7.6 C
Washington
Thursday, November 7, 2024

What’s the Difference Between Kosher Salt and Table Salt?

Date:

Share:

Kosher salt, olive oil and other ingreditent“Chef Thomas Heitz of the restaurant Port, in Pickering, Toronto shows off the ingredients used in cooking beef for his "weck" sandwich, including Kosher salt. Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Salt is perhaps the most-used seasoning in the world. It’s also a food preservative. You may have noticed that many recipes say to use kosher salt rather than regular table salt. But is it really important which one you use?

First, all salt is the same chemically, in that it’s a mineral made of sodium and chlorine. The vast majority of the world’s salt is gathered through mining or by evaporating seawater, and all comes in a crystalline form.

Regular salt, or table salt, is what’s in most salt shakers. It’s usually ground into fine crystals and contains anti-caking additives to prevent it from clumping together. A lot of table salt is iodized, too, which means iodine has been added. In the U.S., the practice of iodizing salt began in the 1920s as an inexpensive and effective means of combating iodine deficiencies, which are common in many spots around the globe.

Kosher salt comes in larger crystals than table salt, and the crystals are flaky and coarse. This makes them great at drawing out moisture from meat. Kosher salt got its name because of a Jewish kosher tradition requiring all meat to have the blood removed before eating. Since this type of salt can do that easily, it became known as kosher salt.

Most kosher salt isn’t iodized, nor does it typically contain anti-caking additives, since the crystals are larger. It’s these larger crystals that make kosher salt favored by chefs, who find it easy to pick up with their fingers and sprinkle over food. Larger crystals are also easier to control, which means less over- and under-salting. Many chefs also feel iodized salt has an off-putting flavor.

If you’re in a jam, you can certainly swap kosher salt for table salt, and vice versa. Just beware of the quantity you’re using, as you can’t substitute one for the other at a 1:1 ratio. Since a teaspoon of table salt is heavier than a teaspoon of kosher salt, due to the difference in grain size, you need to use more kosher salt if you’re swapping it for table salt, or use less table salt if you’re substituting it for kosher salt. (Morton Salt has a handy conversion chart.) One teaspoon of table salt is equivalent to 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt, while 1 teaspoon of kosher salt is equal to 3/4 teaspoon of table salt.

NOW THAT’S INTERESTING

Pink Himalayan salt is a pricey, upscale salt variety used in food, lamps and spa treatments. Many people think it’s from India, but virtually all of this salt is mined in a hilly region of Pakistan.

Subscribe to our magazine

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" msg_composer="" msg_succ_radius="0" display="column" gap="12" input_padd="12px" input_border="0" btn_text="Subscribe Now" pp_check_size="15" pp_check_radius="50" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn19" msg_succ_bg="#12b591" f_msg_font_family="702" f_msg_font_size="13" f_msg_font_spacing="0.5" f_msg_font_weight="400" input_color="#000000" input_place_color="#666666" f_input_font_family="702" f_input_font_size="13" f_input_font_weight="400" f_btn_font_family="702" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" f_btn_font_size="12" f_btn_font_spacing="0.5" btn_bg="#3894ff" btn_bg_h="#2b78ff" pp_check_border_color="#ffffff" pp_check_border_color_c="#ffffff" pp_check_bg_c="#ffffff" pp_check_square="#2b78ff" pp_check_color="rgba(255,255,255,0.8)" pp_check_color_a="#3894ff" pp_check_color_a_h="#2b78ff" msg_err_radius="0"]

━ more like this

Be a Hero this Halloween

Be a Hero this HalloweenBeing a hero goes beyond dressing up in a costume this Halloween season. Children, families and schools across the country can channel their own superpowers to help deliver lif

Get Away Without Going Away

Get Away Without Going Away5 family staycation ideas that won’t break your budgetFamily vacations are a great way to bond and take a step back from the hectic schedules that accompany everyday life, b

5 Common Questions for Memorializing a Loved One

5 Common Questions for Memorializing a Loved OneOne of the most difficult conversations in a person’s life typically takes place near the end of that life. Planning for a funeral can put an emotional

Top Tips to Transition Back to Work After Baby

Top Tips to Transition Back to Work After BabyMany new parents spend hours preparing for the arrival of a new baby – reading books, seeking professional advice and consulting friends and family. Howev

Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy from Kindergarten to College

Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy from Kindergarten to CollegeIt’s time to get your household organized for another school year and all that comes with it. Whether your child is headed off to
spot_img

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here