Bob wrote:

Here you go Bob, but first a word about your recipe example, allow me
some poetic license because I am looking at a model he

Bob put up a recipe that calls for unsalted butter and this recipe ends
up having, for grins, 100 units of salt in it. Whoops, no unsalted, so
we'll add some salted butter in (btw, let's not get into "adjusting"
because the other salt is already in). Say there is enough salt in the
butter added to bring the overall salt content up five units.

Bob says that will wash out and doesn't make any difference, because
that 5% is inconsequential (remember, the actual number here is for
illustration).

Here's the rub, Bob, there is an assumption everyone would make the dish
with 100 units of salt. Not so. People on salt-restricted diets or those
who naturally eat low levels of salt might only put in 25 units. Now
that extra five is a 20% increase and that is significant and detectable.

Here's why (I went out and found some actual real research, Bob, that is
replicable and not meaningless numbers).


Elmer, Patricia Jeanne. 1988. The Effect Of Dietary Sodium Reduction and
Potassium-Chloride Supplementation on Sodium-Chloride Taste Perceptions
in Mild Hypertensives. University of Minnesota.

Now, I haven't read the full document, but if I get the gist of what she
says, people who are on low sodium diets, prefer significantly less salt
and showed significant changes in their salt taste (variables) and
showed a preference for significantly lower concentrations of (salt).

Now, I haven't read the whole thing, but is appears that science and
replicable research back my position that the shift from unsalted to
salted butter in a recipe CAN make a difference in taste. As opposed to
your, no way.

Hopefully, this will add some new information for you to consider.
instead of blindly rejecting the possibility that a mere change from
unsalted to salted butter can make a difference.


jim