Highlights
1. Pickling salt is a special salt used for making pickles, without additives like iodine, to avoid discoloration and cloudiness in the brine.
2. Kosher salt is a general purpose salt used by Jews for butchering meat according to dietary laws, with larger, flaky crystals and no iodine or additives.
3. Kosher salt is easier to season meats and vegetables with due to its larger crystals and can be used as a general purpose salt, while pickling salt can also be used as common salt when a few rice grains are added to prevent caking.
Introduction
Kosher Salt vs Pickling Salt
Most of us are familiar with kosher salt, which is used by followers of the Jewish faith to butcher meat according to dietary laws. It is a coarse salt that is light and flavorful and is commonly used throughout the country. There is another salt called pickling salt that looks similar to kosher salt, which can be confusing. However, despite their apparent similarities, there are differences between the two that will be outlined in this article.
Pickling Salt
As the name suggests, pickling salt is specifically used for making pickles. It is designed to help preserve food items such as meats and vegetables. Pickling salt does not contain additives, mainly to prevent the brine from becoming discolored and cloudy. It does not contain iodine and other additives. However, pickling salt can still be used as a common salt and to prevent clumping, a few grains of rice can be added. The main characteristic of pickling salt is that it sticks to food items in order to draw out maximum moisture and aid in preservation.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is used by Jews to butcher meat according to Jewish dietary laws. However, it is a general-purpose salt that does not contain iodine and other additives. It has large, irregular crystals that are flaky in nature, making it less dense than regular table salt. Kosher salt does not dissolve easily in small amounts of liquid, which is why it is not suitable for baking when there are no wet ingredients.
Kosher Salt vs Pickling Salt
– Pickling salt is fine-grained, while kosher salt is coarse-grained.
– The crystals of pickling salt are even, while the crystals of kosher salt are irregular in shape.
– The flakes of kosher salt are less dense than pickling salt.
– A teaspoonful of kosher salt will make the brine less salty than a teaspoonful of pickling salt. This means that more kosher salt needs to be used when making pickles.
– It is easier to season meats and vegetables using kosher salt because of its large crystals, as it can be applied with hands.
– Pickling salt does not contain iodine and additives, while some kosher salts may.
– To prevent pickling salt from clumping, a few grains of rice can be mixed in. On the other hand, kosher salt can be used as a general-purpose salt.
