How can I reduce the sodium/salt in Halloumi?

Question

I bought some Halloumi cheese the other day, and noticed that its sodium content is a WHOOPING 1.3 grams per 100 grams! I'm really scared to serve this now. Surely your blood pressure would skyrocket through the roof after consuming it?

I've read somewhere that soaking Halloumi overnight in water and lemon juice can draw out the salt in it, but is this true? And more importantly, to what degree? Does it only make it SLIGHTLY less salty? Have you experimented with it? Would chopping up the Halloumi and then soaking it overnight help draw out even more salt?

Answer 1

Oh no! I hope you don't also come close to exceeding the recommended maximum daily allowance of alcohol at dinner, too! ;-)

Seriously though, please don't do this. Aside from the fact that I'm skeptical that soaking halloumi for any reasonable amount of time will reduce the salt content significantly, that salt is one of the primary things that makes halloumi taste good. When you've got an ingredient with a lot of dairy protein and/or fat, it prevents your tongue from perceiving salt. If you remove the salt, it will taste flat and bland.

As a healthy person who appreciates well-seasoned food— including the occasional meal that might not be consumed solely with my health in mind— I am incredibly disappointed when I have to eat a meal with someone who's completely paranoid about salt, fat, or any of the other things that combine with good technique to transform boring ingredients into delicious meals that are worth savoring. Unless your guests have informed you of a specific medical dietary restriction, or you have one yourself, forcing your dinner guests to comply with your prejudice against salty things doesn't get you a lot of style points as a host.

A single serving of halloumi is 50 grams. It includes a sight less than half the recommended maximum daily sodium level by US standards. A sandwich with two thin slices of ham, one slice of American cheese, two tsp of mustard, and two slices of white bread has double that... and lots of people eat that for lunch and then go home for a regular dinner. While doing that every day isn't necessarily healthy, it's well within the realm of acceptable for an occasion.

Since you mentioned that you're serving this to your friends, I imagine that this isn't your every-night dinner, it's probably a dinner party. It's supposed to be a little bit of indulgence with which you can strengthen friendships and make memories. If the salt freaks you out, push the envelope a little with your cardio the next day to thank your circulatory system for the modicum of extra effort it put in. While you're hosting dinner guests, however, just let the special occasion be special.

Answer 2

Soaking Halloumi might get rid of a bit of the salt in the cheese that's close to the outer surface, but it isn't going to do much for you. Chopping it up will increase the surface area and allow more salt to be drawn out, it's still not going to make it that much less salty. If you have concerns about salt intake then there is lower salt halloumi sold in places, however that doesn't taste like much.

A little halloumi goes a long way, you could just eat small amounts of it or pair it up with something else. I barbecued pineapple and halloumi skewers this past weekend with a 2:1 ratio of pineapple to halloumi and it was a very good balance. Everyone ended up eating one or two chunks of halloumi in the end, so really overall a moderate amount of salt.

Answer 3

As GdD mentioned, cutting the cheese in smaller pieces will increase the surface area and make this process faster, but instead of soaking it in water and lemon juice, soak it in fresh milk. The calcium balance of the cheese and milk will stop the cheese from melting as it would do in water.

Depending on the firmness of the cheese, you can leave from one to two days. If you're not satisfied after that and the cheese is still firm enough, you can change the milk and try for two more days and repeatable until it suits your taste.

You can also try to go for the lemon and water method, but then just add a teaspoon of Calcium chloride for every two liters of waters. I have to warn that I had more success with the milk though. Hope that helps!

Answer 4

An effective (if time-consuming) way to "reduce" the salt in cheese would be to make it yourself. Want less salt = add less salt.

Be careful about soaking cheese in plain water for too long. Cheese can get a bit slimy when soaked. I believe it is to do with calcium (and lack-thereof in the water).