I saw in many US recipes the term “kosher salt”, I don’t see it on sale here. What actually is it? Is the salt harvest naturally? How’s the taste compared to table salt? Are they wet or dry salt?
Is there an equivalent in French salts, sel gris, fleur de sel ?
Thanks a lot.
Dry, somewhat flaky but depends on the brand. Kosher salt is fluffier than a granular iodized table salt so you’d use more by volume per recipe.
It is a slightly coarser salt than regular table salt, it also isn’t iodized like regular table salt. But it isn’t a “finishing” salt like fleur de sell or Gris.
So any regular salt could be substituted for it. Since it is a different grain, substituting regular table salt for kosher would mean reducing the volume of regular salt a little.
A conversion table:
Thanks a lot!
In fact, I have this recipe that I need to marinate a chicken with kosher salt overnight, I was wondering if overnight with table salt would be too salty. I used coarse sea salt in the end. The chicken turned out great with the seasoning.
Ask.
Learn.
Adapt.
Execute.
Brilliantly played.
Let’s eat!
This visual is helpful. It’s rather cheap and readily available in the US, if their is a jewish neighborhood or area near you those stores will carry it.
Size matters, thanks a lot.
Kosher salt is basically a large-grain, dry salt, in most cases without any chemical additions or iodization. As Babette stated, different brands are sized differently, so there is no one-to-one correspondence between teaspoons of kosher salt and grams of another salt. GourmetSleuth tells us that 1 tsp of kosher salt is 2.8 grams. But other websites–I don’t remember which–tell us that there is a difference in weight per teaspoon between Morton’s and Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Just think of it as a pure, large grain salt.
salt is salt.
It is, and it isn’t.
Because different salts can vary in weight at the same volume it a good idea to weight salt in a recipe. Very important for calculating a brine
Nuh uh.
This topic is more historic than topical these days, but I came across Kenji’s take on kosher salt while researching his views on pizza grills. Here it is: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/ask-the-food-lab-do-i-need-to-use-kosher-salt.html
Thanks a lot for the article. It gives a good comparison with fine table salt and some other finishing salts.
And obviously size matters.
Not really.
I use kosher salt ( cannot remember who makes it) for presenting my meat for smoking and for brining but here is a story of what happened to me in the 90’s.
I bought a set of 12" salt and pepper mill made by Peugeot from WS. , went to Whole Foods to buy salt, for the salt mill. It did not work, so I wrote to Peugeot who explained that the Peugeot wet salt mechanism has been designed for grinding damp sea salt – also known as grey salt (from Guérande, Ré, etc.). It resists salt corrosion through the use of specialized materials.
So, I went to Whole Foods again, bought grey salt that they recommended. Still problem. Thinking that my Peugeot Salt Mill was defective, called Peugeot again. I asked if I received a factory second perhaps? Peugeot then sent me a replacement but problem persisted. I actually have a large large 24"Peppermill that only my husband can use as it is too large for me. ( I have since retired that and is sitting in my pantry , as a memory of my husband)
Finally, Peugeot sent me a 567 gms bottle of La roule des epices kosher salt which may have been made for Peugeot as it has their logo . They advised me that if I run out, to buy it from Swiss Army Knife. Well, I have been buying from them since. No Problem!
Net time I run out of kosher salat for brining and barbecuing, I wil try and find the diamond brand.
Great you find a way to use your wet salt grinder.
It’s annoying that you are limited by the type of salt, their brand mainly.
I like your persistence with customer service and making things work. I’ve to look for mine again. 
so far no problem after I start using their salt.
William Sonoma would. have refunded me for the SP grinder but they were very pretty, and I persisted calling Peugeot!
Added bonus: I have two of their pretty Paris Red Salt Grinder, one given as a gift !!!
@naf, not sure if you eat popcorn, but kosher salt is perfect for seasoning that snack, as it isn’t circular shaped, and doesn’t “roll off”.
Same for things like fries, onion rings, calamari & etc. I like the size of the Diamond Kosher flakes, and (to my palate) the clean, pure taste.
