Salt

[Chefmjg4635]

What is the best salt to use to brine. I’ve seen different things. From using iodize salt to pickling salt. Also read that iodized salt is not good to use. What dii ok you guys
Thanks
Mike

 

[smokerjim]

I've tried a couple different salts including iodized over the years I personally can't taste the difference so normally now I just use table salt because that's what I have laying around.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Really nothing wrong with any of them but I prefer sea salt or canning and pickling salt.

 

[PolishDeli]

Salt is salt. It is NaCl. The differences are in (1) the grain size and (2) the impurities/additives

With that in mind, when im curing meats, my strategy is to (1) meaure salt by weight, not volume and (2) use canning salt.

 

[zwiller]

Iodized is fine. The key to brining is knowing that different salts are not interchangeable as they WEIGH differently. IE: 1C of table/iodized is basically 2 cups kosher/pickling. This is why you see people post stuff like I ruined my turkey with iodized salt. NO, it's not the iodine, you used way too much salt. P PolishDeli BEAT ME. Brines ideally should be based on weight not volume.

 

[normanaj]

I use sea salt because it's fairly cheap here and I have pantry closet full of it.

 

[sandyut]

I go with Kosher Morton, but its just because that's what we have at home. definitely use weight not volume. there is a huge difference in the amount...as mentioned above.

 

[civilsmoker]

I go with Kosher Morton, but its just because that's what we have at home. definitely use weight not volume. there is a huge difference in the amount...as mentioned above.

We also use the Kosher Morton stuff as we can buy a 3 lb box from Costco for $2.30 a box. And I have gone to a 2% by weight (water & protein) brine recipe as of late and it keeps things from getting too salty and doesn't use too much salt.

 

[DougE]

I feel that non-iodized salt is best for what I do. Measure by weight, not volume and you will always have the same amount no matter whether it's a coarse or fine grind.

A tbs of fine table salt is not the same amount as a tbs of coarse kosher salt.