Gourmet Salt is Crazy Expensive, Unless You Can Make it Yourself... (pyramid flakes)

[@HairyApeMan77]

I used to work in a salt factory that made flakey salt on a pretty large scale. The process was pretty fascinating and the size and shape of the crystals always amazed me!

[@HenryPiffpaff]

Was the process fundamentally different than Alex'?

[@SeanBZA]

@@HenryPiffpaff No, you just have to have supersaturated solution with no movement, and then a source of crystal formation, like dust particles, or in an industrial tank simply a light sprinkle of salt powder to initiate the growth, then keep the solution saturated as you remove the surface crystals.

[@HairyApeMan77]

We had a series of heating and cooling elements to speed up the process. Not sure how much I can share without getting in trouble tho 😅

[@SeanBZA]

@@HairyApeMan77 So basically you heated the brine solution, and at the same time you blew dehumidified air over it, to extract the water from the surface as fast as possible. Likely also recirculated the air, and thus got the crystals to form rapidly.

[@HairyApeMan77]

@@HenryPiffpaff fundamentally the same but with extra steps

[@Bee_a1]

I like how he goes from looking at salt, to saying "I feel like a god"

[@emmettbarley5721]

You can say exactly what op said, but in the context of cocaine.

[@Nicholas-pt3ln]

@@emmettbarley5721 LMFAO 😂

[@forposterity4031]

@@emmettbarley5721 you know it's god level when the plug brings a microscope to the deal.

[@Ohchitzixgobkvid]

AMONG US CHARACTER SPOTTED! Negative space in the middle of the tray forms an amog us character 11:31

[@thelasso9478]

The pyramids are just seasoning

[@Myrkskog]

Alex, you need to hook up a frequency generator to your pan. Pick solfeggio frequencies to see how they change the forms of crystal.

[@carmelgerdsen2399]

Yes! 🥰

[@glebo8921]

he must see this and show us!

[@melissaeven7354]

Please! That sounds fun:)

[@leonarddaneman810]

It won't change the shape of the crystals, the lattices determined by the molecular structure. The vibration could disrupt the formation of the crystals, and the precipitate will just be small, perfect cubes of salt.

[@BlueTJLP]

@@leonarddaneman810 Well, we'd be back at cube one then

[@Sylian]

If you look up how single crystal metals are made, you can probably use the same technique to isolate one massive salt crystal by "seeding" the water at one location with a tiny piece of flaky salt. Worth trying for the visuals I think

[@Y0G0FU]

My Grandma has been doing this for over 20 years. She said she discovered it on accident by dumping a whole jar of Salt into what should have been pasta water and she loved the Pyramid Shape and the crunch it provided :D

[@johnpinion8033]

Did she keep it on a low heat as she skimmed the crystals off over the course of a few hours, or use a fan to evaporate the surface, or what?

[@vincenttt8289]

@@johnpinion8033 I'm guessing the initial incident of dumping the whole jar of salt was a proof of concept. After boiling the pasta, she probably saw some flakes on top and got curious. Assuming that she prepared and ate the pasta before cleaning up, it gave enough time for more water to evaporate/crystals to form even if the stove was off (due to the residual heat).

[@multatuli1]

How did she do that bro

[@petermarin]

I’m also interested in her method

[@robert-janthuis9927]

@@vincenttt8289 The starch in the pasta water would probably prevent this process from taking place.

[@jkarpet]

i love the hoppered forms, galena can have a hoppered form, its because of the polyhedral sharing principal in crystallography which states the order of bond stability in relation to a crystal face, the corners of a crystal are the most stable, then corners, then faces. Which is why that staircase pattern occurs, because the anions prefer not to bond at faces unless theres no choice

[@jacobkudrowich]

Ah , Alex is finally experiencing the joys of recrystallization. It's amazing how compounds will form in their own unique ways and how the same compound will crystalized differently in different conditions. Probably my favorite thing to do in the laboratory is purification by recrystallization .

[@blorblin]

Ngl this looks like shake and bake meth, with the filtering and the pyrex. But i guess that is the same technique, no?

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@blorblin That is one of the ways that the purest product is made, yes. The 'garbage' meth is barely treated and tends to have impurities.

[@angelomella]

I'm doing this right now. 🙂 how long do you think this'll take. I am not heating the salt solution directly like Alex is doing. I'm doing the chefsteps method where they use the sous vide cieculator

[@Gaeldx]

I like to recrystalize my crack too

[@orbifold4387]

Also see the science of chocolate tempering, which Alex researched and described a few years ago.

