J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet the family behind J.Q. Dickinson Salt and was immediately smitten. They are some of the nicest, warmest, most interesting people that I have met recently. When they started telling me about their salt, and the history behind it I was intrigued. Then I tasted it and I knew I was in love. The flavor is bright and unlike any salt that I have previously tasted.
William Dickinson began making salt in Kanawha County, VA in 1817 and today two seventh-generation descendants of his, siblings Nancy and Lewis, have reinvented this historic trade. Transforming the process by using natural and environmentally friendly concepts to produce small-batch finishing salt on the same family farm where William Dickinson lived and once made salt.
Sourced from an ancient, untouched 400 million year old sea called the Iapetus Ocean (predating the Atlantic) trapped below the Appalachian mountains, the salt is free of contaminants and heavy metals that may be found in other oceans. The brine is evaporated in special sun-houses and hand harvested, to create a perfect farm-to-table salt for any type of dish.
If you can move past simply buttering bread and dipping it in the salt there are a ton of great recipes to try here.
I am thrilled to share that Becket Hitch will be hosting a J.Q. Dickinson pop-up shop on Small Business Saturday this year. Please be sure to mark your calendars, Saturday, November 28th, and stop by between 10am and 2pm for tasting, stories and some wonderful salt.