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

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
  • I Have turned Table Salt into Gourmet Salt. Here's how. Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here NordVPN.com/frenchguy - Risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee
    From the salt marshes in the previous episode (available here : • I Thought SALT Was Bor... ), I have brought back some natural yet basic salt. How do I turn this into a premium ingredient ? I diluted it in water to create a super saturated solution, and then I mimicked the salt marshes in my studio and started evaporating it. After a few trials and errors, I was able to create magnificent Salt Crystals which are perfect for finishing dishes.
    Big credits go to these guys fow showing the way :
    crystalverse.com/pyramid-salt...
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ความคิดเห็น • 1.5K

  • @Myrkskog
    @Myrkskog ปีที่แล้ว +2086

    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
      @carmelgerdsen2399 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Yes! 🥰

    • @glebo8921
      @glebo8921 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      he must see this and show us!

    • @melissaeven7354
      @melissaeven7354 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Please! That sounds fun:)

    • @leonarddaneman810
      @leonarddaneman810 ปีที่แล้ว +127

      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
      @BlueTJLP ปีที่แล้ว +56

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

  • @HairyApeMan77
    @HairyApeMan77 ปีที่แล้ว +975

    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
      @HenryPiffpaff ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Was the process fundamentally different than Alex'?

    • @SeanBZA
      @SeanBZA ปีที่แล้ว +66

      @@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
      @HairyApeMan77 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      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
      @SeanBZA ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@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
      @HairyApeMan77 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@HenryPiffpaff fundamentally the same but with extra steps

  • @Bee_a1
    @Bee_a1 ปีที่แล้ว +298

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

    • @emmettbarley5721
      @emmettbarley5721 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

    • @Nicholas-pt3ln
      @Nicholas-pt3ln ปีที่แล้ว

      @@emmettbarley5721 LMFAO 😂

    • @forposterity4031
      @forposterity4031 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @Ohchitzixgobkvid
      @Ohchitzixgobkvid ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @thelasso9478
      @thelasso9478 ปีที่แล้ว

      The pyramids are just seasoning

  • @Sylian
    @Sylian ปีที่แล้ว +34

    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

  • @jacobkudrowich
    @jacobkudrowich ปีที่แล้ว +664

    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
      @blorblin ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @shadowtheimpure
      @shadowtheimpure ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@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
      @angelomella ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @Gaeldx ปีที่แล้ว

      I like to recrystalize my crack too

    • @orbifold4387
      @orbifold4387 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @Y0G0FU
    @Y0G0FU ปีที่แล้ว +339

    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
      @johnpinion8033 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      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
      @vincenttt8289 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      @@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
      @multatuli1 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      How did she do that bro

    • @petermarin
      @petermarin ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I’m also interested in her method

    • @robert-janthuis9927
      @robert-janthuis9927 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @______IV
    @______IV ปีที่แล้ว +87

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

    • @______IV
      @______IV ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @______IV
      @______IV ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@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.").

  • @PiMast
    @PiMast ปีที่แล้ว +43

    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.

    •  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      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
      @PiMast ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @puskywastaken
      @puskywastaken ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @ It's sold everywhere, at any store.

    • @savokanpari
      @savokanpari ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @PiMast ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@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.

  • @DigitalicaEG
    @DigitalicaEG ปีที่แล้ว +187

    Alex just became the Heisenberg of crystal salt.

  • @sholomrabin2011
    @sholomrabin2011 ปีที่แล้ว +443

    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
      @yumedan ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @c0cieman ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @vagabondwastrel2361
      @vagabondwastrel2361 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @jonored ปีที่แล้ว

      @@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.

  • @WoodieW
    @WoodieW ปีที่แล้ว +16

    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
      @martinperring5286 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

  • @jkarpet
    @jkarpet ปีที่แล้ว +38

    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

  • @PabloEdvardo
    @PabloEdvardo ปีที่แล้ว +286

    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
      @Flippokid ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Kosher salt is very uncommon in Europe.

