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{{Redirect2|Kitchen salt|coarse salt|other coarse salts|Rock salt|and|Brining salt}}
[[Image:Kosher_Salt.JPG#file|right|thumb|180 px|Box of kosher salt]]
{{about|generic coarse-grained salt|foods meeting Kosher dietary guidelines|Kashrut}}
'''Koshering salt''' usually referred to as '''Kosher salt''' in the USA, is a term that describes one of the most commonly used varieties of [[edible salt]] in commercial kitchens today. Kosher salt has a much larger grain size than regular table salt, and a more open granular structure. Like common table salt, kosher salt consists of the chemical compound [[sodium chloride]]. Unlike common table salt, Kosher salt typically contains no additives (for example, [[iodide]]), although kosher salt produced by [[Morton Salt|Morton]] contains Yellow Prussiate of Soda a.k.a. [[sodium ferrocyanide]] as an anti-caking agent. <ref>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10318925 Walmart - Morton Coarse Kosher Salt Product Details</ref><ref>http://www.mortonsalt.com/products/foodsalts/Coarse_kosher.htm The Morton Salt Company</ref>
{{short description|Coarse additive-free edible salt}}
{{use mdy dates |date=March 2023}}
[[File:Comparison of Table Salt with Kitchen Salt.png|thumb|upright=1.6|Comparison of table salt (left) with kosher salt (right)]]


'''Kosher salt''' or '''kitchen salt'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kitchen-salt |title=Kitchen salt definition |publisher=Collins |date=2018}}</ref> (also called '''cooking salt''', '''rock salt''', '''kashering salt''', or '''koshering salt''') is coarse edible salt usually without common additives such as [[Iodized salt|iodine]],<ref name="ghccb">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/goodhousekeeping0000unse_d6d9/page/15 |title=The Good housekeeping cookbook |date=2001 |publisher=Hearst Books |isbn=1588163989 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/goodhousekeeping0000unse_d6d9/page/15 15] |oclc=54962450 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The wizard of food presents 10,001 food facts, chef's secrets & household hints : more usable food facts and household hints than any single book ever published |last=Bader, Myles. |date=1998 |publisher=Northstar Pub |isbn=0964674173 |location=Las Vegas, Nev. |oclc=40460309}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780740769764/page/67 |title=Things cooks love |last=Simmons |first=Marie |isbn=9780740769764 |edition=First |location=Kansas City |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780740769764/page/67 67] |oclc=167764416 |date=April 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/giftscookslovere0000morg/page/14 |title=Gifts cooks love : recipes for giving |last=Morgan |first=Diane |date=2010 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Pub |isbn=9780740793509 |location=Kansas City |pages=[https://archive.org/details/giftscookslovere0000morg/page/14 14] |oclc=555648047 }}</ref> typically used in cooking and not at the table. It consists mainly of [[sodium chloride]] and may include [[anticaking agent]]s.
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==Name==
Kosher salt gets its name not because it follows the guidelines for [[Kashrut|kosher]] foods as written in the [[Torah]] (nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt), but rather because of its use in making meats kosher, by helping to extract the blood from the meat. Because kosher salt grains are larger than regular table salt grains, when meats are coated in kosher salt the salt does not dissolve readily; the salt remains on the surface of the meat longer to draw fluids out of the meat.


==Etymology==
The term kosher salt is restricted to North America; in the UK it is usually called "koshering salt",<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A39787131 BBC Online</ref><ref>http://www.biscography.net/websites/saltunion/products/products_05.htm Salt Union Limited</ref> and in other parts of the world, "(coarse) cooking salt". In North America, the term ''koshering salt'' has been proposed as more accurate and is sometimes used in industry (e.g., [http://www.saltinstitute.org/additives.html The Salt Institute]), but it is rarely used in everyday language.
Coarse edible salt is a kitchen staple, but its name varies widely in various cultures and countries. The term ''kosher salt'' gained common usage in the [[United States]] and refers to its use in the [[Jews|Jewish]] religious practice of [[dry brining]] meats, known as ''[[Shechita#Kashering|kashering]]'', e.g. a ''salt for kashering'', and not to the salt itself being manufactured under any religious guidelines. Some brands further identify ''kosher-certified'' salt as being approved by a religious body.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://seasalt.com/salt-101/about-salt/kosher-salt-guide |title=Kosher Salt Guide |publisher=SaltWorks |date=2010}}</ref>