[@josephperry3696]

I always love when Alex breaks down cooking like the science experiment it truly is.

[@sholomrabin2011]

alex as a chef i am always fascinated by your experiments. and i always get excited with you. you are a master culinary experimntor/inventor and can't wait for more.

[@yumedan]

I absolutely agree. My only concern with this particular video is what kind of effects this may have on those artisans in the slat space.

[@c0cieman]

I second that, i always learn something useful from Alex that i can apply to my profession!

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

He tends to stop one or two steps before I want him to. Flavored flaky salts, spicy flavored flaky salts. I want an over engineered drying method with over engineered collection system so he just needs to create a tank of salt water and reap the rewards every couple of days/weeks since the salt water itself is it's own limiter. Can't get too salty or salt forms and if you don't have enough water the water tank pours more water after a collection run.

[@jonored]

@@yumedan Everything here is something that's readily enough done industrially, and yet the artisans are still there. I expect they'll be just fine, they'll just have a few more people they could talk shop with who can appreciate that they do it with just weather and timing. Probably some subtle differences this way from the coffee filter vs. open air as well.

[@sagnikdas5243]

Hey Alex I remeber watching Flakey Salt being made for the first time on Guga's channel and my mind was blown with the simplicity behind something so beautiful. nick digiovanni is always advertising his range of salts and it felt so good that I could make them at home. But you topped it off by giving the roots and the science and that is exactly the reason why we subscribe to you. Thank you so very much

[@WorldofKlown]

I always found the hopper structures of certain crystals to be really beautiful. Bismuth crystals are a great example.

[@kirill2525]

ya but bismuth doesnt have a very nice favor to it, kinda sharp actually, cut up my mouth quite a bit

[@mikahs7944]

I’ve never really met any true French people, you’re humor and language is very nice to watch, cinematography and experiment you have done was dope much love from the states 😂

[@djrakman3909]

I was a professional michelin star chef and i can very easily say that this is cutting edge. Very cutting edge. Your trail and error is second to none. You use science for sure but your nuts and bolts is just pure trial and error and hard work. We do not care if you can cook for a full restaurant or not because you bring knowledge to the table that no busy service can bring for real alex....

[@PiMast]

In France, about Guérande salt, we have "gros sel", "gros" meaning "rough", and "fleur de sel", which literally means "salt flower". The only difference between the two are that "fleur de sel" are the crystals forming at the top of the pond, floating in the middle creating a thin layer, and "gros sel" is the "dirty" (more nutritious, as lots of minerals and stuff are in it) salt sinking at the bottom. "Fleur de sel" is more delicate and likely to be sent to Paris and sold to tourists, and I've been told that it is the reason that Guérande survived an economic crise of some sort (the product is sold like 5x the price of "gros sel" [ I have just seen the 40x difference showed in the video. You get the idea. ]). "Gros sel" is less "delicate", more like big chunks and quite yellow and dirty. Again, all this color is good stuff for your body, but it doesn't look right in a restaurant.

After reading your comment, I want the "gros sel"! Is it possible to buy it online? I'm in the EU but not in France.

[@PiMast]

@ Yes you can order some online. Another name for it is "grey salt" it seems

[@puskywastaken]

@ It's sold everywhere, at any store.

[@savokanpari]

Most of the colour is probably just clay which is pretty useless for your body, still being unwashed sea salt it could contain some amount of magnesium and potassium salts which are good for you and have some unique flavour.

[@PiMast]

​@@savokanpari dude, i live in France, my cousin works there. You talk "probably" and I speak facts, the color is caused by the sand that lies at the bottom, and this sand comes from eroded mountains. The "gros sel" is never washed, as salt dissolve in water. They pull it from the pool and let it to dry in heaps of tons on the ground or on a piece of cloth. So, everything that was in the water with it is now trapped in these heaps and packaged with it, now I really don't think Brittany' water is unmineralized. For the little satisfaction of yours, let's assume it doesn't have any minerals in it, but "just clay" (which is mineral and salty, btw), it would obviously still be beneficia, compared to the overpriced surface floating crystals, as they are exclusively salt. Don't ever speak "probably" again with me please, this give me headache.

[@PabloEdvardo]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours of all time. This could actually improve the abilities of every home cook by giving them a pathway towards beautiful, flavorful, and crispy salt crystals. I would love to see you try this again but with commercial kosher salt from a grocery store to prove it's possible for anyone to do at home.

