Kosher Salt is just better...
Kosher salt. It’s the first choice of many seasoned cooks. It looks better and it tastes better. But why do we really use it in just about everything?
I’ll spare you any of the eloquent, scientific and glamorous examples, because they really don’t matter. I think you should cook with, and eat, what tastes good. And to me, kosher salt is what I keep out on the counter for every day use.
Kosher salt contains no iodine. While the term refers to any coarse-grain salt that is used to make meat kosher, the kosher salt purchased in stores is commonly mineral salt.
Kosher salt has a smoother flavor. By that, I can only explain it this way - eat 1/4 tsp of table salt and the salty taste lingers leaving an unbearable taste in your mouth. Eat 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and you’ll get the salt flavor without the nasty aftertaste. It’s still salt, but if you oversalt your popcorn with kosher salt, you’re more apt to still want to eat it all up anyway. I’ve found it also depreciates the thirst factor, and yes, I carry my own kosher salt to the movie theatre.
Recipe Substitution Most recipes in standard cookbooks and passed along from others usually just say “salt” - and chances are that means table salt. Since kosher salt substitution is made at about 130% (if a recipe calls for 1 tsp table salt, use about 1-1/4 tsp + a dash of kosher salt), you commonly have to adjust measurements. Of course if a recipe lists ingredients by weight (which is my preferred method of measuring) you’d use the same weight value.
Note that the ratio of kosher salt in substitution also varies by company, chef and cook. Some say it’s 133%, others say 150% (which I think is just too much). You may find yourself undergoing some trial and error in some recipes.
Posted
Sunday, February 4th, 2007 at 2:40 pm EST
Read more in Tips
