What's your definition of "season to taste?"

[HeatherFeather]

So I know everyone seems to have their own idea of seasoning "to taste." I wonder how much differently we all measure "to taste" and how much we really add to our food.

My grandmother always poured a bit of salt or whatever into the hollow of her cupped hand - just the part in the center. She considered that to be a "teaspoon." Some people grab a spoon from the flatware drawer and take a scoop with that. Others carefully measure with a measuring spoon, still others just grind away.

I measure with measuring spoons for baking and anything else where I want to be very precise with measurements and proportions. For my ordinary foods, I grab a flatware spoon for things like mayo or sour cream, etc and use the shake method for spices most of the time.

For salt I flip flop, since what I grind or shake over something always seems to be far less than my family wants. I have been trying to figure out just how much to add using a different method now, trying to get closer to the right balance for my family's taste buds.

So how do you season to taste in your kitchen?

[Bergy]

Anyone that LOVES salt in their food and is not fond of pepper would not like how I "season to taste". I am very low salt and tend to be quite high on pepper. However Heather I always tend to consider my guests and what they like.
I have a garlic/salt mill that I love and usually grind about 4 rounds of it to my dishes, of course, that depends on the dish. I think with every recipe it will vary but my main rule is - Taste as you go

[Felix4067]

It depends on what I'm seasoning with. We've been low sodium for so long that one twist of my sea salt grinder is more than plenty for me on a plate, and I pretty much never add salt while cooking unless it's for baking. Pepper, for a plate of something is usually 3-4 twists of the grinder, while a whole pot of something is more like 10-12 twists.

Most condiments like mayonnaise or whatever I do by look rather than any kind of measurement. I honestly couldn't tell you how much mayo I put in my tuna salad, for instance, but I know exactly how it should look.

[Kchurchill5]

When using mayos' sour cream, dressings, etc.; I tend to go much less than most people. I don't like my food drowning in it. So many potato salads have the potatoes swimming in mayonnaise. YUCK for me. I always dress lightly, then you can always go back.

Now for seasoning, I try to write the recipe for most, with an average amount of salt; but for me, I grew up using LESS salt than most, and the same with pepper; but me personally, I always added more pepper even though Mom didn't add much.

I CAN'T stand unseasoned food, but that doesn't have to be just salt and pepper. Fresh herbs, lemon or orange zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, etc., offer lots of flavor.

One thing I do ... is taste as I go, and season as I go. I find this really helps in cooking. I try to season each layer and taste; that way, when I get to the final layer of flavor, I wait usually until close to the end to season. Many times, I am fine; but I have found many of my friends want MORE salt. I always add salt and pepper on the table.

But also; adding fresh herbs, cheese, a gremolata or salsa can add lots of flavor without PURE salt or pepper

So, for me, I add pinches as I go on each layer, then finish at the end

I have found that people who eat out a lot LOVE their salt. Many restaurant foods are extremely high in salt and those people who eat out a lot LOVE THAT. I was always brought up on fresh veggies, fruits, fish and NOT a lot of packaged ingredients, so, salt was not something I was used to. Most foods I eat out are WAY TOO salty for me.

[Chocolatl]

It depends on what I'm seasoning with. We've been low sodium for so long that one twist of my sea salt grinder is more than plenty for me on a plate, and I pretty much never add salt while cooking unless it's for baking. Pepper, for a plate of something is usually 3-4 twists of the grinder, while a whole pot of something is more like 10-12 twists.

Most condiments like mayonnaise or whatever I do by look rather than any kind of measurement. I honestly couldn't tell you how much mayo I put in my tuna salad, for instance, but I know exactly how it should look.

Felix, you are a woman after my own heart! I do find, however, that I'm salting things a bit more lately than I used to. But I rarely use more than a dash of salt in cooking.

I also just eyeball condiments like mayonnaise. I really have to stop and think when I want to upload a recipe, because I almost never measure things like this.

[Dissie]

I am not a "pepper" person. I will add it to gravy and a few shakes when cooking, but I do not enjoy pepper on my plate of food. My family however, loves pepper and uses it heavily on their plates. (Just the smell often turns my stomach!) But I do love salt. I add less than I "think" it needs, and let others add their own amount. I also like seasoned salt instead of just salt.

I do add luzianne cajun seasoning to many dishes, and also use it in place of salt and pepper for the table. I love the blend of spices in that product. I would rather use this blend than use salt and pepper.

[Mysterygirl]

In school, every recipe said to taste under salt and pepper. Some foods are naturally salty, for example cheese, olives, or capers. Processed foods also have varying amounts of salt within them so it may not even be necessary to add to your dish.

The last thing we did was taste the dish before plating and would add salt or pepper based upon the flavor. Fried foods do not salt until you remove them from the oil but do it as soon as you do or it won't stick. Salting food in the oil breaks the oil down quicker.

[Kchurchill5]

Even many ingredients these days come in LOW salt versions; and if the recipe just calls for (i.e., chicken broth) if the cook uses low salt, that can create a big difference in the overall taste.

I always try to season as I go, but lightly. Especially as mentioned, olives, capers, deli meats, etc can add extra salt. I always finish seasoning and tasting the final amount at the end of the dish. But I still have friends that dump more salt on their plate.

[LindasBusyKitchen]

There are certain things that just don't taste right if I don't cook them with salt... Pasta, potatoes and eggs to name a few... And if you add salt after cooking them at the table, you can never get enough salt on them to get the flavor of being cooked with salt. There is nothing worse than a potato salad or pasta dish with no salt in my book, but to each his own! I love pepper too, but usually add what I like at the table and follow the recipes suggestions if I am making a new recipe.

Cajun seasonings, seasonings salts most always have salt in them and that's what makes them taste so good HOWEVER: I have been to restaurants and the food is so salty that it takes away from the dish and I have actually returned prime rib and steak in the past. I also hate when gravy tastes like bouillon cubes... That makes it way too salty too!

When I bake I sometimes leave out the salt, but it depends on what it is. In cookies I don't see a reason to use salt, but other things I may add some.


FYI:
Luzianne® Cajun Seasoning - is made from a time-tested blend of yellow and brown mustard seeds that produces a delicious, bold and full-flavored mustard. In Louisiana, we use our mustard for cooking as much as we do for sandwiches. It's excellent as a base for grilling meats and poultry and for frying fish. It's the perfect addition to marinades, dips and salad dressings.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 Tsp. (0.9g)

Sodium 260mg 11 % %

Ingredients: Salt, Spices, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, and Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed and Soy Oil, Paprika, Monosodium Glutamate, Malto Dextrins, Modified Food Starch, Corn Syrup, Lemon Juice, With Added Lemon Oil.

[Kchurchill5]

Pasta and potatoes ... absolutely salt while cooking. Otherwise it just it bland no matter what you do.