Fleur de Sel Sea Salts

Sea salt is a broad term that generally refers to unrefined salt derived directly from a living ocean or sea. Most manufacturers of sea salt typically do not refine the salt, so it still contains natural traces of other minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and iodine.

Proponents of sea salt rave about its bright, pure, clean flavor, and about the subtleties left by trace minerals. Sea salt is thought to be healthier and more flavorful than traditional table salt.

Isla Blanca Flake and Fleur de Sel Finishing Sea Salts are the premier varieties of specialty salts. Harvested by hand in South Padre Island, our finishing salts are most admired for their unique textures—either moist crystals or delicate flakes. Both varieties provide a strong crunch and dissolve quickly, resulting in a burst of clean, mild flavor with each bite. These salts enhance the depth of natural flavors in any dish, and enrich a table setting with beautiful, shimmering presentation. 

Flake Sea Salt is a light crystal reminiscent of snowflakes. Seawater is slowly evaporated , producing salt brine that is fed into an evaporating pan. The brine is then slowly heated until delicate pyramid-shaped crystals of salt are formed. The finished product is light, flakey sea salt. Flake salts can come in many different sizes, from large pyramid-shaped flakes to paper-thin, delicate flakes. 

Fleur de sel is obtained by hand harvesting the young salt crystals that form on the surface of salt evaporation pans giving the Fleur de Sel its characteristic crunch and clean light taste. This exquisite salt is hand harvested and is considered to be queen of all salts by the famous chefs and cooks everywhere. Our Fleur de Sel is collected at a single source located in South Padre Island, Texas. Great on: grilled meats and seafood. Exceptional on: rich chocolate desserts

Most sea salts contain 84%-87% sodium chloride (40% sodium) and are rich in essential minerals. A general rule of thumb is that 2 to 3 times less sea salt is required to get the equivalent taste as table salt. 

Table Salt

Table salt is the most common kind of salt found in the average kitchen. It usually comes from salt mines. Once mined, it is refined and most minerals are removed until it is pure sodium chloride (97% sodium). A common sentiment is that this process creates a more bland and bitter salt than unprocessed varieties, not to mention the removal of the potential benefits of its trace minerals.

Most table salt is also available in either plain or iodized forms, where the salt is artificially spray coated with iodine. American salt manufacturers began iodizing salt in the 1920s during The Great Depression, in cooperation with the government, after people in some parts of the country were found to be suffering from goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by an easily-preventable iodine deficiency. Today we know that most people require less than 225 micrograms of iodine daily. Seafood and many dark greens, as well as sea salt, contain iodine naturally, and the supplement is unnecessary if there are sufficient quantities of either in one’s diet. Table salt typically contains around 96% sodium chloride and additives such as sugar, calcium silicate and ferrocyanide.  Natural sea salt is a healthy replacement for ordinary table salt.

SEA SaLT   or 

Table Salt

Who We Are

Isla Blanca Sea Salt - Our Salty Story

Ann and I founded Salt Masters LLC in 2016 after discovering the importance of quality sea salt with its essential minerals in our diets. We bought sea salts from around the world, and we researched how they were processed and their various uses. After much research and with my background in process technology, where I have patents and patents pending, we decided to make our own line of pure sea salt to rival any in the world. First, we needed world-class clean seawater with consistent high salinity, little sediment, very little freshwater runoff, and little chance of industrial pollution. We started testing water from the North to South end of Padre Island and found the ideal location near South Padre Island with all the qualities we were seeking on a consistent basis. Padre Island was named Isla Blanca by the Spanish for its brilliant white sands rising out of the clear Gulf waters.

We hand harvest all our seawater in small containers in the deep guts in between the breakers in the surf zone on Isla Blanca. The waves keep the water oxygenated and the salinity and minerals consistent at all depths. From the island, we bring the seawater to our cottage salt factory where we settle any natural sediment and carbon filter the water into shallow pans where we slowly evaporate the water where we gently skim newly formed salt crystals to make Fleur de Sel or allow the crystals to grow longer and flatter to make a Flake salt. Both are dried to the right moisture content for the salt type and the Flake salt is stone-ground to perfection. Every batch is tested and exceeds EPA drinking water quality standards. 

