Salt from other products in cure mix

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Rings Я Us

Smoking Guru
Original poster
Jul 3, 2017
6,326
909
Southeast Michigan
Just wondering if some soy sauce, teriyaki sauce or Worcestershire and the likes will (alter the efficiency of) my dry cure for jerky.

We all know not to use the iodized salt for cure mix . What about the addition of these products that find their way into the jerky recipes? Do manufacturers use iodized salt? Does that effect the process at all when we add in those things?

Kind of wonder about that.
I didn't really care about putting this in any special area of the Forum.
More like a topic to just chat about. Thanks!

Info about types of salt used in the manufacturing of condiments and other processed foods is none to abundant I have found
 
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We all know not to use the iodized salt for cure mix .

I think the OP's post has to do with the above quote? Seems to me the OP is worried that you can't use iodized salt in a cure mixture.
From my understanding iodized salt can be use to cure but can turn a brine an off color due to the iodine also the amount of salt needs to be adjusted when using iodized salt over something like kosher salt due to the actual salt crystal size. Iodized table salt crystals are a lot smaller then kosher salt crystals so there is a lot move table salt in a tablespoon then there is kosher salt.
 
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I think the OP's post has to do with the above quote? Seems to me the OP is worried that you can't use iodized salt in a cure mixture.
From my understanding iodized salt can be use to cure but can turn a brine an off color due to the iodine also the amount of salt needs to be adjusted when using iodized salt over something like kosher salt due to the actual salt crystal size. Iodized table salt crystals are a lot smaller then kosher salt crystals so there is a lot move table salt in a tablespoon then there is kosher salt.

Yeah.. making tons of jerky lately. I just want to be sure all the added stuff is good to go. I only use like a tablespoon of liquid added to my dry cure mix.
It's just enough to use for scraping up some of the powders left behind on the cookie sheets I use to lay all the sliced meet out on.
 
Rings,

The products you mention all contain salt, but it's not iodized salt. I'm pretty confident that would be the case with any other cure components you might use for sausage, jerky, etc.

As Perazzi mentioned, sea salt contains iodine, but it's naturally occurring, and in trace amounts.

Regardless of the names or terms used, or processes emphasized, basic salt is nothing more than salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl). And, at the end of the day, all salt is sea salt as the seas/oceans are the original source for all salt. The production of salt comes about either via evaporation of the the waters of existing seas/oceans, or by mining, and the salt mines are nothing more than dried up seas/oceans. Beyond that, certain unique naturally occurring trace elements native to the area where the salt is produced may cause some slight variance in the produced product, but that's about it. Beyond that, any changes or alterations in the produced salt comes about through commercial processing.
 
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Cool man. I just remembered every recipe says non iodized..
I don't know where everyone gets info on type of salt used in commercial processing of various condiments.. Lol
 
I think the OP's post has to do with the above quote? Seems to me the OP is worried that you can't use iodized salt in a cure mixture.
From my understanding iodized salt can be use to cure but can turn a brine an off color due to the iodine also the amount of salt needs to be adjusted when using iodized salt over something like kosher salt due to the actual salt crystal size. Iodized table salt crystals are a lot smaller then kosher salt crystals so there is a lot move table salt in a tablespoon then there is kosher salt.

That's not necessarily correct, Muddy. You can iodize any salt, including Kosher, regardless of crystal size. Morton's, for example sells 2 types of Kosher salt, regular and certified. The regular version contains salt, an anti-caking agent, and is iodized. The certified version, which has been approved by a rabbinical counsel is for use in preparing kosher meals, is not iodized.

The same goes for sea salts. Some are pure sea salt, some add an anti-caking agent, and some are also iodized. It's always best to check the ingredient list if you're uncertain.
 
Hmm.. good info..
Everyone knows more about salt than me.

:D

I think I saw a show on pickling stuff. They used pickling salt so it wasn't going to cloud up the liquid. Just looks better.
 
That's not necessarily correct, Muddy. You can iodize any salt, including Kosher, regardless of crystal size. Morton's, for example sells 2 types of Kosher salt, regular and certified. The regular version contains salt, an anti-caking agent, and is iodized. The certified version, which has been approved by a rabbinical counsel is for use in preparing kosher meals, is not iodized.

The same goes for sea salts. Some are pure sea salt, some add an anti-caking agent, and some are also iodized. It's always best to check the ingredient list if you're uncertain.

So whats not correct? ether buy a salt with iodine or don't.
 
I have two recipies I love for my preferred Original Style Jerky (My preferred flavor).
The 1 pound strip (or whole muscle) recipe calls for added salt. 1 1/2 tsp Pickling Salt, and at the bottom 1/2 C cold water.
But no Soy Sauce or Whooshchester.

The 1 pound dry mix for hamburger jerky calls for no added salt, but has 1 TBS Soy Sauce, and 1 TBS Whooshchester added. So maybe the Soy and Whoosh are the equivalent of the salt?
I mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add it sprinkle style into the hamburger, when mixed well, then add the two liquids and mix until I get a nice even color throughout.

Either way calls for 1/4 tsp Prague Powder per pound of meat. So any 'saltiness' from that is a wash since they are the same.

In the end, both taste very close to the same to me. And my dog likes both as well. I trust his judgement.
(But he likes my pickled eggs, and pickled hot dogs and onions. Well, not the onions, I don't let him have those.)
 
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So whats not correct? ether buy a salt with iodine or don't.

"Iodized table salt crystals are a lot smaller then kosher salt crystals so there is a lot move table salt in a tablespoon then there is kosher salt."

