Why are pre-mixed seasonings and marinades and dips so damn salty?

@Dutchess_III At first glace, I thought your question was “Why are [they] so tasty?” and I was going to answer that they add a lot of salt. So, the answer to your question is that they add a lot of salt in order to make it tasty. It seems to be the trend these days.

But these dips and seasonings are not hard to make at home – if you’re making your own, you can control what goes into it.

I have a marinade recipe similar to the JD’s one, but without the salt. I need to dig it out.

Who thinks food tastes better with a lot of salt??

Not me. :)
But I’m assuming that market testing is showing producers that it’s what people want, on average.

Then people, on average, are crazy!

I make my own marinades. My favorite is olive oil, lemon juice, a little Cavender’s Greek Seasoning (also available in salt free), and a good shake of Riley’s, Salt Free.

Riley’s is locally made, but worth the trouble to get, IMO. I pass it locally to my friends: I bought a gallon clearanced for $5.

To give an answer to your question, @Dutchess_III, I think the packets are geared toward a young audience, accustomed to eating convenience foods. They expect excess salt.

Finally, SALT IS CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP. Certainly cheaper than garlic powder, and not nearly the pain in the butt that lemon juice powder is.

But most convenience food doesn’t taste salty to me.
It would be even cheaper not to put so MUCH salt in!

Really, @Dutchess_III? I can hardly, for instance, eat Mac & Cheese out of a box for all the salt. Nor Tuna Helper.

Salt is a natural preservative and moisture preventive. That’s the reason that low salt/no salt can be more expensive to make. The cheap salt has to be replaced with something.

I was thinking fast food, I guess.

As a preservative, I guess that makes sense.

I worked for Pet/Pillsbury/General Mills in a food factory for 20 years, @Dutchess_III. Changing a formulation is a HUGE deal, so some of it is also a throwback to times past whne we were less conscious of salt intake.

Salt fills the packets nearly for free, and helps keep everything else fresh and clump free.

Because the salt makes it delicious. Some are too salty, it’s true. I’d rather add my own additional salt if it needs it. One, to control the salt, and two for the idodine.

Tip: dry rub Good Seasons Italian in the packet on steak and then sautee in oil in a pan. Sooo good. I like it with salad and the prepared italian dressing on the side. It’s good with orzo and veggies also.

There is absolutely no doubt that a salt in food enhances the flavor. I put a little salt in almost everything I make. We need salt for our nervous systems to function correctly, and the only way we can get it is via external sources.

However, too much salt and all you taste is salt, with a barely detectable layer of flavor under that. But that’s my opinon.

I dated a guy once who heavily salted everything he ate. I mean, he piled the salt on. I don’t think it was healthy, in fact, it was a little embarrassing to watch him spend 10 minutes piling salt on his food in a restaurant, but I guess you can develop a taste for it.

Right now my tongue hurts I just ate something so salty. LOL.

Well, you can take my word for it that nearly anything that comes in a dry packet intended to season food is basically flavored salt.

Taco seasoning, for instance. I find the packets to be too salty unless I buy the low sodium version. I know from making taco seasoning packets, however, that it reduces the shelf lift accordingly.

Air and moisture are the enemies of food. Salt is the most effective, cheapest way to control moisture. In the last decade or so there’s been efforts to replace the “air” in packages with nitrogen, an inert gas.

Now my fingers ache from lecturing. ;-)

When is the test?

Everyone gets a predetermined grade based on past experience. You pass.

Because salt is cheap and it’s a way to stretch the flavor of the manufactured product. Flavorings cost more than salt.

Salt is also good at breaking down the meat fibers, You don’t just marinate for flavor; you also do it for tenderizing. I don’t use premade marinades. I make all of mine from scratch. And most of mine use salt or soy sauce. BUT I’ve found from making lots of Indian food that yogurt is also a good tenderizer and you can mix the spices in the yogurt and put the meat in.

Also remember that marinades are WAY “overflavored” because you’re usually suposed to rinse off the meat after marinating. I brine my turkey and whole chickens and when I do, I use a lot of salt. But when you taste it, you’d never know. It doesn’t taste salty at all. But I make sure to wash the bird well after brining.

@keobooks How about lemon juice? I love lemon juice marinades, esp. for fish, chicken and pork.

Yeah those are good too. I don’t use them too often myself but I think you’re right. I’ll have to use more citrusy marinades.

^^ Olive oil + lemon juice + seasonings = awesome marinades. I like to use salt free seasoning blends, then add a little salt so I’m in control. I figure salt is always something you can add at the table.

This article is really helpful for making your own marinades. It explains how they work and what to mix. I haven’t read it in a LONG time and now I see that I’ve gone almost totally oil based—but there are so many other ways to go.

Thanks, @keobooks!

I find the lemon/olive/seasonings route too easy and delicious to resist. It works so well on the grill. YUM!

Penzey Spices has great versions of most store bough marinades and seasonings. All of them I’ve bought except for their taco seasoning is salt free. If you have one in your area (which I do) you don’t have to pay for shipping since you can just walk in and buy it. It’s cheaper than the grocery store, tastier and healthier too.

Here is a link to their salt free mixes. But ALL of their spices rock.

Did you see my Riley’s, Salt Free link, above? It’s made about 20–30 minutes from me in a little town. I love it.

I’ve never heard of Penzey’s, but I’ll check out the link.

Yuck. I hate too much salt.

I always use half a packet and add extra cornstarch if necessary for those mix things, unless it’s Ramen, in which case it’s supposed to taste like Death By MSG.

^^ Hmmm. Ramen noodles. Thrift versus death. I ate them when I was young, dumb and full of…

ANYWAY, even back then, one packet of seasoning would do for 4–5 packs of noodles!

Here is a salt free ramen noodle recipe It tastes pretty good!

Here’s another but I haven’t tried it.

It seems onion powder is the key to the flavor.

Sometimes I add soy sauce to my Ramen. I’m going to hell.

@Seek_Kolinahr I feel bloated and over salted just READING that… eww!

@keobooks lol. Yup. Craving a cool pitcher of water, and bloating on the way to the sink.

@Seek_Kolinahr I think it’s safe to add a little soy sauce if you completely forgo the little seasoning packet! For gourd’s sake, you don’t let the child sample that, do you. @keobooks‘ll be hotlining you to child services.

:)

In the past I’ve used Ramen noodles (not with the packet of seasoning) for my mac n cheese. I really liked it!

To mask all the bizarre chemical enhancements you can’t pronounce.
Benzoxynapatholatolperoxidine. Mmm…gives that spinach dip depth!

without salt flavor becomes very subjective, and it is difficult to move product because not enough people are willing to try it, or if they try “it’s just not their thing”. but with salt, sugar, fat, and MSG, you have a product that can be reliably sold to a potential 80% of the customers in the US who would by such a thing. you, @Dutchess_III are in the 20%. The kind that realizes you can’t just substitute flavor with those 4 things, but require a delicate melody of flavors.

Salt is one of the key ingredients of almost all dips and marinades. They’re intended to accompany relatively neutral foods or unsalted foods like vegetables, toast or unsalted crackers. So they try to add more salt to bring out the flavors and give it a taste that most people appreciate.

Salt does bring out the flavors when you use reasonable amounts. I just wondered why they use unreasonable amounts, and now I guess I know. Thanks ya’ll.