Why does processed food have so much sodium?

[Anerystos]

The only product with msg I used previously was bullion cubes, but now I use "soup and gravy base" or "beef goo" as my wife calls it. But msg is no substitute for alliums in cooking.

I agree completely. At home I make my own veg stock, as well as chicken stock from the remains if we have roast chicken. I only use "beef goo" as you accurately put it when I cook for a senior citizens' Lunch Club. Elf and Danger insist that either everything must be prepared in the on-site kitchen or must come out of a sealed packet. The fact that on their 1 (dreadful) to 5 (well, OK) rating system my kitchen would rate a six at least.

The worst are, of course, the various flavours of "gravy granules". Anyone who uses them except in dire emergency should be burned at the stake. Even worse, they should be forced to eat (drink?) it. But that would count as cruel and unusual punishment and banned under the Geneva Convention.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

But would consuming that much salt increase or decrease flammability?

I had to make 300 servings of gravy for my Guard unit once. They gave me "I can't believe it's not butter" and no giblets or drippings. I had to use beef granules to give the stuff some color because the flour wouldn't brown at all. Tolerable results, barely, but everyone else thought it was great.

 

[Anerystos]

I had to make 300 servings of gravy for my Guard unit once. They gave me "I can't believe it's not butter" and no giblets or drippings. I had to use beef granules to give the stuff some color because the flour wouldn't brown at all. Tolerable results, barely, but everyone else thought it was great.

My sympathy lies with you.

I've heard of using chocolate in gravy and casseroles to both enrich and colour them. I've never tried it. Has anyone tried it: if so, did it work? I usually brown the meat well to use the Maillard reactions and this produces enough colour so I don't need anything else.

 

[fuelair]

But the Crackling is Superb!

Oh so fun and British..........http://www.amazon.com/But-Crackling...5&sr=1-2&keywords=But+the+Crackling+is+Superb

 

[Anerystos]

I've just come across Michael Moss Salt, Sugar, Fat. How the food giants hooked us. Only just started it, but it seems good.

[Later edit] Sorry temporalillusion - I've just gone through the posts and found yours (#34)! Consider this an endorsement of your views.

I did wonder where I found out about it. I have a habit of seeing a book mentioned, consulting the public library catalogue and ordering it from them on loan. Then I forget that I have, and wonder why I get an email saying it's ready for collection. I've got a lot of crap, but accidentally come across some really good stuff.

 

[bigred]

Again I was reminded how much diff there can be between "has lots of salt" and "tastes salty." Over the last few days I had 2 things: a bag of popcorn and one of those "steamer" bags of veggies but smothered in cheese - very salty tasting, and I'm thinking "oh man, so much for being healthy" and checked the back of the package:

Those 2 things combined don't have nearly as much salt as a teaspoon of soy sauce. Sheesh.