    • @mosalad7176
      @mosalad7176 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      @@Flippokid the germans made sure of that

    • @ShadrolGER
      @ShadrolGER ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @Flippokid
      @Flippokid ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@mosalad7176 Damn Jews with their salt!

    • @aanmaaklimonade
      @aanmaaklimonade ปีที่แล้ว +17

      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.

  • @spyteamsatan3553
    @spyteamsatan3553 ปีที่แล้ว +119

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

    • @kirill2525
      @kirill2525 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @josephperry3696
    @josephperry3696 ปีที่แล้ว +43

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

  • @dr-k1667
    @dr-k1667 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    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!

  • @JonGretarB
    @JonGretarB ปีที่แล้ว +34

    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
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว +3

      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
      @JonGretarB ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@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
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @layzy24
      @layzy24 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @DaftFader
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@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. ;)

  • @djrakman3909
    @djrakman3909 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    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....

  • @mikahs7944
    @mikahs7944 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    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 😂

  • @tijmenspanjaard2842
    @tijmenspanjaard2842 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    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
      @andrearaimondi882 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You can simply make it!

    • @edwinsalisbury83
      @edwinsalisbury83 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @martinperring5286
      @martinperring5286 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @evgenitantikov5865 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

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

  • @timogregorius7385
    @timogregorius7385 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    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
      @MegaFregel ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It’s not all about the texture.

  • @sagnikdas5243
    @sagnikdas5243 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    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

  • @subn0rma1
    @subn0rma1 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    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

  • @dryroasted5599
    @dryroasted5599 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

  • @Flippokid
    @Flippokid ปีที่แล้ว +30

    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
      @ericmyrs ปีที่แล้ว +2

      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
      @Flippokid ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @mikehayden7691
      @mikehayden7691 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

    • @ericmyrs
      @ericmyrs ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@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
      @Flippokid ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ericmyrs Thanks!

  • @toddgattfry5405
    @toddgattfry5405 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    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
      @kkulkulkan5472 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @toddgattfry5405
      @toddgattfry5405 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@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
      @toddgattfry5405 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @kkulkulkan5472
      @kkulkulkan5472 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@toddgattfry5405 thank you

  • @dangitnicky
    @dangitnicky ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @AtomicShrimp
    @AtomicShrimp ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @anastazjagrabowska-bojenko1154
    @anastazjagrabowska-bojenko1154 ปีที่แล้ว +9

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

  • @memegodsonseungwan329
    @memegodsonseungwan329 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    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.

  • @tonycodolo
    @tonycodolo ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @marvelforever5802
    @marvelforever5802 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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

  • @Tvngsten
    @Tvngsten ปีที่แล้ว +44

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

    • @chesito15
      @chesito15 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      they also look like little tiny pixelated flowers

    • @DaftFader
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@chesito15 Minecraft salt! xD

  • @mateofajardo8295
    @mateofajardo8295 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

  • @ninjarobotmonk3y
    @ninjarobotmonk3y ปีที่แล้ว +1

    "...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.

  • @carmelgerdsen2399
    @carmelgerdsen2399 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @Leone4130
    @Leone4130 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    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
      @saritshull3909 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

    • @michelangelocaravaggio5018
      @michelangelocaravaggio5018 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @puupipo
    @puupipo ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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.

  • @IH-nz4cr
    @IH-nz4cr ปีที่แล้ว

    Your time-lapses are just mesmerising!

  • @cyndifoore7743
    @cyndifoore7743 ปีที่แล้ว

    Looks wonderful!
    I need to go back to your oils you made a while ago and make them.
    Another chef I watch made some compound butters the other day and I need to make those too so I have these delights ready to be used.
    Thank you Alex❤️

  • @slimkt
    @slimkt ปีที่แล้ว +23

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

  • @parsnipcookingapp9342
    @parsnipcookingapp9342 ปีที่แล้ว +27

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

  • @DemonetizedVet
    @DemonetizedVet ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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

  • @ThePiquet888
    @ThePiquet888 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great Vid! Impressive photography. You make me look at things I would never look at on my own and you make them interesting. Cheers!

