Kosher Salt

Kosher Salt
© Denzil Green

Koshering Salt

There isn't really anything Kosher about Kosher Salt. It's not necessarily certified as Kosher (though Morton Kosher Salt, sold in North America, says it is packed under rabbinical supervision.) All salt is Kosher -- after all, it's just a mineral (sodium chloride) and minerals are Kosher.

A more accurate name would have been "Koshering Salt", because Kosher Salt is merely salt that is used to "Kosher" the meat. Kosher meat mustn't have any blood in it; the salt applied to the surface of the meat draws the blood to the surface where it can be washed away. Coarse salt must be used for this as fine salt would almost immediately just dissolve into the meat, instead of drawing out blood. And that's why it's called Kosher Salt. Nothing to do with the Dead Sea, Lot's Wife, or being recommended by Moses.

Kosher Salt is coarse. Some say that Kosher Salt contains no additives, but that is not true. A few brands do indeed contain no additives, not even any anti-caking agents, and it appears that none are iodized. Some will anti-caking agents, though. At one time, Morton Kosher Salt contained sodium ferrocyanide. In any event, the only anti-caking agent that would make it non-Kosher for Passover would be dextrose, which is used for some regular table salts.

Kosher Salt has become very popular in North America as it is an affordable alternative to iodized table salt, without having to push the boat out in buying fancy sea salts. And it's coarseness makes it handy for doing salt crusts on fish and meats, rimming margarita glasses, etc.

It isn't as prevalent in UK supermarkets for consumer home usage, as most table salt sold on the shelves there is un-iodized anyway, and lovely, crunchy Maldon sea salt is an affordable "specialty" salt (not that you would use an expensive sea salt as a "Koshering Salt".)

Substitutes for Kosher Salt

If a recipe calls for Kosher Salt, think about how it is going to be used in the recipe. Is it going to just be tossed into a soup where it will dissolve into the water? Then any old salt will do as a substitute. Or, is it being used for a texturing effect? Rims of margarita glasses, tops of breads and buns, etc. Or, is it being used to do "salt baking" -- for instance, when you pack a fish entirely in salt and bake it in that. In either of these last two instances, texturing or as a baking medium, then you can substitute a coarse or flaky sea salt.

Because Kosher Salt is coarser, and less of it will fit into a teaspoon, use a bit more Kosher Salt when substituting Kosher Salt for table salt, anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon more. Or, don't compensate, as most of us eat so much salt anyway in our processed foods.

Equivalents for Kosher Salt

1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt = 5 oz / 140g

1 cup Morton Coarse Kosher Salt = 8 oz / 225g
1 1/2 cups of Kosher Salt, flaked = 7 /34 oz = 200g

History Notes for Kosher Salt

One salt that definitely wouldn't have been Kosher is Roman salt. Salt deposits were mined, then mixed with water to dissolve the salt, making a brine solution that would be boiled in large uncovered pans over fire. To help the salt come together and form crystals, they would add some kind of coagulating agent such as blood, and to help any organic matter float to the surface where it could be skimmed off, a bit of urine. Never mind totally not Kosher, you couldn't even get this by the Health Authorities nowadays.

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