kosher salt

[wallie]

I have seen kosher salt mentioned in a few sausage recipes and would like to know if ordinary cooking salt would be o/k instead.
Also weight for weight are they the same?
What do you guys use in the salt line?

Thanks
wallie

[DarrinG]

Kosher salt is more like a pickling salt. To use normal salt in place of kosher is not really advised in my opinion. You could end up with a much saltier product.

Personally I have switched to pickling salt in my brines rather then kosher because of the cost.

Just my 2�

DarrinG

[Ianinfrance]

The thing about kosher salt is that it doesn't have additives like iodine to stop your thyroid from misbehaving, fluorine to strengthen your tooth enamel and magnesium carbonate or other goodies, to make the salt free flowing and prevent it from clumping together when humid. It's also rather coarser than table salt.

I live in France, and we're very lucky in that we can get coarse sea salt for about €4 for 10 kilos.

[Bad Flynch]

The Kosher salt, as supplied in the U.S., has a different density than the regular salt does. Kosher salt is bulkier and, as an approximation, 1 teaspoon full of regular = 1.5 teaspoons full of Kosher salt. That is on a small quantity basis and scaling it up might not work. I would think that the better way to deal with it is to weigh the salt, then the masses are equal regardless of the density.

Our Kosher salt is much as has been mentioned: no iodide, no ingredients to ensure easy pouring and no clumping, etc.; it is very much pure salt and would make excellent sausage.