Kosher Salt?

Question

I often see Kosher Salt in recipes, and have recently started seeing it in the supermarkets here in the UK. Please could someone tell me the difference between this and other salts such as Table Salt, Sea Salt etc. To me, salt is salt! I prefer to use sea salt because it has a better flavour but don't actually know the difference between them all.

Answer 1

Taste test all three, drink water and rinse between.

You will find the table salt is bitter, the Kosher mild and the sea salt tastes just like...the sea.

Kosher salt is best for sauces as it melts quickly and blends very well.

Sea salt is great for casseroles and pasta and foods that can stand up to it.

You will find you will rarely use table salt again after using either kosher or sea salt. I do have all three on my kitchen counter..

The sea salt has larger chrystals so I keep it in a salt pig.

The Kosher salt does have slightly large chrystals so I keep it in an italian shaker, like used for chili flakes or dried parmesan.

Answer 2

Kosher salt has no additives, so has a more "clean" taste. It is used in cooking because, 1) it's clean, 2) it's easy to pinch and add to the pot, and 3) it's trendy.

I use kosher salt for all three reasons above. Recently, I made biscuits with table salt instead of kosher salt, and missed the little "salty spots" that the bigger kosher salt crystals bring to the recipe.

Oh, and the sea salt... The flavors that come-with sea salt are ocean parts: seaweed, clay, and others... Most times, sea salt is best on-top of the food you're serving - as a "finishing" salt.

Answer 3

Kosher salt is flaky and lighter then sea salt by weight, so a recipe that calls for salt and you use Kosher salt you may need to adjust the amount a little. It is also Kosher, meaning that it has been processed under strict Jewish law and is over seen by a Rabbi. I am not sure if it is blessed or not. But is used for preparing Kosher meals. I prefer to use it in cooking because it is just salt and nothing else.

Answer 4

In terms of texture, kosher salt is in between table salt and sea salt. The flavor is bolder than table salt and a little goes a long way. I prefer kosher salt to table salt any day.

Answer 5

price is the biggest difference. kosher salt should be used when "kashering" meats- (salting the meat while dry) putting it in water or sauces is a waste of money. kosher salt is great for items where you actully get the granuals (seasoning mixes,etc) in your mouth.
also, it' great for salting the rims of glasses for drinks.
sea salt has big, hard crystals unless you get "fleur de sel" or the like, but paying $6 for a pound of salt is tough for some people.

Answer 6

Good answers above except for the "cleaning" one.

I haven't seen anyone mention that table salt is iodized. It can leave a metallic aftertaste. Kosher salt is nice and "clean" as mentioned above.

Answer 7

Kosher Salt is used to drain the blood from meat. I soak all of my meat in Kosher salt for about 30 minutes to 2 hours prior to cooking it. Other than for cleaning purposes I don't know why you would use Kosher Salt.