Iodized salt vs. pure kosher salt

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In summary: I don't even know where to start. Basically, people think that iodized salt will make a funny taste in food, and that's not actually true. Plus, iodine is important for a lot of different things, like preventing iodine deficiency.
  • #1
cragar
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why do chefs prefer kosher salt as apposed to iodized salt they say the iodized reacts with the food to make a funny taste but is this really true or make that big of a difference.
 
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  • #2
If you want to make it as a TV chef, you must use adjectives. Kosher, or Sea in this context is an adjective. Use vanilla and you will fail, where french vanilla will succeed. Olive oil will not do, where extra virgin olive oil will. People will turn their noses up at cyanide while gorging themselves on potassium cyanide.
 
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  • #3
cragar said:
why do chefs prefer kosher salt as apposed to iodized salt they say the iodized reacts with the food to make a funny taste but is this really true or make that big of a difference.

Seems untrue:

From a test in the University of Jordan in 1996 (Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, http://www.emro.who.int/publications/emhj/0202/05.htm" [Broken])
No statistically significant difference was found in the taste, colour or texture between pickles prepared using non-iodized salt and pickles prepared using iodized salt. It is important to note that the traditional methods of pickle preparation were not consistent. The women who prepared the vegetables used different additives such as onions, pepper, garlic and cloves. These ingredients are known to affect the sensory characteristics of food, especially taste and texture. It can be concluded nevertheless that iodized salt has no effect on any of the sensory characteristics of traditionally prepared pickled vegetables.
This finding adds important information to the existing body of knowledge which has so far not identified any negative effect of iodized salt on processed foods
 
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  • #4
I don't know what purpose it serves for cooking, but I do know that a solution of Kosher salt water can be used to irrigate the human nasal passages, while an attempt to use iodized salt water will result in an unpleasant stinging sensation. I am talking about the traditional use of the neti pot for nasal irrigation.
 
  • #5
isabelle said:
I don't know what purpose it serves for cooking, but I do know that a solution of Kosher salt water can be used to irrigate the human nasal passages, while an attempt to use iodized salt water will result in an unpleasant stinging sensation. I am talking about the traditional use of the neti pot for nasal irrigation.
Homemade nasal saline solutions just call for plain table salt.

The difference in Kosher is that it is a courser texture than regular table salt. Once it is dissolved, I don't believe there is a difference. Kosher salt doesn't have iodine, which is a necessary nutrient.
 
  • #6
Mark Kurlansky has written a book about the history of salt. I heard an interview with Kurlansky, and the book apparently contains some interesting stories.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0142001619/?tag=pfamazon01-20

http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/salt/home.htm


Salts will taste differently depending on impurities and the different anions. In pickled products, the effects of pH and various acids may overwhelm the effect of the salt, especially depending on the solubility of various weak or strong bases/acids.
 
  • #7
All of my pickle recipes call for canning salt (not iodized). Don't know why, but I'm not changing recipes that are 50+ years old.
 
  • #8
Kosher(ing) and sea salt have a coarse structure, while regular table salt has a very fine structure. The coarser salt gives a different taste sensation than the fine salt (when undissolved, of course). Apparently the iodine can give a slightly metallic flavor to the salt, but that could just be a myth?
 
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  • #9
Thanks for the info, coz I’m really confuse on difference of Kosher between the normal salt.
 
  • #10
ADAM2921 said:
Thanks for the info, coz I’m really confuse on difference of Kosher between the normal salt.

as mentioned, mainly grain size. and kosher salt is guaranteed to meet jewish dietary laws.

whatever you get, i'd make sure it's iodized.
 
  • #11
Do my fish count as people?

I use non-iodized salt as a bacterial prophylactic in my freshwater tanks.
 
  • #12
Many people think that the inclusion of iodine is for support of the thyroid gland, and they'd be right, but most don't know why this is so important: iodine deficiency affects 2 billion people worldwide, and is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation.

A lot of health-food people shun iodized salt, but if they have children, they're putting them at risk, although it affects adults, too. Ideally, if you eat healthy, you should be able to get enough iodine in your diet, but that's only if the soil in which the food was grows is suitably rich in iodine. Most soils are nutrient-poor, as they've been repeatedly farmed for decades.

Iodine is also used by many other body functions.

Thus, it makes little sense to avoid taking advantage of iodized salt.
 
  • #13
Jimmy Snyder said:
People will turn their noses up at cyanide while gorging themselves on potassium cyanide.

Hah. This is a great quote.
 
  • #14
mugaliens said:
Many people think that the inclusion of iodine is for support of the thyroid gland, and they'd be right, but most don't know why this is so important: iodine deficiency affects 2 billion people worldwide, and is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation.

A lot of health-food people shun iodized salt, but if they have children, they're putting them at risk, although it affects adults, too. Ideally, if you eat healthy, you should be able to get enough iodine in your diet, but that's only if the soil in which the food was grows is suitably rich in iodine. Most soils are nutrient-poor, as they've been repeatedly farmed for decades.

Iodine is also used by many other body functions.

Thus, it makes little sense to avoid taking advantage of iodized salt.

also, processed foods tend to use plain salt, which further contributes to the problem we once cured.
 

What is the difference between iodized salt and pure kosher salt?

Iodized salt is regular table salt that has been fortified with the essential mineral iodine. Pure kosher salt is made from larger, irregularly shaped crystals and does not contain added iodine.

Is one type of salt healthier than the other?

Both iodized salt and pure kosher salt contain the same amount of sodium, so they are equally healthy in terms of sodium intake. However, iodized salt provides an important source of iodine, which is necessary for proper thyroid function.

Can I use iodized salt and pure kosher salt interchangeably in recipes?

Yes, you can use either type of salt in recipes, but keep in mind that pure kosher salt has larger crystals, so you may need to use more if substituting for iodized salt. Also, the lack of iodine in pure kosher salt may affect the flavor of the dish slightly.

Are there any cooking or baking techniques that require one type of salt over the other?

Some chefs and bakers prefer to use pure kosher salt for seasoning dishes or adding to bread dough because of its larger crystals and ability to dissolve more slowly, allowing for better control of the saltiness level. However, either type of salt can be used for cooking and baking.

Which type of salt is more expensive?

Pure kosher salt is typically more expensive than iodized salt because of its larger crystals and less refined production process. However, the difference in cost is usually minimal and may not be noticeable for everyday home cooking use.

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