# No Salt/ Low Salt/ Salt Substitutes



## Will Squared (Feb 20, 2020)

Most Smoking seems to require a lot of salt.  It is like the number one ingredient in most rubs.
This is a problem with my wife and I. We have been smoking for a month now and we both wake up with puffy eyes from salt retention.
How do most of you folks deal with this?
Just use less salt?
Another thing that we try to cut down on is Sodium Nitrates.
How do you work around this?


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## fivetricks (Feb 20, 2020)

pops6927


He's a GREAT source for all of those questions. He should be along here at some point :-)

The short answer though is to make all of your own rubs. You can add as little or no salt as you wish. They're super easy to make, there's a million recipes to get you started!


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## pops6927 (Feb 20, 2020)

After 3 heart attacks I am a no-salt aficianado!  I am in process of developing "work-arounds" with no-salt recipes, but here is a great start -https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/salt-fee-sausage-seasoning.293655/ and many other salt-free seasonings from Marshall Creek!  Plus, curing your own with Pop's Curing brine has almost ¼ the sodium nitrite than commercial cures (maximum allowed by law is 3.84 oz. of sodium nitrite per gallon of water; I use 1 oz. per gallon of water instead!) - 
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/pops6927s-curing-brines-regular-and-lo-salt and test results: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/181560/immersion-bacon-curing-lab-test-results for far less sodium nitrite!


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## pops6927 (Feb 20, 2020)

And, I am doing tests on curing side (Canadian) bacon with just 1- 2  sodium nitrite per gallon and no other ingredients in the curing brine per gallon, then smoking it. (1 - 2 oz.)  It is very lean, perfect for the DASH diet I am on!  With egg whites!


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## pops6927 (Feb 20, 2020)

Also, I can't take Potassium Chloride as I take spironolactone (water pill) for my heart disease,  Potassium Chloride is a common salt substitute - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_substitute),


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## Will Squared (Feb 20, 2020)

Thanks Pops.
I knew that there would be someone with advise here.
My motto is, Where there's a Will there's a Way...
and I'm Will...


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## 2008RN (Feb 21, 2020)

I too have been taking the no salt/no salt smoking. My rubs have no salt, marinades and injections are low salt, and I make my own BBQ sauce with adding salt.  I have found so many recipes and then modified them for no salt.  every smoke is refining those recipes.


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## bradger (Feb 21, 2020)

I have heard but not tried too much is lemon juice as a substitute.


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## bradger (Feb 21, 2020)

just found this








						Herbal Salt Substitute
					

“For those of us who have been told to cut back on salt, this all-around handy blend can give herbal zest to any meal,” shares Lorna Wall in Ottawa, Canada. Or put in decorative shakers and use as thoughtful holiday stocking stuffers!




					www.tasteofhome.com
				




made this mix today, tried it on a frozen turkey burger.  it was good.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 21, 2020)

There you go you asked and you received. That was my thought too make your own rub and then Pop's came through with his suggestions. You have benefited from the great part of this forum and that is you ask and you will receive.

Warren


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## leonardwulf (Feb 21, 2020)

I often try to avoid salt with help:
Sea kale - It is used both fresh and dried.
Garlic- the product reduces the body's need for salt, supplying it with all the necessary nutrients.
Soy sauce


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## daveomak (Feb 21, 2020)

Sodium nitrite, I add at 1 gram cure#1 per pound of meat or 0.25% the weight of the meat...  Cutting back on nitrite can be a serious problem....   botulism is a lot harder on you than the effects from salt...
Salt, I've been cutting back and 1.5%, weight of the meat, seems to work well with no effects...
Then I add bare spices and herbs for flavor...
When I use store bought spice mixes, I generally use 1/2 the amount indicated and add bare spices and herbs to "Kick" up the flavor...
"Accent", MSG, can be added or fish sauce, I use Red Boat, and it doesn't taste fishy....  It's the Umami that comes through to spice up the food....


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## PolishDeli (Feb 21, 2020)

Most of the cure recipes are targeting the "max nitrite allowed by the USDA" rather than the "minimum needed for food preservation." 
For the latter case, you need to stay at or above 50mg/kg. 
So, 0.5g cure#1 per pound of meat, or 0.1% the weight of meat (this is for dry rubs and sausages.) 
Also, confirm whether you are using sodium nitr*ite*(NaNO2, Cure #1) or sodium nitr*ate* (NaNO3, cure #2)

MSG can be use to replace about 1/3 the amount of salt without affecting flavor.  MSG is a bad word though, so if you don’t want to buy a bag of it, you can use umami-containing foods in your spice mix (mushroom powders, tomato paste, nutritional yeasts, parmesan cheese). Spoiler alert – MSG and umami contain the same magic molecule:  glutamate.

Other things to try:  Just eat a smaller portion, and think critically about what else you’re eating.
If you are actually feeling puffy after eating the occasional salt-heavy dinner, you may want to go see an endocrinologist.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 22, 2020)

Thanks for the like Will Squared it is greatly appreciated.

Warren


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## Will Squared (Feb 22, 2020)

A Like is a small thing compared to the Smoking Wisdom I am able to take advantage of here.

A tip of my hat to you... Guru.


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## bradger (Feb 22, 2020)

leonardwulf said:


> Garlic- the product reduces the body's need for salt, supplying it with all the necessary nutrients.
> Soy sauce


soy sauce could have a lot of salt


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## Will Squared (Feb 22, 2020)

bradger said:


> soy sauce could have a lot of salt


 We have some "Low Sodium Soy Sauce" and it is only 1/2 the salt of regular.
575 mg per 1 tsp compared to 920 mg per tsp for the regular soy sauce.


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