What is better to brine a turkey with, iodized salt or kosher salt?

Answer 1

You could use either. However, DO NOT use them cup for cup. A cup of iodized salt (99% table salt pure salt with added potassium iodide) has the potency of two cups of kosher salt. Why?

We use kosher salts because it has larger grains which takes longer to dissolve which is ideal for its original purpose of extracting blood from meats to make them kosher. It's also used for pickles. Kosher salt, even though it's pure as table salt, it has larger grains--takes up a larger volume. It's fluffy!

Either would be fine. If you plan to brine overnight or for a couple of days, use kosher salt. Use table salt or dissolved kosher salt if brining just for a couple of hours. But I would prefer kosher salt because it tastes better. Iodized salt has a slightly metallic flavor.

Remember:

1 cup of table/iodized salt = 2 cups of kosher salt
or
1 oz. iodize salt = 1 oz. kosher salt <--safe bet.

Answer 2

Most brine recipes I have seen call for kosher salt. Both types of salt are pure salt, but, kosher is "fluffier" and dissolves more easily (although it does take almost twice as much to get the same amount of salt by weight).

Answer 3

Kosher. Lived in Hawaii and used Hawaiian Salt. Closest I could find in the mainland is Kosher and have loved it so much, I use it as table salt, cooking, all purpose. Excellent. I am also using it to brine my turkey.

Answer 4

I use kosher salt for rubbing, but I wouldn't waste it on brining. Iodized is fine.

Answer 5

i use kosher salt for all my cooking. Alton Brown from Food Network also uses kosher for his brine. Saw it the other night on TV.

Answer 6

Iodized tastes like metal.

Answer 7

Does it really matter, since you're throwing it away before cooking? Kosher would be my choice.

Answer 8

http://www.foodforthoughtonline.net/

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