We suggest that our Gulf Coast sea salts and seasoned sea salts are used primarily as finishing salts to enjoy its quality to the fullest. We pinch our salt, as do most chefs, or use a small salt spoon to drizzle the salt onto dishes as a finish. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments on our products. Wishing you health and wellness. 

- John and Ann Hancock

ISLA BLANCA SEA SALT WATER

.I sometimes see employees drinking several Gatorades and other sports drinks a day trying to “increase” electrolytes and reduce cramping. Sports drinks are designed to replenish sodium and potassium for athletes who do a moderate to high intensity workout of 60 minutes or longer each day. Unfortunately, sports energy drinks are also high in sugar and food dyes, and drinking more than 1 serving a day can increase the risk of diabetes and other health conditions. According to the Gatorade website, a 20-ounce serving of Gatorade contains 140 calories and 36 grams of carbohydrates, with 34 grams of carbohydrates coming straight from sugar. One serving size is 8 oz of Gatorade (the smallest bottle sold).

A healthier, and cheaper, alternative is to add a couple of pinches of sea salt to food and water during the day to help with hydration. Sea salt is a mineral-filled salt that not only keep employees hydrated, but also keeps them healthier.

(Please remember the daily limit of sodium should be capped at 2300 mg. The ideal daily sodium intake is 1500 mg of sodium. The serving size for sea salt is 1/4 teaspoon which is 500 mg of sodium. A pinch is anywhere between 1/8 – 1/16 teaspoon.)

So, what’s the difference between sea salt and table salt? Sea salt comes from ocean water or saltwater lakes, full of healthy minerals, and is made with little processing. Table salt, on the other hand, comes from underground salt and is heavily processed to remove healthy minerals.

Next time you’re at the store, pick up a high-quality sea salt and take it with you to work. You can add it to your water or food for added health benefits. Contrary to what most people think, sea salt is an inexpensive alternative with major health benefits and should be used instead of regular table salt. Here are eight health benefits to adding a couple of pinches of sea salt to your food or water.

Hydration – Sea salt helps the body absorb water for optimal hydration, as well as helps the body stay hydrated for longer periods of time.
Reduces fluid retention – Sea salt is loaded with minerals such as potassium and sodium that help release retained water. Sprinkling sea salt on your food can help with digestion and reduce bloating (best not to add table salt to food or eat food high in preservatives).
High in minerals – Sea salt has 84 traces of minerals. Over the decades, the farming process has caused us to lose out on key minerals in our food. Adding a couple of pinches of sea salt to your food or water allows the body to absorb needed minerals for optimal health.
Electrolytes – Sea salt is high in Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, and Sodium. These minerals are key for muscle, brain, and heart health. Adding sea salt and a squeeze of lemon is more helpful to increase electrolytes than popular sports drinks.
Prevents cramps – Minerals found in sea salt help to keep muscles relaxed. Our muscles start to tighten up and contract when we are low on these minerals, causing symptoms like cramping, muscle soreness, and restless leg syndrome. Magnesium in sea salt plays a big role in preventing cramps. Taking an Epson salt bath is another great way to recover from a strenuous day.
Improves digestion – Sea salt aides in creating hydrochloric acid, an acid produced in the stomach to help break down food. A lack of hydrochloric acid can create symptoms like bloating, heartburn, gas, and indigestion. Switching from table salt to sea salt will help improve your digestion.
Nourishes adrenal glands – Adrenal glands produce hormones that are vital for living. These include hormones that regulate our metabolism and blood pressure. Most often, our adrenals are over-stimulated and out of balance. Stressors from life, poor diets, and caffeine wreak havoc on our adrenals and can cause fatigue, high blood pressure, weight gain, muscle weakness, and moodiness. The potassium and sodium in sea salt helps to balance adrenal glands and prevent adrenal gland dysfunction.
Regulates Blood Pressure – The minerals in sea salt help to reduce inflammation and boost immunity, which helps regulate blood pressure. Inflammation caused by poor diet and high sugar foods leads to high blood pressure. Substituting table salt with high quality sea salt and increasing water intake can improve heart health and help prevent heart disease. Biohealth Management LLC