[[File:Grain of Kosher Salt.jpg|thumb|Grain of kosher salt taken at 60× magnification]]
==Applications==
Kosher salt can be used in nearly all applications, but it is not generally recommended for [[baking]] with recipes that use small amounts of liquid (wet ingredients). If there is not enough liquid, the kosher salt will not dissolve sufficiently, and this can result in small bits of salt in the resulting product; in certain applications this is undesirable. In recipes where there is enough liquid to dissolve all the salt, table salt can be replaced by kosher salt, but the volume must be adjusted. Because kosher grains occupy more volume (for equal weight) the volume of kosher salt should be increased. Because kosher salt grains can vary in size considerably from one brand to another, it is recommended that one check the box for a conversion guideline, which is generally provided. If there is no guidance provided, twice as much kosher salt (by volume) to replace table salt serves as a rough estimate. Another reliable technique is to use an equal weight; a gram of kosher salt is equivalent to a gram of table salt. Because of the absence of iodine, kosher salt is preferred by most chefs to iodized salt.{{Fact|date=April 2009}}


⚫
==Usage==
===General cooking===
Due to the lack of metallic or off-tasting additives such as iodine, [[fluoride]] or [[dextrose]], it is often used in the kitchen instead of additive-containing [[table salt]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Iodine Nutriture in the United States: Summary of a Conference, October 31, 1970|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VEMrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA36|date=October 31, 1970|publisher=National Academies|pages=36–| isbn=978-0-309-35853-8 |id=NAP:13984}}</ref><ref name="Organization2011">{{cite book|author=World Health Organization|title=Bulletin of the World Health Organization: Bulletin de L'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iB78fxDMeL0C|year=2011|publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref> Estimating the amount of salt when salting by hand can also be easier due to the larger grain size.<ref name="NYT2">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/dining/how-to-season-food-with-salt.html |title=The Single Most Important Ingredient |author=Nosrat, Samin |date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=2018-04-07 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Some recipes specifically call for [[volume]] measurement of kosher/kitchen salt, which for some brands weighs less per measure due to its lower density and is therefore less salty than an equal volume measurement of table salt; recipes which call for a specified weight of salt are more consistent.<ref name="NYT1">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/dining/chefs-who-salt-early-if-not-often.html |title=Chefs Who Salt Early if Not Often |last1=Kaiser |first1=Emily |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 25, 2004 |access-date=2018-04-08}}</ref> Different brands of salt vary dramatically in density; for one brand the same volume measure may contain twice as much salt (by mass) as for another brand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tastecooking.com/kosher-salt-question/|title=The Kosher Salt Question: What Box Does What? There's a Difference.|date=2017-10-11|website=TASTE|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-18}}</ref>


===Brining or kashering meat===
[[File:Dry brining chicken.png|thumb|Kosher salt applied to chicken showing extracted moisture after one hour]]
{{Main|Brining|Kashering}}


The coarse-grained salt is used to create a [[dry brining|dry brine]], which increases succulence and flavor and satisfies some [[kashering|religious requirements]], sometimes with flavor additions such as [[herbs]], [[spices]] or [[sugar]].<ref name="WaPo1">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111300427.html |title=Wet Brining vs. Dry: Give That Bird a Bath |author=Benwick, Bonnie S. |date=November 14, 2007 |access-date=2018-04-07 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> The meat is typically soaked in cool water and drained and then completely covered with a thin layer of salt—and then allowed to stand on a rack or board for an hour or more. The larger salt granules remain on the surface of the meat, for the most part undissolved, and absorb fluids from the meat, which are then partially reabsorbed with the salt and any added flavors, essentially brining the meat in its own juices. The salt rub is then rinsed off and discarded before cooking.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oukosher.org/the-kosher-primer/ |title=Orthodox Union Kosher Primer |date=2010 |publisher=Orthodox Union |author=Luban, Yaakov}}</ref><ref name="WaPo1"/>
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==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->