[@Flippokid]

Kosher salt is very uncommon in Europe.

[@ShadrolGER]

Isn't the point of kosher salt that it is already exactly what Alex created here?

[@Flippokid]

@Mo Salad Damn Jews with their salt!

[@aanmaaklimonade]

No, kosher salt is just course rock salt. Fleur de sel is much different. Basically kosher salt is another name for course sea salt, there’s nothing kosher about it, salt is salt. The shape of the crystals is the big difference between them.

[@DitschiDorsch]

@@Flippokid Kosher salt is every salt without Iodine. Just take Sea salt or rock salt ;) It's kosher salt

[@dryroasted5599]

This was so beautiful to watch! The macro-photography of crystals growing had me captivated. Superb work, Alex.

[@JonGretarB]

I used to make sea salt from my beach. First I let it freeze outside(after filtering it). The water that freezes is (mostly) clear water so when I remove the ice the solution gains strength. When it stops freezing I take it inside and heat it. Quickly at first(to ensure no bacteria survives) to get it started but by the time crystals start to form there is barely any heat. Then I put it in my smoke oven to add a little smoke smell and taste to the crystals that go very well with meat and fish. Then I gave it for christmas presents.

[@DaftFader]

Ideally you want to get all the salt out of the sea water, redisolve it, then filter and process it for eating, but at least you're boiling it for a bit I guess. Thing is, you don't really know what else is in the sea water at a beach where many people are swimming off the coast of populated land (you can get all sorts of agracultural and industrial run off etc. in the coastal regions depending where you live). This is why you don't want that water to be the last water to touch the salt ideally, as boiling it wont remove any nasty chemicals if they happen to be there. It really depends on your location tho. 😉

[@JonGretarB]

@@DaftFader true. Depends on location. However I am in the middle of nowhere in Iceland with the next active farm 20km away. So my concern is mostly with natural contaminants.

[@DaftFader]

@@JonGretarB Ah yeah, you'll only need to worry about biological contaminants what boiling should be more than good enough to kill off. :)

[@layzy24]

@@DaftFader Thanks for that. I was about to do exactly that but didn't consider anything that you mentioned.

[@DaftFader]

@@layzy24 2 of my biggest interests ... cooking and chemistry heh. It's no different from a recrystallisation in chemistry really, and there's almost always a washing step to clean the crystals, either using something that doesn't dissolve the crystals, or by redissolving them in a fresh solution and then precipitating them out from that instead of the contaminated one. Either way, I'd probably boil the water too just to be safe. That way you've covered chemical and biological just to be extra safe. ;)

[@______IV]

I had no idea that salt forms the same Hopper crystal systems that bismuth does. How beautiful!

[@______IV]

@@iridium8341 : Are you saying you don’t think Hopper crystals are beautiful or that you don’t think those were Hopper crystals?

[@______IV]

@@YO-BIZZY : Hah! Yeah, guess I missed that option in my analysis of their comment. Another possibility is maybe iridium was asserting that I was lying about not knowing (me: "I had no idea…" iridium: "Not Really.").

[@DigitalicaEG]

Alex just became the Heisenberg of crystal salt.

[@richardnedbalek1968]

Agreed! Please see my comment!

[@longpham-sj5sv]

Jesse, we need to cook

[@EndoSurf]

"I am le Danger" - Alex probably.

[@tarrakis]

Dis mon nom!

[@idkwhatnonamemyself1951]

Dis salt is 99.1% pyramid shaped. -Alex 2022

[@dr-k1667]

This video PROVES that we will watch Alex do anything and enjoy it. The man made SALT and we were enraptured! This is next level content in my opinion. Great photography Alex!

[@tijmenspanjaard2842]

Man, Alex you just took me on a nostalgia trip. My dad always used to get this type of salt from a salt shop (yes they exist) in the neighborhood. And my friends would always tell me salt is salt there is no difference, but i knew this was not normal salt the way it tasted was so different. And now with this video you just proved it! Man i miss this salt, I'll have to find it again!

[@andrearaimondi882]

You can simply make it!

[@edwinsalisbury83]

I wonder if it has to do with the increased surface area of the hopper crystals. So it seems saltier with less salt.

[@martinperring5286]

Most of the taste difference comes from texture and diffusion. Salts can also have different flavours from impurities. Guérande salt for instance regardless of its form does not go through a purification process. This gives it its off white colour and for me it tastes of the atlantic. I cant say if I really can taste it for sure but im happy to buy from traditional manufacturers for heritage purposes anyway

[@evgenitantikov5865]

Your friends were right, salt is salt, no difference. Your brain perception of it depending on the shape is different.

