The Biggest Mistake You Make While Salting A Margarita Rim

When it comes to making homemade margaritas look as delicious as the ones you order in a restaurant, the most difficult part has got to be getting that salted rim right. The salt is an essential part of the margarita tasting experience, but having a subpar rim can ruin the whole thing. In fact, when crafting your margarita and salting the rim of your favorite glass, the biggest mistake you could be making is using table salt.

Iodized salt, or table salt, is what you'd find in packets at a restaurant or in those cylindrical containers at the grocery store, which can be used to flavor food. But one thing you definitely shouldn't be using it for is rimming your margarita glass. This variety is more likely to get clumpy and has too much flavor to be used for mixology or decorative purposes. Instead, stick to the more aesthetically pleasing sea salt or kosher salt. 

Along with choosing the correct variety from the the many kinds of salt, there are plenty of other ways you can make sure you're getting the best rim possible when making your next margarita. This might seem obvious, but you need some kind of liquid to make sure the flakes or chunks stick to the glass. The classic choice in this case is lime juice; simply use a lime wedge or store-bought juice to line the rim before dunking it into the salt. Other fruit juices will also work, but you could use simple syrup for a sweeter touch or water if you don't want any flavor.

Then it's on to the salting. Hosting guru Martha Stewart recommends filling a plate or bowl with salt that measures about one-eighth of an inch high. After getting the rim all juiced up, the next step would be to roll the outer edge of the glass in the salt. Stewart's website also highlights the importance of not getting the mineral inside your glass as this can mess up the flavor and the look of the resulting cocktail.

If you're feeling extra creative, there are lots of ways to jazz up your salted rim for more flavor. Sometimes a spicy margarita will come with a classic rim, but it can be kicked up another notch by adding chili powder to the salt mixture. You could even try rimming your glass with Tajin, which is a chili and lime flavored seasoning; this cuts out having to combine chili powder and salt on your own.

Another fun take on the salted rim comes with zesting your citrus. Along with the juice, you can combine the zest of a lemon, lime, or other citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruits with your salt before lining the rim. If you want more of a citrus kick and you happen to have dried peels and a spice grinder, you can crush that up and mix it with the salt as well.