The Kosher Salt Throwdown!

[MarkIsCooking]

I noticed the thread Fat Guy started about the salt manifesto in the Penzey catalog and a light bulb went off.

We need something else to debate here at eGullet: What is THE best brand of kosher salt?

The culinary school I attended was strictly a Diamond customer.

I have a few friends who say that Morton is the way to go.

At the risk of starting a whole other Penzey tangent, I have bought their Kosher Style Flake Salt and liked it.

For those of you with those rarified palates, help out the rest of us. What is THE best kosher salt we should all be using (of course, save those unfortunate souls with high blood pressure who won't be interested in this thread at all).

[Crouton]

I use Morton's kosher salt exclusively for cooking... With Diamond Crystal, I assume this is attributed to the smaller flakes, but I have to keep adding and adding and adding to get my food seasoned. So for me it's Morton's for cooking... but as a finishing salt, I prefer Diamond Crystal.

[BadRabbit]

Diamond Crystal is too hard to find here so I use Morton's. Now even if I could find DC I doubt I would change.

[abooja]

Diamond Crystal kosher is my primary salt, along with Maldon sea salt and several others for specific salting tasks. It's just salt, with no anti-caking agents, and it's easy to grind between your fingers. I double the amount of table salt required in most recipes.

[NancyH]

Morton's has a chemical anticaking agent which I think affects the taste, so I don't use it. Diamond Crystal only for me!

[baroness]

Diamond Crystal - I like its light, flaky texture.

Morton's seems 'leaden' to me, and I have read that it IS denser, weight-to-volume, than Diamond Crystal.

[nakji]

Morton's has a chemical anticaking agent which I think affects the taste, so I don't use it. Diamond Crystal only for me!

My climate is so humid, even Morton's clumps. Since moving to Asia, I've used local sea salts whenever I can find them. I particularly liked the product available in Japan.

How does "Kosher" salt differ from table salt?

[Anna N]

....

How does "Kosher" salt differ from table salt?

At least in North America table salt contains iodine whereas kosher salt contains no additives.

[Katie Meadow]

Diamond Crystal for all cooking, but not for finishing or raw foods. No Mortons ever. Just a contrary habit. I grew up on Morton's iodized table salt, just don't want to go back.

[vice]

I've been freaking out all week because the one store in town that used to have Diamond Crystal seems to have stopped carrying it. My #1 weekend project is now to drive around to the various grocery chains and stockpile what I find. I hereby solicit donations for any of your unused/unwanted stashes of DC - I'm on edge here, people!

[abooja]

What I find odd is that, at least in the stores in my area, Diamond Crystal is always in the kosher section, while Morton's is in the baking aisle, along with the other salts. Why is that?

[BadRabbit]

Morton's has a chemical anticaking agent which I think affects the taste, so I don't use it. Diamond Crystal only for me!

My climate is so humid, even Morton's clumps.

This may be why they don't sell DC where I am. In Alabama, the humidity is over 90% for most of the year.

[IndyRob]

....

How does "Kosher" salt differ from table salt?

At least in North America table salt contains iodine whereas kosher salt contains no additives.

They also differ in texture. Table salt has a beach sand consistancy while kosher is made up of tiny flakes which are easier to control with the fingers. With Diamond having a different texture than Morton, I have a hypothesis that some perceived differences could be down to famaliarity or comfort with a given texture, rather than pure taste. Being familiar with Morton, I suspect I might tend to over season if I were to use Diamond.

And just for some objective measurements, I just weighed a tablespoon of Morton's Kosher and Morton's Iodized table salt, and the kosher was 16 grams, while the table salt was 18. I had expected a larger difference.

[judiu]

I live in the about southest part of South Florida, bar the Keys, and in three seasons our humidity hovers at about 90%. I use DC salt to cook and at the table. It keeps beautifully in a covered dish by the stove and a large holed shaker with a 'flick lid' on the table. If the salt clumps in the shaker, a clunk on the table restores it to shakeabilty in no time. The salt clumps in my glass covered bowl crumble when pinched up to sprinkle. Publix carries it, and I won't change to Morton.

[Kouign Aman]

Not all table salt is iodized. Most stores carry both iodized and plain salt.

Mostly the difference is texture, as explained above.

[weinoo]

Texture, weight and additives are what make Diamond Crystal and Morton's different.

I use strictly Diamond Crystal for all my salting needs except finishing (though it's perfectly fine on a focaccia) - I suppose it's what I remember growing up with.

[MarkIsCooking]

Would love to hear recommendations for best finishing salts.

[Chris Amirault]

100% Diamond here. In addition to the issues mentioned here, it's more difficult to crush Morton's to a powder for adding to cooking oils, rubs, etc. I can do that with Diamond between my fingers.

[IndyRob]

Why would one need to reduce a salt to a powder for a rub?

[Chris Amirault]

Because finer particles are absorbed more readily.

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[heidih]

I've been freaking out all week because the one store in town that used to have Diamond Crystal seems to have stopped carrying it. My #1 weekend project is now to drive around to the various grocery chains and stockpile what I find. I hereby solicit donations for any of your unused/unwanted stashes of DC - I'm on edge here, people!

I think that Penzeys stocks DC and there is one in LA. If I am not mistaken Smart & Final is DC versus Mortons. Worth a look.

[IndyRob]

Because finer particles are absorbed more readily.

I'm skeptical - as salt (in any form) tends to dissolve upon being introduced to moisture.

[vice]

I think that Penzeys stocks DC and there is one in LA. If I am not mistaken Smart & Final is DC versus Mortons. Worth a look.

Smart & Final was my store! They switched to the dark (blue) side.

[janeer]

I've used Morton's for decades. But I think that may be because that was always what was available in Boston, in Philly, and now in Nashville. I like it. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't try DC if available.

[Pam R]

How does "Kosher" salt differ from table salt?

Kosher salt is courser because it's used to 'kasher' meat -- draw the blood out of raw meat. Courser, larger crystals work better.

I use Diamond or David's.