[@tonycodolo]

I am always blown away by your enthusiasm. It is infectious. Please never stop teaching us new things about old ingredients.

[@WoodieW]

Wow. Since I first heard of Fleur der Sel in my late youth, when I started cooking, I always thought 'thats just the salt that forms on super saturated water. You could probably do that at home'. And now, more than a decade later, I see this french madman actually proving that idea 😂

[@martinperring5286]

To be fair there are many flake salt manufactures that do this commercially, Maldon may have its own few 100 year process but it is still evaporating a brine solution over a heat source. Its a lovely home experiment but not really a discovery more a lovely way to tell an interesting story

[@dangitnicky]

A massive grin formed on my face when you started to shake the marker. I love your Blue Fridge Theory segments!

[@timogregorius7385]

Thx for teaching me the difference between those salts. never thought it could be such a big difference and that its all about texture

[@MegaFregel]

It’s not all about the texture.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Lovely video (only just appeared in my feed for some reason) - full of wonder and awe. Enjoyed every second!

[@toddgattfry5405]

There are 2 things you need for large crystals. 1 purity, 2 time. Crystals form based on their molecular structure. If it is impure, at the molecular level you will get strange shapes/smaller crystals. The speed you recrystallize the solution (it's past saturation and can no longer stay dissolved) changes the base crystals ability to get bigger. Visibly we see a large crystal which is made up of perfectly aligned crystals at the atomic level. Amazing stuff!! Take your time and you will get amazing results. These are really nice Christmas gifts for your family and friends! When they know you made quality salt for them with your own hands!

[@kkulkulkan5472]

How much time? Is this a 2 hour, 12 hour or 24 hour exercise at 70C?

[@toddgattfry5405]

@@kkulkulkan5472There are many ways to achieve this and will need to experiment. Here are some ideas. Use a large surface area container with a volume that isn't very deep (the opposite is true, if you have a deep container with small surface it will take longer to evaporate the liquid). Use a fan to gently blow away the air above the surface of the liquid. When you remove this air (it is slightly more humid than the rest of the environment) the liquid at the surface will convert to gas to replace what was blown away speeding up the evaporation. Use very low heat to promote more gas vapor from the liquid. Try putting in the oven at the lowest temperature. You can heat to boil to reduce the volume but when you are close to crystals forming try to use lower temp to increase crystal sizes. Add only enough water so you don't need to evaporate off as lot (add salt to just enough boiling water, filter etc). Add an impurity to start crystal formation. When you add something impure like a grain of sand, the saturated salt can begin forming crystals. If you're using a glass container, try scratching the glass using glass to add a tiny glass impurity to start the crystals forming.

[@toddgattfry5405]

@@kkulkulkan5472 This depends on how you make the crystals.

[@kkulkulkan5472]

@@toddgattfry5405 thank you

[@bugtheexlorer]

Its amazing how you keep making us fall in love with such simple everyday things. I won’t underestimate salt after watching this.

[@subn0rma1]

After the pasta debacle I'm amazed that you tried to do something like this and it just kinda.. worked. With no issues. What is happening

[@ninjarobotmonk3y]

"...I'm always amazed by the most simple things..." I'm really grateful for you sharing your amazement, it's incredible. Thanks for taking the time to create, edit, and share.

[@mateofajardo8295]

I loved this, the way you present your passion for the process and results, and of course that beautiful crystals, they look unreal!!... Cheers!!!

[@DemonetizedVet]

Jesus, after the pasta and now this.... I'm impressed with the level of ADD you have and how well you manage it. Love the video keep up the solid work Alex

[@memegodsonseungwan329]

This is quite a similar process of traditional hand-made salt in Borneo. My ancestral village harvest salt from salt spring nearby and it was a must have for everyone visiting.

[@nilsroesel]

I tried that at home. Biggest flake i made got like 3cm diameter....pretty decent i guess. Every now and then, when i have guests and i prepare steak, i place one of the big flakes on each slice of steak....thats just next level. THANKS ALEX!

[@angrylittlespider4593]

I'm very happy for you, Alex. Yet at the same time a little bummed. Why? Because you succeeded spectacularly on the very first try, and now we're not going to get an entire series on making flakey salt at home! Well done.. Loved this video!

[@Dinnye01]

I have been doing this at home for years. A bit time consuming and you can't put any metal ANYWHERE near the recrystallization dish, but it is well worth it.