  • @darkunicorn6669
    @darkunicorn6669 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is going to be such a nice way of putting that final touch on thanksgiving dinner, merci alex!

  • @Ragzvids
    @Ragzvids ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

  • @alexjohn410
    @alexjohn410 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @Ool488
    @Ool488 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @lendersbagels01
    @lendersbagels01 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @angrylittlespider4593
    @angrylittlespider4593 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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!

  • @ralph4840
    @ralph4840 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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!

  • @larcomj
    @larcomj ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @chrism45
    @chrism45 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    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
      @ijuscant ปีที่แล้ว

      Can I do this at home with a borosilicate dish?

  • @TheHertsHammer
    @TheHertsHammer ปีที่แล้ว +31

    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
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @tams805 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @layzy24
      @layzy24 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Are they not the same process?

    • @DaftFader
      @DaftFader ปีที่แล้ว

      @@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
      @layzy24 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @Gussfalcon650
    @Gussfalcon650 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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 !

  • @nilsroesel
    @nilsroesel ปีที่แล้ว

    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!

  • @seisont
    @seisont ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

  • @juderickman8275
    @juderickman8275 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is what makes your channel so special.

  • @danisquared
    @danisquared ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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
    @DVineMe ปีที่แล้ว +58

    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
      @novygaming5713 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @Malusdarkblades11
      @Malusdarkblades11 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @Karttibone
      @Karttibone ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @gdzephyriac2766
      @gdzephyriac2766 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

    • @ame72813
      @ame72813 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @thetattoodmini
    @thetattoodmini ปีที่แล้ว +49

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

    • @mumzly1
      @mumzly1 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      you and me both

    • @dutchdrifter8740
      @dutchdrifter8740 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @LlednarHugh
      @LlednarHugh ปีที่แล้ว

      Same here

  • @TravelClast
    @TravelClast ปีที่แล้ว

    Great one Alex ... hit all the senses ... loved it ...

  • @MartinAhlman
    @MartinAhlman ปีที่แล้ว

    That was an eyeopener! Thank you!

  • @saltandpauper
    @saltandpauper ปีที่แล้ว +10

    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
      @heyjohnsmith ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @hinas_for_life
    @hinas_for_life ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

  • @samdavis4221
    @samdavis4221 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love this stuff! I had no idea it was this easy to replicate, I'll definitely be attempting myself.

  • @mumzly1
    @mumzly1 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @viralnorn9173
    @viralnorn9173 ปีที่แล้ว +32

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

  • @jessicafeldheim7542
    @jessicafeldheim7542 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    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.

  • @johntheawsomeful
    @johntheawsomeful ปีที่แล้ว

    BEAUTIFUL timelapse.

  • @pablomoralesserret4782
    @pablomoralesserret4782 ปีที่แล้ว

    One of the best ones you've done lately. So cool ! Congrats ;-)

  • @JordanSugarman
    @JordanSugarman ปีที่แล้ว +134

    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
      @jamescheddar4896 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

    • @anivicuno9473
      @anivicuno9473 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      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
      @noahprussia7622 ปีที่แล้ว +22

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

    • @brostenen
      @brostenen ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It is just NaCL....

    • @brostenen
      @brostenen ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@jamescheddar4896 Dilluted with what?

  • @poopypuppy9412
    @poopypuppy9412 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @fennsk
      @fennsk ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @poopypuppy9412 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Easiest way would probably be a funnel filter

  • @leacruz7311
    @leacruz7311 ปีที่แล้ว

    Your ideas are amusing! It's entertaining!

  • @sfetsasp
    @sfetsasp ปีที่แล้ว

    excellent episode !!! perfect videography. thank you so much for the knowledge and the experience . be well

  • @alansmithee123
    @alansmithee123 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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 ?