Your comment above struck me as saying that iodized salt and table salt are the same thing, which they aren't. Also, the size of the crystals table salt, or any other salt, has nothing to do with the supplemental process of being iodized.

You can buy non-iodized salt, but it's hard to find. A simpler, and cheaper, substitution would be pickling or canning salt. The size of the grains is quite similar, but pickling salt is not iodized and contains no anti-caking agents.

There's no good concrete answer as to whether or not you should buy salt with iodine or not. Both serve a purpose.

You're correct in saying that there is more table salt in a tablespoon than there is of Kosher salt. That also holds true with different brands of Kosher salt. Many years ago, I screwed up a tried and true recipe that I had made many times by using Morton's Kosher salt as a replacement for the Kosher salt that I normally used, Diamond Crystal. I mentioned it to a chef friend who told me that, by volume, the 2 salts were quite different, and that I should weigh my salts when substituting them, which I've done ever since when possible. Also, on a day when I must have been very bored, using Diamond Crystal as the base standard, I decided to do a volume/weight comparison of all of the salts that I had in the pantry at that time and came up with the following table

upload_2018-2-5_14-23-35.png
 
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I don't think Pink Himalayan Salt is "Sea" Salt. As it is mined from deep in the earth in the Himalayan foothills in Pakistan.
I have a small grinder of it, and Man! It's salty salt! (IMHO)
Nowhere on it sez anything about being Iodized. In fact, this Costco jug specifically sez it is not iodized.
So not all salt is created equal, and not all salt comes from the sea.

But at best, exactly what we are getting is a crap shoot anyway. For example, I don't like imported fruits and vegetables. I tend to be a little leary of stuff gown out of country. But we gotta eat.
And who knows what is in window food! Best to not wonder if the cook sneezed on that burger.
 
"Iodized table salt crystals are a lot smaller then kosher salt crystals so there is a lot move table salt in a tablespoon then there is kosher salt."

Your comment above struck me as saying that iodized salt and table salt are the same thing, which they aren't. Also, the size of the crystals table salt, or any other salt, has nothing to do with the supplemental process of being iodized.

You can buy non-iodized salt, but it's hard to find. A simpler, and cheaper, substitution would be pickling or canning salt. The size of the grains is quite similar, but pickling salt is not iodized and contains no anti-caking agents.

There's no good concrete answer as to whether or not you should buy salt with iodine or not. Both serve a purpose.

You're correct in saying that there is more table salt in a tablespoon than there is of Kosher salt. That also holds true with different brands of Kosher salt. Many years ago, I screwed up a tried and true recipe that I had made many times by using Morton's Kosher salt as a replacement for the Kosher salt that I normally used, Diamond Crystal. I mentioned it to a chef friend who told me that, by volume, the 2 salts were quite different, and that I should weigh my salts when substituting them, which I've done ever since when possible. Also, on a day when I must have been very bored, using Diamond Crystal as the base standard, I decided to do a volume/weight comparison of all of the salts that I had in the pantry at that time and came up with the following table

View attachment 352884

K sure what every. Kind of think you read way to much into my post and then turned around and said the something. Anyway I think the OP has it figured out by now. I'm out.
 
I don't think Pink Himalayan Salt is "Sea" Salt. As it is mined from deep in the earth in the Himalayan foothills in Pakistan.

Actually it still is "sea" salt. It comes from ancient marine deposits. We tend not to think of it as a sea salt as it is mined from nowhere near any ocean or sea as we know it. Himalayan Pink salt was originally formed from marine fossil deposits over 250 million years ago during the Jurassic era. Harvested from ancient sea beds, now in the Himalayan mountains, this extraordinary salt has been a valuable commodity for centuries.

As to iodine in salt, the US standard is 45 micrograms of iodine per gram of salt. A microgram is a millionth of a gram. That ain't much. I generally buy kosher salt but I seriously doubt any recipe made at home will be ruined by the iodine from using iodized table salt. You stand a much better chance of the difference in saltyness in the flavor if you measure them by volume (ie, Tablespoon, etc....). Table salt, Kosher salt, Sea salt and Himalayan salt are all "salt" and made from NaCl (Sodium chloride). Chemically the difference is what other trace minerals are either added or tag along naturally due to the source. The salt crystal structure can also be different and table salt generally has a finer structure and will have a higher weight per given volume vs kosher salt which tends to be a flaky or larger structured salt from the way it's made. If you have a gram scale that will weigh to 1/100th of a gram accuracy, try weighing out a given volume of table salt and kosher salt and you will see what I mean. The point to this is if your recipe calls for kosher salt and all you have is table salt, the flavor will be altered by the fact you are actually adding more salt due to the structure, no altering the flavor due to the iodine. You need to reduce the amount of salt if using table salt.

Oh, and all those trace minerals in sea salt & pink himalayan salt, well it's from the ocean and "salt" is not the only thing in sea water......
 
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Well, OK.
So it's old salt.

"Oh, and all those trace minerals in sea salt & pink Himalayan salt, well it's from the ocean and "salt" is not the only thing in sea water......"

And we all know what fish do in that water...
(They grow....)

I ground out the measure of Salt, from the Himalayan salt, and the saltiness gave my Heart Surgeon a heart attack. :eek:
(No wonder I was told I was acting like a T-rex.)

Did it wash down into the ocean? Or did the Ocean push it up into the mountains?
The chicken? Or the egg? :D

The Ocean for about 3-5 miles out from the California coast is kind of brown. And I can assure you, that isn't all mud...
Maybe that's why Himalayan salt is 'saltier' ...Dinosaur goobers in it?
 
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