# Dissolving salt in olive oil ?



## kpgray (Feb 25, 2003)

Hi,
I've tried to make a dipping oil for bread with extra-virgin olive oil, spices and a little salt. I gently heated the oil and added the spices and salt. However, the salt did not dissolve.
I've tried the oil without the salt, and it definitely tastes better with a little salt. 
So, how do I get the salt to dissolve?
Thanks for your help,
...k


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You can't make salt dissolve in oil. You can't make sugar dissolve in oil either. In fact, it's hard to make anything dissolve in oil. 

Kuan


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

You could dissolve the salt in a bare minimum of water, lemon juice or other liquid, add it to the oil and mix it up when you want to use it. If you use just a tiny amount of liquid it shouldn't be that noticable in the oil


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## chef1x (Dec 4, 2002)

Of course, you're using kosher or sea salt, not iodized.


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## kpgray (Feb 25, 2003)

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies. I did try using light grey sea salt and regular table salt. Neither dissolved. I think Kuan is right and I will probably try Pete's suggestion and use a little balsamic vinegar to dissolve the salt first.
....k


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## super cola blue (Apr 22, 2017)

you guys are going about it all wrong. this is not a culinary problem. Its just simple chemistry.

Salt only dissolves in Polar compounds, Oil is non polar. in order to mix polar and non polar things, you need an emulsifier.


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## super cola blue (Apr 22, 2017)

"Oil and vinegar, as everyone knows, don't mix. You can force them to do so by shaking or mixing them violently, but they'll eventually part ways. But you can compel them to make friends through by introducing an intermediary. Garlic and mustard make very good ambassadors, but there are other foods which work equally well: blue cheese, catsup, a touch of miso, and of course egg yolk, which is perhaps too good an emulsifier for vinaigrette-it will make your dressing seem more solid than liquid."

http://lifehacker.com/5950129/understand-how-emulsification-works-to-make-better-salad-dressing

tl;dr

You need a little middle man to get the oil and salt to mix.

try mixing the salt in garlic or egg yoke first. so the mix can emulsify.


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