[@slimkt]

Well, I know what I’m doing this weekend! Fascinating watching those salt crystals form

[@royarguello8509]

The way you ended your dried pasta series. Any failure that you attempt and don't look back on. Is a success. Well done.

[@puupipo]

Really cool to see how and WHY the pyramid shape forms. I've known about flaky salt and the pyramid shape for a long time but this is the first time I'm seeing it being formed.

[@Ool488]

This is by far the most fascinating food channel on KZbin!!! Keep it up, love your recipes

[@Leone4130]

I just tried this with pure pink himalayan salt using the same ratio/temperatures but when the salt "crashed" it formed solid cubes and they all sank. Some were fairly big at around 1/2" across, but all were solid. I only had nylon bags at 160µm for filtering and coffee filters are on average ~20µm so maybe the solution wasn't clean/homogenous. Fun project though and the crash only took approx 6 hours @ 160°F

[@saritshull3909]

Pink salt by nature is full of impurities so I don’t think it would ever work

[@michelangelocaravaggio5018]

I am also now doing this with normal rock salt. But it doesn’t seem like it cyrstalizes at the top.

[@Gussfalcon650]

Alex, ton travail est encore un fois bien fait, et ça fait plaisir. Continue ce travail de qualité que j'aprécie tous particulèrement. Bonne continuation à toi !

[@Flippokid]

When you said you were going to make fleur de sel at the end of the previous episode I thought that's cool. But who would've known it would be this _magical?_ Wow, what an absolute masterpiece! And the best part? I've got 4 kg of rock salt in the basement!

[@ericmyrs]

Before you eat that, you should probably figure out the impurity content. If it's from a mineral source, it might not be suitable for consumption.

[@Flippokid]

@@ericmyrs It's food grade. I went back to the old ways and let myself be paid with salt.

[@itsmikehayden]

@@Flippokid would that be a bushman, sailor, Roman, or soldier?

[@ericmyrs]

@@Flippokid Then enjoy! Besides your impurities are likely to be water soluble, so difficult to get out. I would still recommend filtering out particles with a coffee filter. You can also supersaturate your brine by heating it while dissolving. Then you should get faster crystal growth when it cools down, and solubility drops.

[@Flippokid]

@@ericmyrs Thanks!

[@larcomj]

my man, those shots of the salt forming was spectacular! Another amazing video.

[@chrism45]

You can start with even cheaper salt if you're just going to filter it. Also you can get better crystals if you vary the conditions a little.

[@ijuscant]

Can I do this at home with a borosilicate dish?

[@woltews]

we did this in grade 10 chemistry in 1987 ! we also made Garrick , Rosemary , smoked and Basil salt by infusing the water before saturating with salt .

[@Ragzvids]

Your best video yet!! I love salt, a salt enthusiast for sure.

[@merrickal]

Oooh, I heard the soft crunch of that big piece! Sounds like textured snow. Must have felt fantastic.

[@seisont]

Someone should show this to Adam Ragusea, he's been trying to make this type of salt for a while.

[@danisquared]

I couldnt take my eyes off the screen, literally amazing this is one of the coolest videos Alex has put out. I think that's what's so fun about Alex as a cook he makes it genuinly so interesting to learn about the process of how our food is made I've made so many of his recipes it's inspiring and his content is free for us?!

[@DVineMe]

Over here it's about €28/kg (the regular sea salt from Guérande is about €8/kg), I think that's very reasonably priced for what it is. I wonder why it's so much more expensive in France, given that's where it's from. Also a much more important difference between the two would be taste. Fleur de sel actually tastes good, sort of like a sea breeze, as compared to other salt which is more like drinking sea water lol.

[@novygaming5713]

Demand is higher since more gourmet restaurants exist and people there are richer in France

[@Malusdarkblades11]

I dont think you can taste a difference. Cristals are pure salt after all...

[@Karttibone]

@@novygaming5713 Also the fact that it is only harvested by hand raises the prices quite substantially.

[@gdzephyriac2766]

Holy shit y’all be getting scammed. Over here it’s the equivalent of like €13/kg. I wonder where you are from and how it’s so ludicrously expensive both in France and where you’re from

[@transecho]

A bunch of stuff made and then sold in your country cost more than if it was sold in other countries.

[@ralph4840]

The last episode (Travel to Guerande)( and this episode were very good, and interesting. I love it that the flakes have this pyramidal shapes. Thank you!

[@parsnipcookingapp9342]

Incredible content as per usual! Would love to try your salt, looks amazing.

