Kosher salt

[andybigwood]

Kosher salt is just one of the things I had not heard of before starting to study smoking meats, brines and rubs.

Whilst I have found a couple of sources of kosher salt in the UK, it isn't generally available on supermarket shelves, and I was interested to hear what others are using?

Do use source kosher salt, or do you use sea salt or table salt, and do you compensate for the differences between the different salts in your recipes?

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Andy.  I use table salt.  If the recipe calls for kosher salt use less than called for if using table salt.

Danny

 

[foamheart]

Andy, try any Jewish grocery or deli.

Kosher salt is larger flakes of salt that sticks easier to food.

But remember the biggest difference in salt is the "weight per volume". 1 T of kosher might equal 2/3 T of canning salt. Its about weight not volume.

Also different salts affect the body differently. Iodized table salt supposedly causes water retention, that is why Doctors tell people with congestive heart disease to reduce salt input and change to sea salt. I don't know why sea salt is different than table salt, I have seen both made but I guess that is something I really should look up. They are both crystalline structures both are Na. <shrugs>

I also understand that Doctors still believe that salt causes hardening of the arteries. We can't live without it and if we use enough it will kills is.

Just passing that along.

 

[andybigwood]

Thanks Danny and Foamheart.

my problem Foamheart is that the closest Jewish grocery to me would be in London(30 + miles away) - not a journey I want to make for a bag of salt as I'm sure you can imagine :)

I have however ordered some from an ebay seller, just to give it a try.

I also appreciate the messages with external links to conversion tables - very helpful.

Andy.

 

[wade]

Different salt really does make a difference when curing for cold smoking too. When using large crystal Dead Sea salt it takes almost 50% longer to cure the fish than if I use un-iodised fine table salt. It leaves less salt residue on the fish though probably due to the larger crystals. I but mine in 25Kg sacks

 

[kc5tpy]

Well There you go Andy.  Salt isn't just salt.  Happy experimenting.  Good Luck.

Danny

 

[andybigwood]

Thanks Wade and Danny -

I shall enjoy experimenting this coming weekend(and beyond) -

I'll post the results.

 

[jax13]

I pretty much only ever use the fine sea salt you can get from Costco. Nice price, decent size (but not daft) tubs for home use.

Table salt is used for certain things where I need the finer texture and I'm not a fan of the large flake Maldon sea salt. Never really seen a supplier for kosher but haven't had a call to look for it specifically as the fine sea salt from Costco does virtually everything I want and need my salt to do.

When I'm up and running I'm going to try smoking it - this may or may not be a shortcoming of it but only time will tell.

 

[wade]

Hi Jax

When dry curing I do find the type of salt makes a difference. The coarser grade salt leaves less of a salty taste than the fine salt. The different sea salts make a difference too. I was recently given a kilo of coarse Dead Sea salt to try and ended up buying it by the 25Kg bag.

As you are probably aware it is best to avoid the fine iodised table salt.

 

[jax13]

A bit of an admission of guilt here... When curing I've only ever used brines (self made) or a ready mix dry cure (we used it in the butchers for our own dry cure bacon / salt beef and I use it for pastrami before a brine to finish it off)

It's things like dry cure recipes that is going to make this board a great place for me to learn more and get away from the shortcut products I've used up till now.

I'd be interested to know where you get the dead sea salt from though, wade, and to see how much of a difference it makes compared to the fine sea and table salt in different applications.

 

[andybigwood]

Hi Jax,

I got mine from ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380566318...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Different weight options available and a quick turnaround, but I'm interested to see where Wade gets his, if it works out as a better deal.