Which Is Less Salty Kosher Salt or Sea Salt?
There are three types of salt used as flavoring agents in cooking, they include:
Despite the fact that many people believe that one salt may be more or less salty than another, this is actually a myth. Although there are many differences between kosher and sea salt, the salty taste of each is not one of them. This is actually the only similarity between the two types of salt.
In all actuality, all three types of salts - table salt, kosher salt and sea salt- contain the same amount of sodium, roughly 97.5%. All three salts are also recovered in the same way from salt mines. The differences, however, come in the additives that are added to each type of salt to give them difference in size, shape, and texture.
Qualities of Kosher Salt
Kosher salt, while just as salty as sea salts, possesses some different and unique qualities when compared with its two counterparts. These qualities of kosher salt are that kosher salt:
- Uses no preservatives in the process of making the salt
- Can be made from underwater salt or from mined salt
- Has large crystal consistency, and is highly effective as a means for preserving meats and drawing out moisture
- Has a flat platelet shape
Qualities of Sea Salt
Sea salt possesses different qualities than both kosher salt and table salt. These qualities include:
- Additives added to sea salt include magnesium and calcium which gives sea salt a different taste than the other types of salts
- Consists of pyramid shaped crystals
- Smaller surface area than kosher salt, but larger than table salt
- Dissolves quicker than kosher salt, but less quickly than table salt
- Sea salt is more expensive than both kosher salt and table salt
- Slightly different color than the other two types of salt due to the mining process
- This type of salt is mined from the sea and receives very little to no processing
When to Use One Salt over the Other
Since kosher salt and sea salt are equally salty, the choice to use one salt over another generally depends on what the salts are being used for.
In cooking, the salts will change the texture of your food, but not necessarily the taste. Therefore, when a recipe calls for kosher salt, but kosher salt is not available, you will need to use more of the sea salt to achieve the same texture.
In the case of curing or preserving meat, you will want to use kosher salt when available. If kosher salt is not available for use, you will need to use more of the sea salt to achieve the same as what the recipe calls for.