Why do they say "kosher salt"?

Question

as opposed to....unkosher salt? what could possibly be so unkosher about salt?

Answer 1

It depends upon it's use. I think Kosher salt doesn't have any iodine.

Answer 2

It's more correctly called koshering salt, and is used to make meat kosher, as thefirst person said. blahhhh13 has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

Almost all salts are kosher including koshering salt, of course, and typically table salt. The characteristics that make it great for many cooking applications (and for koshering) is that is is not as finely ground, and has a rough texture, it also is usually free of additives such as iodine. This allows it to cling better and brings a cleaner flavor.

Answer 3

Koshering salt is a very large-grain salt which has no iodine in it. Because the grains are large, they don't dissolve in contact from meat, so that (because of salt's natural dessicating properties) it draws fluid out of the meat-- blood. The salt isn't kosher in and of itself, but it is used to make the meats kosher.

Koshering salt is common because it contains no metallic aftertastes, like iodized salt does. Excellent for cooking or baking.

Answer 4

If I remember correctly, kosher salt is the kind of salt that is used to make meats kosher. Kosher meats are brined in salt solution to remove the blood. So this salt is the kind of salt that is used in that solution.

Answer 5

Kosher salt (or more correctly, koshering salt), is 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, iodine), although kosher salt produced by Morton contains sodium ferrocyanide as a free-flow agent.
Kosher salt gets its name not because it follows the guidelines for 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, allowing fluids to leach out of the meat.
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. Conversely, to replace kosher salt with table salt in a recipe, the required quantity of salt should be reduced by half. Another reliable technique is to use an equal weight; a gram of kosher salt is equivalent to a gram of table salt.
Also, in the developing world, iodine deficiency is a health problem solved by use of iodized salt. Mountainous areas and places where prepared salty foods are not consumed may lack iodine, retarding mental and hormonal development in children in particular. (Why we need iodine)
Chefs often prefer kosher salt because its texture allows the chef to pinch a larger quantity of salt and evenly sprinkle the flakes on food. Also, because of the absence of iodine, kosher salt tends to make flavors cleaner and brighter than iodized salt, which has a slightly metallic flavor. The Food Network's Alton Brown and many others generally recommend the use of kosher salt for this reason.

Answer 6

true, thats what its used for, but i believe kosher salts are basically for those vegan freaks who freak about anything they eat touching anything animal-related.
like,
apparently to sift sugar or salt it's sifted through animal bones. and if you get the kosher stuff, its not.
idk though. i never research this stuff, my sis wont shut up about it...