[@georgiancrossroads]

Alex when I lived in Alaska (22 years) we had smoked alder flakes. Absolutely sensational, especially on fresh salmon. By the way if you ever want to learn about salmon. Get on a plane. Go to Haines Alaska in the second half of the summer. And discover fresh, non-farmed (most everything in Europe is farmed) salmon. All five Pacific species in one location! And travel with fishermen, go to a fish smokery, try local spruce tip ale, and you can even get fresh crabs and shrimp. And I won't even mention the halibut. And all I can say is this, if you ever do you, will be spoiled for the rest of your life. I live in Tbilisi Georgia now. And I just look sadly at the salmon in the Carrefour. Think about it. (Contact me for info. I can set you up.)

[@TheHertsHammer]

You should pop over to Maldon on the Essex cost in England to see how they make their salt. All of their salt is formed in pyramid crystals. I think they have a different technique than your French producer.

[@DaftFader]

Yeah step 1 is definitely different as in maldon it's filter off the humam shit from the water that the salt is in. 🤣

[@tams805]

@@DaftFader Sadly, with the state the UK is in right now, that's probably true.

[@layzy24]

Are they not the same process?

[@DaftFader]

@@layzy24 Some places don't use the big outdoor pools and heat the water indoors in industrial metal boiling "pots" to evaporate the water, but the idea is the same.

[@layzy24]

@@DaftFader I saw the 4 minute maldon salt video. It was intriguing. But don't the salts taste differently from processing plants vs outdoors?

[@juderickman8275]

This is what makes your channel so special.

[@vjm3]

At 160F, you could hook up some solar panels to a battery setup and keep a hotplate running. Check in after an hour or so, and perfect when to harvest it. With the exception of packaging, transportation, and your time interrupted to harvest...this is (for the time being) a totally economical way to make your own chef's salt. Now where it _really_ excels is in high-end restaurants, where one or two people could develop their OWN salt formula (buying it from a desired vendor), and making this for your own cooking. That light flaky (yet salty flavor) is a game-changer for chefs looking to take their cooking to the next level.

[@viralnorn9173]

Alex, the salt alchemist! I want to try this, looks like fun and I love cooking/science experiments.

[@firdabadrie7903]

Oh My God,.. it's just bring me back memory when I learning Chemistry on High School decades ago,.. Magical.. you're awesome..

[@jessicafeldheim7542]

Seems like you were given an incredible gift here. Really think this through. I think having your own line of chef salt would be a great thing.

[@GJSelect]

Finally thank you! That beep is so much quieter on your ad read I might actually listen to them in the future. Like it genuinely pissed me off every time you hurt my ears previously.

[@saltandpauper]

different account, but still hoping you and Alton brown get some collabs! You definitely give me vibes of his "Good Eats" era. He was the culinary knowledge font of my childhood. And you have filled that role in my adulthood. Love your content and have loved watching you channel and skills grow.

[@heyjohnsmith]

Good Eats was the OG Food Science show for all ages, a very Charismatic fellow. Gotta check out how is he doing!

[@iainronald4217]

I use course salt for pretty much everything, the reason I do that is because I can judge how much I need based on volume easier. With iodized sea salt, sometimes for the same amount of liquid or sauce, I'll need a pinch, a palm or a fist of salt; It always changes. But, with coarse salt, I know roughly how much liquid a pinch can season and I can eyeball based on that. The other salt, what you called chef's salt, I've always heard referred to as Finishing Salt and I've only owned it a couple of times and usually used it to finish arctic char or steak.

[@Tvngsten]

I love how the flakes look like they were 3D printed with minimal quality

[@chesito15]

they also look like little tiny pixelated flowers

[@DaftFader]

@@chesito15 Minecraft salt! xD

[@IH-nz4cr]

Your time-lapses are just mesmerising!

[@hinas_for_life]

A really good video as flacky salt is expensive in Japan where I live so I will give your method a try out, thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@THEROOT1111]

I do gather it myself also, and i can confirm, it's not the same thing as the typical market salt. And that's tres important!

[@lendersbagels01]

I don’t cook much and yet this was so fascinating thank you Alex. Subbed

[@marvelforever5802]

This video was so well made and explanatory that for the first time ever I subscribed after watching only one video, hope the rest of your videos love up to my expectations

[@thetattoodmini]

always love your videos, but this one was magnificent. i want to try making my own flakey salt now

[@mumzly1]

you and me both

[@dutchdrifter8740]

I will be making these before christmas. Want to sprinkle some big flakes on the christmas steak.