  • @TheBigburcie
    @TheBigburcie ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @merrickal
    @merrickal ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @firdabadrie7903
    @firdabadrie7903 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @Sorrentino_Gianni
    @Sorrentino_Gianni ปีที่แล้ว +10

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

    • @heatea5255
      @heatea5255 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @x9x9x9x9x9
    @x9x9x9x9x9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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
      @martinperring5286 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

  • @daniell-naturaesplosiva1076
    @daniell-naturaesplosiva1076 ปีที่แล้ว

    One of the best video you ever made Alex

  • @chuuu4610
    @chuuu4610 ปีที่แล้ว

    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!

  • @apokalypsecow9756
    @apokalypsecow9756 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    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.

  • @Tricumulairdesigns
    @Tricumulairdesigns ปีที่แล้ว +7

    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
      @xtnuser5338 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @sibs2126
      @sibs2126 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@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
      @xtnuser5338 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@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
      @sibs2126 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@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.

  • @dzenisalickovic5868
    @dzenisalickovic5868 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @MarkoRSolidus
    @MarkoRSolidus ปีที่แล้ว

    That was a real interesting one Alex! Gonna make my own gourmet salt now!

  • @ruku007
    @ruku007 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Hey Alex, just wanted you to know you inspired me to be scientifically passionate about the food I make. Hope you keep flourishing. Love from India.

  • @ukar69
    @ukar69 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

    • @naradaian
      @naradaian ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes you are right and its not uber expensive

    • @TECH097
      @TECH097 ปีที่แล้ว

      Are they hollow ooc?

    • @andrewfarrell6120
      @andrewfarrell6120 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @ukar69 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @matteochiodini2670
    @matteochiodini2670 ปีที่แล้ว

    stunning Alex!! in any video quality is increasing

  • @nnorm
    @nnorm ปีที่แล้ว

    duuuuude I've got to try that at home, this looks amazing!! Thanks ❤

  • @richardosbourne3346
    @richardosbourne3346 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

  • @flatulentguy
    @flatulentguy ปีที่แล้ว +3

    When you said you were basically making money, you were correct . The word salary comes from the latin for salt . Salt was the currency of the world for a very long time.

  • @spyrule
    @spyrule ปีที่แล้ว

    That was geometric magic!!! Love it!

  • @ClaudetteMiss
    @ClaudetteMiss ปีที่แล้ว

    Great job! That was excelllent in both education and nerdy food fun.

  • @brooklynvlogs9396
    @brooklynvlogs9396 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I bought some of the Fleur de Sel after watching the last video and it's quite the game changer. The thing about it though is it's not a replacement for Salt because the way it enhances your food is very different. It's almost like this weird in-between for Salt and MSG. It makes the flavor of your food linger for so much longer and packs more of a punch but yet still tasting incredibly clean, never over powering. I say it's not a replacement because I could never see putting it on something like a breakfast steak and eggs, it's really too good for that. It's something that really demands respect and a steady hand, it's incredible on a pasta dish or more of a dinner Steak, on Salmon and Tuna with Asparagus, things of the fancier nature in a sense. But if you're going for something more simple like a breakfast or lunch item, it'll be too much of an enhancement for something you just want to help you get through the day. it's something you really wanna sit back and enjoy every single bite that you take of it. It's definitely something I'd highly recommend trying to anyone who was curious.

  • @-a13x-75
    @-a13x-75 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    In the U.S., the most popular cheap table salt is Morton’s and under the microscope it’s tiny extremely regular cubes. It’s a very fine grain and very regular in shape. It’s definitely an industrial product

    • @SudharsanVaidhun
      @SudharsanVaidhun ปีที่แล้ว

      Yup and it is covered by that shitty anti-caking agent to keep it free-flowing. I wish there was an affordable alternative to that Mortan's garbage without the anti-caking agent.

  • @georgiancrossroads
    @georgiancrossroads ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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.)

  • @isairaramirez1141
    @isairaramirez1141 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love your own style. Is super interesting, enjoyable and unique ❤👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

  • @Davidtbv
    @Davidtbv ปีที่แล้ว +5

    You’re going to make a lot of people salty cutting in their seasoning and profits!

    • @Oscar4u69
      @Oscar4u69 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      no, the opposite, this will increase its popularity, not many have the patience to make this at home