Kosher salt - what is it?
I often see this as an ingredient but can someone please tell me what it actually is.
It's not something I've ever come across (at least not by that name). I've even asked at my nearby Jewish grocers (which obviously has many products approved by the Beth Din) but got no more than a blank look.
I presume it must be something different from "ordinary" salt but I can't think what it might be.
One big difference here in the U.S. is that it doesn't have iodine it, the way U.S. "regular" table salt does. Also, although you can get a "fine grain" kosher salt, it often comes in larger grains - that's what I use to make gravlax, for example.
http://ninecooks.typepad.com/perfectp... - this is interesting as well - and explains that one has to substitute 2 T of kosher salt for 1 T of table salt.
I only use kosher salt and sea salts.
I'm surprised the Jewish grocers did not know what Kosher salt is because it is used to "kosher meats" as required by Jewish law. This involves coating the meat with salt to draw the blood to the surface and, meats bought at a kosher butcher must be "Koshered" by that method in order to be kosher when served.
Kosher salt produced by Morton contains sodium ferrocyanide as a free-flow agent.