Cheese salt is plain, non-iodised salt with no anti-caking agents in it, usually sold as flakes or as a fine grain that dissolves readily into curds or into a brine. That is the entire difference between it and the table salt in your cupboard, and it matters because iodine and the additives that keep table salt free-flowing can interfere with cultures and with the flavour of the finished cheese. Our cheese kits include the salt you need, so there is nothing extra to buy, and if you ever run out mid-recipe, a plain non-iodised salt will get you through.
What makes cheese salt different from table salt?
Two things, and neither is exotic.
The first is iodine. Most table salt sold in Britain is available iodised, and iodine is added for perfectly good reasons that have nothing to do with cheese. In cheese making it is unwelcome, because it can work against the bacteria a cheese relies on and can leave a faint tang where you wanted clean dairy flavour.
The second is the anti-caking agents that stop fine table salt clumping in the pot. They do their job well, but they do not dissolve cleanly, and in a brine they can leave you with a cloudy, slightly gritty bath rather than a clear one. In a cheese you are eating within the week, that is a texture and appearance problem rather than anything worse, but it is easily avoided.
Cheese salt is simply salt with neither of those. Nothing has been added to it and nothing has been taken away.
What is the salt actually doing?
Rather more than seasoning, which is why it gets its own place in a kit rather than being left to the cook.
- Flavour. Fresh cheese without salt tastes flat and faintly milky, and the difference a small amount makes is startling the first time you taste before and after.
- Moisture. Salt draws whey out of the curd, so it firms the texture and helps a pressed cheese hold together.
- Keeping quality. Salt slows the microbes that would otherwise shorten the life of a fresh cheese. This is not a small effect: a halloumi made with the salt cut right back should be eaten within two days, where a properly salted one lasts longer.
- Rind and surface. In brined styles, the salt bath is doing work on the outside of the cheese as well as the inside.
So cutting the salt is a trade rather than a free win. If you want a lower salt cheese, make it, enjoy it, and eat it quickly.
How do you salt a cheese?
Two methods, and the recipe will tell you which.
For most fresh cheeses you salt the drained curds directly. Sprinkle the cheese salt over them, mix gently, and let the cheese sit for a few minutes so the salt absorbs rather than sitting on the surface. Gently is the operative word: curds that have been stirred hard at this stage break down and you lose cheese into the drainage.
Halloumi and feta styles are brined instead, sitting in salt water for a period the recipe specifies. Two things to remember here. Brine is single-use, so discard it after each batch rather than saving it. And time in the brine is the main lever on saltiness, so if a previous batch came out too salty, brine for less and taste partway through rather than changing anything else.
The salted curd is also where the squeak comes from in halloumi and cheese curds. After pressing, a short burst in the microwave, about fifteen seconds and more if needed, followed by salting, brings the squeak out. It fades naturally after a day or two, so squeaky cheese is a thing to eat fresh.
What should you use if you have run out?
A plain non-iodised salt. Read the back of the packet and look for two things: no iodine, and no anti-caking agent in the ingredients. Many sea salts and rock salts qualify, and a coarse one can be crushed or dissolved first if the recipe wants it fine.
What to avoid: iodised table salt, and anything already seasoned. Garlic salt, celery salt and flavoured finishing salts all bring something to the party that the recipe did not invite. Low-sodium salt substitutes are a different thing again and are not a straight swap.
All of this is why the salt comes in the box. Our Cheese Making Kit for Beginners includes cheese salt alongside vegetarian rennet and citric acid, and covers five fresh cheeses including mozzarella, ricotta and mascarpone, with the first cheese ready in about an hour. All you buy is fresh whole milk, never UHT.
How long does cheese salt keep?
Effectively as long as you need it to. Salt is a stable dry ingredient: keep it sealed, dry and out of direct sunlight and it does not deteriorate in the way flavour-led or active ingredients do. Reseal what you open and it will still be fine when you come back to the kit months later.
The ingredient with a clock on it is the rennet, which is an active coagulant and can weaken with age, so that is the one to use before the best before date printed on the box. Citric acid, like the salt, simply waits.
Every ingredient is listed on the pack; if you have an allergy question, email hello@sandyleaffarm.com before ordering.
Cheese salt FAQs
Can I use sea salt for cheese making?
Yes, if it is plain, non-iodised and has no anti-caking agents listed on the packet. Crush or dissolve a coarse one where the recipe wants a fine salt.
Why should cheese salt not be iodised?
Iodine can work against the bacteria a cheese relies on and can leave a faint off-note in the flavour. Non-iodised salt avoids both.
Can I make cheese without salt?
You can, but salt is doing preservation and texture work as well as seasoning, so an unsalted or low-salt fresh cheese should be eaten quickly. A low-salt halloumi is a two-day cheese.
Can I reuse the brine?
No. Brine is single-use, so make it, use it for the batch and pour it away rather than keeping it for next time.
Is cheese salt included in the kits?
Yes. Our beginners cheese kit includes cheese salt with the rennet and citric acid, so the only thing you buy is milk.
Ready to salt your first curds? Take a look at our cheese making kits.
