Canning Salt vs. Kosher Salt: How the Two Salts Compare

Canning salt, also known as pickling salt, is pure salt without anticaking agents or other additives. It differs from regular table salt in that the latter is typically iodized, whereas canning salt is not. Canning salt produces a clear brine instead of a cloudy brine, the latter being the product of salts containing additives. Store canning salt in an airtight container to prevent clumping.

Kosher salt is a larger crystal salt ideal for pulling moisture out of meat while also flavoring it, making it an ideal salt choice for the koshering process (in which you draw all blood out of the meat). Many savory and sweet recipes call for kosher salt, but some brands have different salinity levels than others. The coarse grains naturally prevent this type of salt from clumping.

While canning salt and kosher salt both contain sodium, they differ in terms of the following areas:

1. 1. Appearance: Both salts are white in color but have different grain sizes. Canning salt comes in fine granules, while kosher salt is much coarser.
2. 2. Flavor: Canning salt is much saltier than kosher salt. When substituting kosher salt for canning salt in a pickle brine recipe, add about twice as much kosher salt as the amount of canning salt for which the recipe calls.
3. 3. Texture: Canning salt feels similar to granulated sugar because of its fine grain. On the other hand, kosher salt is a coarse-grain salt, making it easier to identify individual grains of kosher salt by touch. Both types of salt dissolve during cooking, eliminating any crunch.
4. 4. Uses: Canning salt is the better salt to use for pickling liquid, wet brines, or meat-preserving methods, whereas kosher salt is a better seasoning salt to use on meats and vegetables before or after cooking. Use kosher salt in marinades, sauces, and salad dressings.

Beyond canning salt and kosher salt, there are more culinary salts to choose from when you’re cooking. Here are four common kitchen salts and when you might use them:

• Curing salt: Also known as pink salt, curing salt is a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite. Use curing salt when you’re making sausage, bacon, and other preserved meat products. It adds a slight pink color and extends the shelf life of the meat. Curing salt is usually in the same grocery store aisle as other types of salt, including regular table salt.
• Himalayan salt: A type of rock salt and table salt, Himalayan salt comes from the Salt Range mountains in Pakistan. Himalayan pink salt is popular, but the salt can range in color from clear to black. It has many culinary uses—for example, in salt grinders or as salt blocks.
• Sea salt: Use fine sea salt or coarse sea salt as either a precooking seasoning or a postcooking finishing salt. Sea salt, which undergoes less processing than table salt, results from the evaporation of seawater, which leaves behind salt.
• Table salt: The typical salt in household salt shakers, table salt has very fine grains and contains anticaking additives that prevent clumping following exposure to moisture. Iodized table salt is a common form of salt to use for seasoning food, both before and after cooking.

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