Kosher Salt vs. Sea Salt: Differences Between the Edible Salts

Kosher salt, or koshering salt, is a coarse edible salt composed of large, flat, uneven grains. Like table salt, its chemical composition is primarily sodium chloride (NaCL), though it may contain additives, such as anti-caking agents, to prevent clumping. However, kosher salt does not contain iodine, which ends up removed as part of the manufacturing process.

Like other common types of salt, kosher salt comes from underground salt deposits in land salt mines from Pakistan and other areas, and as a result, it is often referred to as “rock salt.” Kosher salt is not a kosher food but instead derives its name from its use in the koshering process, in which salt draws blood from raw meat, so it complies with Jewish dietary laws.

There are many uses for kosher salt, including:

1. 1. Brining: You can use kosher salt as a dry and wet brine for turkey or other meats. Add one cup of kosher salt to every gallon of water for a wet brine. For a dry brine, rub kosher salt over the surface of the meat, along with a combination of other herbs, spices, and even sugar. Learn how to brine protein with our complete guide.
2. 2. Cleaning: Kosher salt’s coarse grains are also ideal for stubborn stains on durable cooking pans like cast-iron skillets. Add kosher salt to a warm skillet, and then scour the pan with a paper towel. Discard the salt, rinse the skillet with warm water and then dry immediately. The water also evaporates if warmed over a low flame.
3. 3. Cooking: Kosher salt is a prized all-purpose salt for chefs and foodies alike for its large crystal size, which makes it easier to sprinkle over food. Kosher salt also melts upon contact with food, which makes for more evenly distributed flavoring. Kosher salt can also lend flavor to pasta water, water for boiled potatoes, and blanched vegetables.
4. 4. Margaritas: Most margarita recipes call for kosher salt on the rim of the glass. The salt brings out the tart and sweet qualities of the lime and tequila while also adding a pleasing degree of crunch. Some recipes call for a mixture of salt and lemon or lime zest. Try Chef Wolfgang Puck’s berry margarita recipe.

Notable for its wide, uneven grains and flaky texture, sea salt is a coarse edible salt that derives from evaporated seawater. It is largely composed of sodium chloride and may also contain trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, and other impurities, affecting both the color and taste of the salt. These minerals are present due to the manufacturing method, in which salt crystals are collected from evaporated saltwater from oceans, rivers, or ponds.

Varieties in the harvesting and evaporation methods have resulted in many different types of sea salt, including fleur de sel (which is salt harvested from ponds), and Celtic, Maldon, and Hawaiian red and black sea salt.

There are many uses for sea salt, including:

1. 1. Cooking: Sea salt crystals have a coarser mouthfeel and taste than other types of salt, like table salt. It works best as a finishing salt for meats and vegetables, adding a pleasing crunch and complex flavor when sprinkled over or rubbed on food. Sea salt can also coax additional flavor from chocolates and other sweets when added to their surface.
2. 2. Relieving muscle pain: Adding sea salt to a warm bath can help alleviate some of the aches and pains associated with muscles and joints. Soaking in a bath with a quarter-cup of sea salt can help relieve or reduce back pain, muscle cramps, tired legs and feet, joint stiffness, and pain associated with arthritis. Additionally, adding herbs, scented oils, and bath salts to a sea salt bath can be therapeutic.
3. 3. DIY body scrub: Sea salt is full of minerals, like magnesium and calcium, that can benefit your skin. Add a cup of sea salt, 10 drops of your favorite essential oil, and a ¼ cup of a carrier oil like avocado oil (which dilutes the potent essential oil) to a small cup or bowl and combine it with your fingers or a spoon. Apply the mixture to your skin during your next bath, scrubbing it in with your fingers or a hand towel. The sea salt may help fight acne-causing bacteria, improve circulation, promote skin growth through exfoliation, and prevent skin infections.

There are a few key differences between kosher salt and sea salt, including:

• Composition: Kosher salt is primarily composed of sodium chloride, though some brands may contain additives. Sea salt’s primary component is sodium chloride, though it also contains trace amounts of iodine, which is not present in kosher salt. Sea salt also contains varying amounts of other minerals and salts, depending on the ocean or river water content from which it’s farmed.
• Health benefits: Kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt all have the same sodium content, which affects blood pressure upon consumption. However, one teaspoon of kosher salt weighs less and contains less sodium by volume than table salt. Coarse-grained sea salt has roughly the same benefit for your health as kosher salt, but the fine-grain variety contains as much sodium as table salt.
• Shape: There are a few key differences in the basic shapes of kosher salt and sea salt grains. Kosher salt is composed of large, flat, white grains with a coarse texture, though some brands of kosher salt also have a pyramidal shape. Sea salt comes in two textures—coarse and fine sea salt—and various colors due to its mineral content and impurities in the water from which it’s harvested.

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