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kosher salt

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 9:51 am
by dannylomb
Hi,

All recipes contains kosher salt now the only product I can find that states kosher but contains iodine is a very coarse salt. I can get sea salt free from iodine but is very coarse the question is can I use the iodine type or the sea salt but I will still need to process it in the mortar and pestle, will it have the same effect?

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:42 am
by Big Guy
I would not use either sea salt or Iodized salt, the extra minerals in sea salt can react with the spices and result in off flavours as can the iodine. Look for course salt or canning salt.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:58 am
by RodinBangkok
Big Guy wrote:I would not use either sea salt or Iodized salt, the extra minerals in sea salt can react with the spices and result in off flavours as can the iodine. Look for course salt or canning salt.


Well thats a new one on me, we've used sea salt for decades now and have not had any issues with off flavours. A mortar and pestle is just fine when working with coarse sea salt. But make sure you are using weight versus volume for your formulas. Also the density of sea salt can vary, as the water content can throw your formulations off some, but this is getting pretty specific. If your just starting out, measure carefully and use less than you think you need for your formulation. Then fry up a test patty, and adjust from there. Once you know your salt, you can use the same ratios for different formulations. Try a simple fresh sausage to play with your quantities.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:39 pm
by grisell
I use sea salt of high quality in dried sausages, but because of the high price, I use non-iodized ordinary salt or the pink salt from Himalaya in places where large amounts are required, i.e. in brines or for dry curing.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:22 pm
by Wunderdave
Salt that is labeled as "kosher" is not "kosher salt." Kosher salt is a specific product with large granules.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:55 pm
by DiggingDogFarm
I have 4 brands of kosher salt here, all are kosher.
Some have larger granules than others.


~Martin

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:45 pm
by vagreys
Depending on the iodine content of the salt, the iodine can discolor red meat, making it turn dark - almost black - in spots. Other than that, the iodine can contribute a medicinal, metallic taste to the sausage. That's why I would avoid salt with added iodine.

I've been cooking with sea salt for decades, and never heard that sea salt causes off flavors when combined with spices and herbs. Some sea salts do contain more iodine than others, and you can smell that in cooking, but I don't think most sea salt contains as much iodine as the iodine-fortified table salts do.

Kosher salt grains are different shapes and take up different volumes. Volume measures of kosher salt vary widely in weight. This is an important reason to use/convert recipes to weight measures for ingredients, and always weigh your salt. Salt volumes can vary by 100% by weight, depending on the crystal shape.

I use non-iodized kosher salt for most sausages, and have only occasionally used sea salt. After reading Maynard Davies' discussion of salts, I am reconsidering and may start making more use of sea/bay salt in mine.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:58 pm
by dannylomb
I will go with the sea salt and see I will do a batch of salsicce fresche and pancetta.

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 6:16 pm
by wheels
FWIW I use sea salt all the time in both sausage and cured meats. Not the really pricey gear that Grisell uses (Maldon), but French stuff that I buy for pennies (dimes?).

I've never had a problem with it.

Phil

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 1:58 am
by Oddwookiee
I caught a show on the Food network in the US about different salts. The final breakdown was that unless someone has a freakishly oversensitive palette, the mineral content of sea salt is undetectable if you add it before a good id cooked, but it can sometimes be tasted if applied at the table. I can't see how it would be any different in sausage, especially any sausage with a spice level over very mild.

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:28 am
by grisell
Oddwookiee wrote:I caught a show on the Food network in the US about different salts. The final breakdown was that unless someone has a freakishly oversensitive palette, the mineral content of sea salt is undetectable if you add it before a good id cooked, but it can sometimes be tasted if applied at the table. I can't see how it would be any different in sausage, especially any sausage with a spice level over very mild.


I notice a huge difference, but as you say, even more so in mildly spiced products such as Parma style ham or fish.