==External links==
===Cleaning===
Due to its grain size, the salt is also used as an abrasive cleaner for cookware such as [[cast iron]] skillets. Mixed with oil, it retains its abrasiveness but can be easily dissolved with water after cleaning, unlike cleansers based on [[pumice]] or [[calcium carbonate]], which can leave a gritty residue if not thoroughly rinsed away.<ref name="Bon1">{{cite web |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/how-to-wash-your-cast-iron-skillet |title=How to Clean Your Cast-Iron Skillet |last1=Lewis |first1=Hunter |publisher=[[Bon Appetit]] |date=January 23, 2012 |access-date=2018-04-08}}</ref>
* [http://kitchensavvy.typepad.com/journal/2007/02/what_makes_salt.html KitchenSavvy: What Makes Salt Kosher]
* [http://ask.yahoo.com/20030310.html Ask Yahoo!: What is kosher salt? Is it better for you than regular salt?]


==See also==
== Manufacturing ==
Rather than cubic crystals, kosher salt has a flat plate-like shape and for some brands may also have a hollow pyramidal shape. [[Morton Salt]] produces flat kosher salt while [[Diamond Crystal]] produces pyramidal. The flat form is usually made when cubic crystals are forced into this shape under pressure, usually between rollers. The pyramidal salt crystals are generally made by an evaporative process called the [[Alberger process]]. Kosher salt is usually manufactured with a grain size larger than table salt grains. Diamond Crystal salt is made by Cargill in [[St. Clair, MI]] and Morton Salt is from Chicago, IL.<ref name="saltinstitute">{{cite web |title = Kosher Salt |url = http://www.saltinstitute.org/content/download/9458/51295/file/Kosher%20Salt.pdf |publisher = Salt Institute}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
*[[Kosher foods]]
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*[[Pickling salt]]


== See also ==

⚫
* {{annotated link|Pickling salt}}
* {{annotated link|Korean brining salt}}
* {{annotated link|Pickling}}
* {{annotated link|Curing (food preservation)}}
* {{annotated link|Kosher foods}}
* {{Annotated link|Shechita|Shechita}}

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== References ==
<references/>
{{Commons category}}
{{Salt topics}}
{{Portal bar|Food}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosher Salt}}
[[Category:Edible salt]]
[[Category:Edible salt]]
[[Category:Kosher food]]
[[Category:Kosher food]]

[[es:Sal kosher]]

Latest revision as of 23:28, 8 December 2024

"Kitchen salt" and "coarse salt" redirect here. For other coarse salts, see Rock salt and Brining salt.
This article is about generic coarse-grained salt. For foods meeting Kosher dietary guidelines, see Kashrut.

Comparison of table salt (left) with kosher salt (right)

Kosher salt or kitchen salt[1] (also called cooking salt, rock salt, kashering salt, or koshering salt) is coarse edible salt usually without common additives such as iodine,[2][3][4][5] typically used in cooking and not at the table. It consists mainly of sodium chloride and may include anticaking agents.

Etymology

[edit]

Coarse edible salt is a kitchen staple, but its name varies widely in various cultures and countries. The term kosher salt gained common usage in the United States and refers to its use in the Jewish religious practice of dry brining meats, known as kashering, e.g. a salt for kashering, and not to the salt itself being manufactured under any religious guidelines. Some brands further identify kosher-certified salt as being approved by a religious body.[6]

Grain of kosher salt taken at 60× magnification

Usage

[edit]

General cooking

[edit]

