was making. Once you begin to clearly see a layer of salt crystals, you can scoop them out and transfer them to the wide, shallow baking dish and wait for the remaining water to evaporate entirely. This process tends to make larger granules more than ‘flakes’. You could also transfer the salt flakes to a layer of paper towels. However, you’d need to replace them every few hours as they’ll absorb the liquid.