Does anybody know where you can buy rock salt? I know it is used in the making of homemade icecream, but I want to use it to bake potatoes. Red Lobster uses it to do their baked potatoes and they are yummy. I have looked on the internet and found out how to do it and all about it except where you can buy it. I have been using coarse sea salt and it is working (for two potatoes) but would like to do a large number and this is gourmet stuff is rather costly. The potatoes go on a bed of rock salt and are to be fully covered. Any help would be appreciated.
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In the food aisle of Wal-Mart Super Center in the US, I found a box of Morton's Rock Salt for ice cream makers. This was right beside all the other edible salts so I'm hoping it is the right kind. Yes, I bought this 4 pound box for $1, wrapped it in several bags and brought it home in my one stuffed suitcase. Thank good the suitcase has wheels. Oh, I also had to pack it with all my other purchases on two buses to get back to the hotel.
Now I have to buy some potatoes.
Poor dh just shakes his head - I also bought a couple of spicey sandwich spreads to try - I admit I'm easy amused in a different grocery store. Thank goodness nothing went splat.
Sounds good! I did the same thing, only sprayed with Pam and put coarse sea salt under the potatoes and ground some on top. I didn't use any foil on them though. I guess I forgot how good baked potatoes were, have been just doing them in the microwave for just the two of us now.
I have a collection of coarse sea salt now, as my husband came home with some, the same day as I found some at Homesense. It probably is just as good.
That prime rib recipe on the rock salt sounds good too, let me know if you do find a source for it. Walmart here doesn't have it, someone had suggested that.
happydecor - you made me hungry for a baked potato so I did one that I haven't done in a long time. Wash potato, rub with olive oil, put on foil & sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt (I like the Costco one) & spices*, wrap and bake.
* tonight I used a firey texas grind. I've also used rosemary or whatever.
They usually sell it in bulk for $6.89 a pound. They were nearly out and had done up a few bags. I weighed one ~ 550g = ~2C. Yikes. I'll keep looking.
Jan in Van Did you manage to get any idea of the size of this stuff, was it in a box or a bag? I wouldn't be paying that price either, my husband got a small bag of coarse sea salt at the Health Food store and it was $10.00.
The recipes call for as much as 5 lbs. to do the prime rib roast. One would think it was readily available until you go looking! Think I will forget that brain wave! LOL
Thanks for the update.
I found some rock salt at the health food store but will have to keep looking for a cheaper source. It was $6.89/lb and that wouldn't have covered two potatoes.
Jan in Van- That's why I was a little concerned about what to use and the source. The directions you found were the ones that I tried, I just had coarse sea salt so I spread some in the bottom of casserole dish, sprayed it with Pam, pricked it with holes and ground sea salt on top( two potatoes) and baked it about an hour. But, I thought when all family was home I would try larger numbers, the sea salt was pricey at a gourmet place. You are suppose to move or less cover them in it.
Jeep- I saw a recipe for oysters done with rock salt. There were also a couple of food sites that mentioned doing a prime rib roast in rock salt. They claim it is juicy in the inside and crusty on outside.
Thanks for you help and advice, I appreciate it!
I hadn't thought of that I would just prick them as usual but the salt may flavour them.
Do you think you would have to prick the potato skins before cooking or would this let too much salt flavour in? I was always told to prick the skin so it wouldn't blow up while cooking.
Thanks now I have to look for the rock salt.
Here is one version of the Red Lobster Baked Potato recipe. Apparently when RL was a little restaurant in Florida, this is how they did them.
World's Best Baked Potato
"What can you do with a baked potato? Just throw it in the oven, right? Try this recipe once and you'll never bake mediocre spuds again! Similar potatoes were served for many years by Red Lobster when they were still just a small Florida chain."
First, make a trip to the grocery store. Buy a large box of food quality rock salt (the kind used in ice cream makers). You will also need a very deep metal baking pan or loaf pan large enough to hold the number of potatoes you intend to bake ... with plenty of room to spare. How does it work? The salt does NOT make the potato salty. It seems to create a miniature "brick oven" that keeps the potato flesh moist and fluffy while the potato skin becomes crisp and golden.
1. Wash potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush. Dry.
2. Apply thin coating of vegetable oil (Pam works well) to potato skin.
3. Pour just enough rock salt into the baking pan to cover the bottom.
4. Arrange the potatoes on top of the salt layer with a bit of space between them.
5. Cover the potatoes completely with rock salt, filling between them as well.
6. Bake at 425º for one hour. Remove from oven.
7. Carefully brush aside top salt layer and lift each potato out with a fork or tongs.
8. Brush away any salt that may have stuck to the potato skin.
9. Serve with butter, sour cream and freshly snipped chives. Eat the skins, too!
**After dinner, save the rock salt for the next time. It can be reused ten times or more.
I love RL food so now I have to try this. I especially love their Cheese Baking Powder biscuits. I found one kopycat recipe that called for making them with Bisquick. I sure didn't bother copying that one. Probably best if I don't know how to bake them; I'd never stop eating them. Jan
Ok now I have to ask how and why do you bake potatoes in rock salt. I have never heard of that. We used rock salt for the oysters but it was not to be eaten and we put blue coloring in it.
HappyDecor - you got me curious about cooking RL style baked potatoes.
Here is one thing I found about rock salt.
Rock salt: Less refined and grayish in color, this is the chunky crystal salt used in ice cream machines. This type is generally not used as an edible flavoring mixed into foods, but in cooking methods such as to bake potatoes or to encrust or embed meat, seafood or poultry for baking. Rock salt makes an impressive bed for oysters on the half shell. When using rock salt for cooking, be sure it is food-grade. Some rock salt sold for ice cream machines is not suitable for cooking.
Sorry this still doesn't help you find a source but you now know it must not be the kind for de-icing your sidewalk. Good luck & let us know where you find it.
Okay, I'll try that. Thanks dustbunny diva!
Pure rock salt is also sold to take care of ice on walks. You might want to try a hardware.
Also Morton makes rock salt (labelled for ice cream makers) but I don't know where you can get it. Maybe if you check the morton salt site?
Thanks itsjustme, I tried Superstore, and every major grocery store we have in the city. Also tried Old Fashioned Foods which is our health food store here(Saskatchewan) I thought maybe the people that used it for those icreammakers might know.
You should be able to find it at many grocery stores. Or try a health store, they'll have it too.