Due to the lack of metallic or off-tasting additives such as iodine, fluoride or dextrose, it is often used in the kitchen instead of additive-containing table salt.[7][8] Estimating the amount of salt when salting by hand can also be easier due to the larger grain size.[9] Some recipes specifically call for volume measurement of kosher/kitchen salt, which for some brands weighs less per measure due to its lower density and is therefore less salty than an equal volume measurement of table salt; recipes which call for a specified weight of salt are more consistent.[10] Different brands of salt vary dramatically in density; for one brand the same volume measure may contain twice as much salt (by mass) as for another brand.[11]

Brining or kashering meat

[edit]
Kosher salt applied to chicken showing extracted moisture after one hour
Main articles: Brining and Kashering

The coarse-grained salt is used to create a dry brine, which increases succulence and flavor and satisfies some religious requirements, sometimes with flavor additions such as herbs, spices or sugar.[12] The meat is typically soaked in cool water and drained and then completely covered with a thin layer of salt—and then allowed to stand on a rack or board for an hour or more. The larger salt granules remain on the surface of the meat, for the most part undissolved, and absorb fluids from the meat, which are then partially reabsorbed with the salt and any added flavors, essentially brining the meat in its own juices. The salt rub is then rinsed off and discarded before cooking.[13][12]

Cleaning

[edit]

Due to its grain size, the salt is also used as an abrasive cleaner for cookware such as cast iron skillets. Mixed with oil, it retains its abrasiveness but can be easily dissolved with water after cleaning, unlike cleansers based on pumice or calcium carbonate, which can leave a gritty residue if not thoroughly rinsed away.[14]

Manufacturing

[edit]

Rather than cubic crystals, kosher salt has a flat plate-like shape and for some brands may also have a hollow pyramidal shape. Morton Salt produces flat kosher salt while Diamond Crystal produces pyramidal. The flat form is usually made when cubic crystals are forced into this shape under pressure, usually between rollers. The pyramidal salt crystals are generally made by an evaporative process called the Alberger process. Kosher salt is usually manufactured with a grain size larger than table salt grains. Diamond Crystal salt is made by Cargill in St. Clair, MI and Morton Salt is from Chicago, IL.[15]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Kitchen salt definition". Collins. 2018.
  2. ^ The Good housekeeping cookbook. New York: Hearst Books. 2001. pp. 15. ISBN 1588163989. OCLC 54962450.
  3. ^ Bader, Myles. (1998). The wizard of food presents 10,001 food facts, chef's secrets & household hints : more usable food facts and household hints than any single book ever published. Las Vegas, Nev.: Northstar Pub. ISBN 0964674173. OCLC 40460309.
  4. ^ Simmons, Marie (April 2008). Things cooks love (First ed.). Kansas City. pp. 67. ISBN 9780740769764. OCLC 167764416.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Morgan, Diane (2010). Gifts cooks love : recipes for giving. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Pub. pp. 14. ISBN 9780740793509. OCLC 555648047.
  6. ^ "Kosher Salt Guide". SaltWorks. 2010.
  7. ^ Iodine Nutriture in the United States: Summary of a Conference, October 31, 1970. National Academies. October 31, 1970. pp. 36–. ISBN 978-0-309-35853-8. NAP:13984.
  8. ^ World Health Organization (2011). Bulletin of the World Health Organization: Bulletin de L'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé. World Health Organization.
  9. ^ Nosrat, Samin (April 25, 2017). "The Single Most Important Ingredient". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  10. ^ Kaiser, Emily (February 25, 2004). "Chefs Who Salt Early if Not Often". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "The Kosher Salt Question: What Box Does What? There's a Difference". TASTE. October 11, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Benwick, Bonnie S. (November 14, 2007). "Wet Brining vs. Dry: Give That Bird a Bath". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  13. ^ Luban, Yaakov (2010). "Orthodox Union Kosher Primer". Orthodox Union.
  14. ^ Lewis, Hunter (January 23, 2012). "How to Clean Your Cast-Iron Skillet". Bon Appetit. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  15. ^ "Kosher Salt" (PDF). Salt Institute.[permanent dead link‍]
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