Salt produces and promotes the development of color in meats and baked goods. Salt should be used as a flavor enhancer for a dish and not a flavoring in itself. A pinch too much or too little can have a profound effect on a dish. Salt raises the boiling point of water so it should be added after boiling is achieved to reduce cooking time. It also draws the moisture out of food so it should not be added to raw meat or it will drain it of its juice.
Salt balances the action of yeast and in sweet mixtures it helps to develop flavor.
Add minimal salt when reducing a mixture because salt will not evaporate and the flavor can become too concentrated. There are such a wide variety of salt and salt mixtures on the market today. Table salt contains potassium and iodide. Kosher salt is coarse-grained and free of additives that tend to cause pickling solutions to cloud. Sea salt is also coarse and along with kosher salt is more flavorful than table salt.