[@LlednarHugh]

Same here

[@diamondalexiss]

Dude I haven’t seen any of your videos since your fried rice series! Good to see you’re still making videos!

[@poopypuppy9412]

if you heated it 2-3 times slower with a sealed cover and small vent, the crystals would form way better

[@fennsk]

I also wonder if he could make the sieve easier and more effective by leaving it submerged in the bottom of the pan. simply grab it with tongs and lift up the salt crystals.

[@poopypuppy9412]

Easiest way would probably be a funnel filter

[@carmelgerdsen2399]

Crystals in all shapes and forms, amazing nature. Ahhh, love! 😍🥰 Loved this video Alex

[@JordanSugarman]

Here in the US, what you call "table salt" is closer to what we call "kosher salt" (traditionally used for the "koshering" process). "Table salt" is actually a very different product here. It's a very fine-grain salt made to go in salt shakers, so it usually has anti-caking additives, and it's fortified with iodine. I don't recommend using it for cooking.

[@jamescheddar4896]

oversalted my eggs with kosher salt not getting that table salt is diluted lol

[@anivicuno9473]

Why not? In fact it should be kosher salt that should be used sparingly since most people don't have other sources of iodine.

[@noahprussia7622]

Just a quick aside: You need iodine! There is a reason its in "table" salt

[@brostenen]

It is just NaCL....

[@brostenen]

@@jamescheddar4896 Dilluted with what?

[@ZenakuShinobi]

0:24 seconds and you had me hit that subscribe ....That was the best introduction to your work and Ive yet to finish the video. Bravo mec!

[@MASSAGE__OFFICIAL_UK07_RIDER]

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[@alansmithee123]

Amazing video ! I just have one question : There is a specificity of this salt, that make it's taste so particular, and so different from generic NaCl that it deserves a protected label. It’s like wine, it’s the "terroir". The particularities of the environment the crystals where formed in : micro-organisms, endemic bacteria, plants, soils... All dissolved in the water the salt was crystalized from, resulting in particles, trapped in these little pyramids. And when you sieved it, I'm afraid you could have removed some of that, that you traded taste for texture. I guess my question is : Alex, how did it tasted ?

[@richardnedbalek1968]

Good point.

[@dzenisalickovic5868]

I cant express how cool this episode was.... this is quality content.

[@apokalypsecow9756]

The Fleur de Sel is literally "flowers of salt", which I think is pretty accurate as far as what Alex came up with at the end, they looked like little flowers.

[@puebloblau]

That footage of the pyramids forming in your trey was truly magical. Felt like a nature documentary for second

[@Sorrentino_Gianni]

Put the mesh at the bottom & lift when the crystals are ready. Less perturbation = less broken crystals.

[@heatea5255]

from what i understand there is standard salt that sinks to the bottom so you cant do that or youll mix it all up

[@Leadvest]

Fleur de sel is what we call it in English too. I'm sure this is in a cut part of the video, but the precipitation process of it is quite unique, it happens on the surface of the water before the saturation point is actually reached. This process also happens to create a very pure product, so it is 99% pure sodium salt, despite coming out of seawater which is partially potassium, calcium, sulfate, and other salts. Purer than sea salt, which is still relatively pure. When boiling down seawater you'll end up with a solution that is mostly just undesirable salts, even this is used in some cooking in a handful of recipes.

[@edwinsalisbury83]

I wonder if it has to do with the increased surface area of the hopper crystals. So it seems saltier with less salt.

[@TheBigburcie]

This could totally be shown in a science class, or culinary one.

[@chuuu4610]

I usually only save trying things I see on Alex’s channel for special occasions but I would really like trying this for my daily use!

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

The problem I have with this artisan salt is there is a very high chance it has bird shit in it. This is why I like the lab made stuff. Or stuff that has been basically washed in a indoor plant. Anyways my favorite salt lately has been "popcorn salt" which is just very very fine salt. I love having it on hand for french fries and thing that are nice to have a bit of salt on but not flakes of salt.

[@martinperring5286]

Its salt its anti bacterial stop worrying. There are also a lot of good impurities too. Like other salt compounds. If you eat raw veggies you are almost certainly eating a load of insects.. and also poop remnants (do wash veggies please) and that isnt anti bacterial. This is just a phobia on your part rather then a meaningful concern

[@siobhana5307]

Videos like these are crazy and prove there's a God with intelligent design

[@richardosbourne3346]

You should try Black lava salt. Fantastic on salads and cold meat 🍖😋

[@JudyCZ]

I put fleur de sel on top of my brownies. Total game changer, I refuse to bake brownies without it anymore. It also became sort of my signature, which is pretty sweet...or salty...

