Kosher salt: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
Kosher salt gets its name, not because it follows the guidelines for [[Kashrut|kosher]] foods as written in the [[Torah]] (nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt), but rather because of its use in making meats kosher, by helping to extract the blood from the meat. Because kosher salt grains are larger than regular table salt grains, when meats are coated in kosher salt the salt does not dissolve readily; the salt remains on the surface of the meat longer, allowing fluids to [[Leaching|leach]] out of the meat. |
Kosher salt gets its name, not because it follows the guidelines for [[Kashrut|kosher]] foods as written in the [[Torah]] (nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt), but rather because of its use in making meats kosher, by helping to extract the blood from the meat. Because kosher salt grains are larger than regular table salt grains, when meats are coated in kosher salt the salt does not dissolve readily; the salt remains on the surface of the meat longer, allowing fluids to [[Leaching|leach]] out of the meat. |
||
Kosher salt can be used in nearly all applications, but it is not generally recommended for [[baking]] with recipes that use small amounts of liquid (wet ingredients). If there is not enough liquid, the kosher salt will not dissolve sufficiently, and this can result in small bits of salt in the resulting product. In certain applications this is undesirable. In recipes where there is enough liquid to dissolve all the salt, |
Kosher salt can be used in nearly all applications, but it is not generally recommended for [[baking]] with recipes that use small amounts of liquid (wet ingredients). If there is not enough liquid, the kosher salt will not dissolve sufficiently, and this can result in small bits of salt in the resulting product. In certain applications this is undesirable. In recipes where there is enough liquid to dissolve all the salt, table salt can be replaced by kosher salt, but the volume must be addjusted. Because kosher grains occupy more volume (for equal weight) the volume of kosher slat should be increased. Because kosher salt grains can vary in size considerably from one brand to another, it is recommended that one weigh check the box for a conversion guideline, which is generally provided. If there is no guidance provided, twice as much kosher salt (by volume) to replace table salt serves as a rough estimate. Conversely, to replace kosher salt with table salt in a recipe, the required quantity of salt should be reduced by half. |
||
[[Chef]]s often prefer kosher salt because its texture allows the chef to pinch a larger quantity of salt and evenly sprinkle the flakes on food. |
[[Chef]]s often prefer kosher salt because its texture allows the chef to pinch a larger quantity of salt and evenly sprinkle the flakes on food. |
||
Revision as of 21:32, 11 December 2006
Kosher salt (sodium chloride) (or more correctly, Koshering Salt), is one of the most commonly used varieties of salt in commercial kitchens today. Kosher salt, unlike common table salt, typically contains no additives (for example, iodine), although kosher salt produced by Morton contains sodium ferrocyanide as a free-flow agent. Kosher salt has a much larger grain size than regular table salt, and a more open granular structure.
Kosher salt gets its name, not because it follows the guidelines for kosher foods as written in the Torah (nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt), but rather because of its use in making meats kosher, by helping to extract the blood from the meat. Because kosher salt grains are larger than regular table salt grains, when meats are coated in kosher salt the salt does not dissolve readily; the salt remains on the surface of the meat longer, allowing fluids to leach out of the meat.
Kosher salt can be used in nearly all applications, but it is not generally recommended for baking with recipes that use small amounts of liquid (wet ingredients). If there is not enough liquid, the kosher salt will not dissolve sufficiently, and this can result in small bits of salt in the resulting product. In certain applications this is undesirable. In recipes where there is enough liquid to dissolve all the salt, table salt can be replaced by kosher salt, but the volume must be addjusted. Because kosher grains occupy more volume (for equal weight) the volume of kosher slat should be increased. Because kosher salt grains can vary in size considerably from one brand to another, it is recommended that one weigh check the box for a conversion guideline, which is generally provided. If there is no guidance provided, twice as much kosher salt (by volume) to replace table salt serves as a rough estimate. Conversely, to replace kosher salt with table salt in a recipe, the required quantity of salt should be reduced by half.
Chefs often prefer kosher salt because its texture allows the chef to pinch a larger quantity of salt and evenly sprinkle the flakes on food.