I don’t know about you, but when I started cooking, I found the notion of ‘salting’ to be extremely stressful, as my dishes were either too bland or too salty. Needless to say, the ‘eyeballing’ method did not come naturally to me.

After many tries and some not-so-yummy dishes, I finally settled on a few ‘rules of thumb’ that seem to work – most of the time. Though you’ll need to factor in a few things like:

• Personal preferences, as some people prefer saltier dishes than others
•  Types of salt as some have larger granules or higher sodium content than others
•  The ingredients you’re working with, as some may be naturally salty.

Once you have that covered, and assuming you’re working with a recipe that says ‘salt to taste’, here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Pasta water; 2 – 3 tablespoons
•  Soups and stews; 1 teaspoon for every 4 cups of liquid
• Salad dressings; ¼ – ½ teaspoon per batch
• Sautéing Vegetables; no more than 1 teaspoon
• Seasoning meat; 1 – 2 teaspoons per 500g

As mentioned, this is just a baseline, but always taste as you go and adjust seasoning if needed. Just remember, practice makes perfect!

For a well-stocked pantry, check out our blog on “Things To Always Have In Your Pantry.“