[@Tricumulairdesigns]

Hi Alex a few questions, does it matter wat salt you use? Also do you keep the temperature at 70 degrees? How long did it take you before the crystals started growing? Love the content 🙌

[@xtnuser5338]

It matters if you're going to eat it. Many salts are poisonous.

[@sibs2126]

@@xtnuser5338Tell me which salt is poisinous? Why are so many people obsessed by poison in food mankind ate since the beginning. And because everything we eat is poisining we are growing older and older🤣🤣

[@xtnuser5338]

@@sibs2126 Oh LOTS of salts are poisonous. Sodium Flouroacetate is one such example. I'm not talking like the "everything is bad for you" morons. I'm talking about the fact that a couple milligrams of Sodium Flouroacetate can kill you within two hours in a very painful, vomiting, mentally delirious kind of way. It's up there with Strychnine. There isn't any known antidote either.

[@sibs2126]

@@xtnuser5338 We where talking about normal salt especially the one Alex uses for his fantastic experiment, which is normal seasalt. The one you are talking about is very poisonous you are right about that.

[@alexcarter8807]

When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of time in Shark's Cove, a now-popular beach on the island of Oahu's north shore. I did so because I lived just up the hill, and it was cheap. Like free. When I'd exhausted all the possible things to do there like swim, swim some more, swim at the unpopular end and be creeped out by the whirlpool, etc. I discovered the joys(?) of messing around in the salt ponds. The waves splash the seawater up, it fills pools, the sun dries it out, you get salt. Panes of salt. I had fun picking it up like a pane of shower-door glass, and seeing how big a piece I could get without it breaking. It was really neat - especially since, when you distill a pool down to its salt, you also end up with a sort of concentrate of seaweed, sand, Oh I don't know many the remains of a cigarette butt ... you get the idea. I also discovered I liked sitting in a pool of water/salt slush because it was warm. So add in whatever my swimming trunks were harboring and maybe a lazy fart or two. And this is why it's all I can do not to burst out laughing when I see expensive bags of salt flakes, The. end.

[@ukar69]

Maldon sea salt has pyramid crystals. I’d call it a flaky salt.

[@naradaian]

Yes you are right and its not uber expensive

[@TECH097]

Are they hollow ooc?

[@andrewfarrell6120]

I've been using maldon salt pretty much exclusively lately. It's great. Not to knock it but I feel like fleur du sel is sort of a marketing gimmick. It's great but the price tag is ridiculous.

[@ukar69]

@@andrewfarrell6120 I used to live in Maldon, it's good stuff!

[@alexjohn410]

I just love the way you think, work and what you value. Amazing work.

[@thoughtexperimentsbybk1830]

I never thought crystallization is so flavour full and tasty😮

[@oliverkoehler785]

What a beautiful experiment/experience, dear Alex. I was in awe like a little child watching this and almost want to give this a try myself. I hope it makes up for the kitchen-made dried pasta ;-)

[@DENISLAUZWILDLIFE]

Alex, ce que j'aime de a chaine KZbin, c'est que tu me surprends toujours, je suis du Québec et je suis gourmand aussi. J e trouve ton travail de recherche superbe, BRAVO.

[@Konokami]

Your such a demon for adding that Timelapse after the ad whilst making the next video point called why salt floats and skipping the Timelapse.

[@daniell-naturaesplosiva1076]

One of the best video you ever made Alex

[@RPrice_OG]

Ahh, the temperature is the key. I made some flakey salt a couple of years ago and it turned out okay but not nearly as nice as yours. I did it at a higher temperature, nearly boiling, and in a shallow pan. Thanks again for valuable info.

[@theflamingbanana7491]

Thanks for showing me a new side hustle

[@mumzly1]

1st video I"ve seen of this fella, and I'm sold, take my sub.

[@agithamoon2436]

my mom gave me a small box of fleur the sel that she got as a gift and didn't know what to do with... and now I'm addicted and here to find out how to potentially make it myself, because it IS expensive but so, so delicious. somehow it makes the food perfectly salty when you sprinkle it on and it seems to not only salt the food but also elevate its flavor in a way that normal table salt just doesn't. Idk what sort of french gourmet witchcraft is going on over there, but I can't live without it anymore.