SALT (Part Four): The Taste of Time – How to Build Flavour with Layers, Acids, Herbs, and Ferments

Michelle Myrick
Jul 24
3 min read

There’s a saying around here that the best meals don’t just feed your belly—they tell a story. And if you’ve been following along with this salty little series, you’ll know that good food isn’t about fancy ingredients or fussy techniques. It’s about building flavour slow and steady, with care, with patience and with a little trust in time.

So how do you build deep, soulful flavour—the kind that sticks to your ribs and stirs up memories? It starts with knowing how to layer.

Layering Flavour: Like Writing a Song, Not Painting a Picture

Flavour layering is less like slapping on a coat of paint and more like writing a song.

You’re stitching together notes—bright, bold, bitter, tangy, sweet, rich—to create something rhythmic and meaningful. Cooking can be similar. It’s part instinct, part tradition, and a whole lot of tasting going on as you create.

Here’s the backbone of it:

1. Salt Sets the Foundation

We’ve talked plenty about salt, but it bears repeating: salt is your first note - in fact it's the main key of the song. It wakes everything up and brings it to life. Use it early to deepen flavours (in roasting, browning, marinating) and sparingly at the end to bring it all together.

2. Acid Brings the Spark

A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of kraut brine—acid cuts through fat and wakes up the palate. Don’t underestimate what a dash of brightness can do to a stew or roasted veg. It’s like opening a window in a stuffy room.

3. Fat Carries the Tune

Butter, olive oil, cream—fat holds flavour on the tongue. It helps aromas linger and softens sharp notes. Use it wisely: a drizzle at the end, a sizzle at the start, a dollop for richness.

4. Ferments Add Depth and Life

Your krauts, pickled carrots, kefir dressings, and kombucha glazes don’t just taste good—they change a dish. Ferments are living foods that add tang, umami, and complexity. They also feed your gut with every bite.

A spoon of kraut alongside roast pork, a splash of kombucha in a vinaigrette, kefir or miso blended into a sauce—each one adds a little wildness, and a lot of wisdom.

5. Herbs & Aromatics: The Personality

Garlic, onions, fresh thyme, dill, rosemary, mint—these are the characters in your flavour story. Use them fresh for brightness, dried for grounding. Toast spices to bring out their oils, and muddle fresh herbs to release their essence.

6. Time: The Secret Ingredient

Give things time to simmer, marinate, rest. Flavour needs time to bloom, settle, and deepen. Even a 10-minute pause after cooking can make all the difference.

From Pantry to Plate: Putting It All Together

Let’s say you’re cooking up a simple pan of roasted veggies:

Toss them in olive oil and salt (fat + salt)
Roast until caramelized (time)
Finish with a squeeze of lemon (acid)
Serve with a spoon of yogurt mixed with garlic and kefir (fat + ferment + aromatic)
Top with chopped herbs and a pinch of flaky salt (fresh + finishing touch)

It’s not fancy. But it’s full of f flavour, intention and nourishment.

Learn the Art of Slow, Delicious Cooking

Want to bring this kind of cooking into your home?

Come join us at The Keeper’s Kitchen Inn for one of our hands-on workshops. We’ll show you how to blend the old ways with everyday ease—using fermented foods, salt, herbs, and time to create meals that are good for the belly and the soul.

Our Gut Health and Fermentation Workshops and being held upon request this season (Wed-Sun from 9:30-11:00am)

Location: The Keeper's Kitchen Inn, St. Shotts, Newfoundland

Let’s keep building flavour the way our grandmothers did—slow, simple, and full of heart.

Next up in this Blog Series on Salt, we’ll take a peek inside the Keeper’s Kitchen Pantry. I'll show you our favourite ferments, some homemade staples, as well as how to stock a gut-friendly, flavour-rich kitchen all year long.