Pickling salt is also known as canned salt or preserved salt. It is the purest salt in the world. This salt has survived for a long time and has been used for more than 8,000 years in food flavoring, meat preservation or religious ceremonies. It was until about 100 years ago that people started using it to preserve other foods besides meat. Pickling salt is 100% pure sodium chloride. Thus, it does not contain anticaking agents, iodine and other additives found in other salts.
- What is Pickling Salt?
- The Substitution of Pickling Salt with other Common Salts
- Salts can be used to Alternate Pickling Salts
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pickling Salt?
Pickling salt is a fine-grained salt used in the manufacture of pickles. Pickling salt is the salt used mainly for canning and for the manufacture of pickles. It is sodium chloride as table salt. However, it is unlike most brands of table salt, it does not contain iodine or any added anti-caking ingredients.
A widely circulated hypothesis is that iodization causes pickles to change color. This is not correct. However, some anti-caking ingredients are thought to lodge at the bottom of the jar or cloud the brine, which causes a minor aesthetic problem. Pickling salt is a very fine salt that speeds up its solubility in water to make the brine. That is why pickling salt is very useful for pickling.
The Substitution of Pickling Salt with other Common Salts
If anyone asks: “Is pickling salt necessary for pickling”. The answer is yes and no. You do not have to just use pickling salt for pickles. But pickling salt is perfect for pickles. Alternatively, you can also use other salts, just other salts should be your second choice.
Salts can be used to Alternate Pickling Salts
Although pickling salts are the most perfect salt to use for pickles, they are especially used in food processing factories. However, when you have no other choice, you can also buy the following salts instead of pickling salt.
Here are some safe salts:
Kosher salt is your first choice if you accidentally run out of pickling salt in your kitchen compartment. The reason we recommend this salt is because it contains iodine or other additives. It has a gentle and pure salty taste because it is 100% clean salt granules. As a result, Kosher salt does not discolor or cause a strange odor to pickled foods. On the other hand, it also produces a mild sour taste as desired.
The only difference between kosher salt and pickling salt is their texture. The larger kosher salt size than pickling salt makes measurement become difficult. When replacing pickling salt with kosher salt, you should pay attention to the dosage. Also because of the large salt particle size, it will take longer to dissolve the salt solution. Anyway, it is still a good 2nd choice.
Sea salt is a good substitute for pickling salt because it contains no additives. There are two main types of sea salt. They are raw sea salt and refined sea salt. Raw sea salts are often preferred over refined sea salts because they give the pickles a better taste. It has a higher moisturizing factor. On the other hand, sea salt is very cheap and can be found anywhere. Thus, they were used as recipes for pickles or meat in villages in the past.
However, it may take more time to dissolve if it is not completely ground compared to pickling salt. Besides, the measurement of salinity with sea salt also faces many difficulties. Moreover, some types of sea salt have more minerals than others. This can reduce or deviate the flavor of the pickles from the original.
Non- iodized table salt
Non-iodized table salt is a good substitute for pickling salt because iodine is the main factor affecting the color and flavor of pickles. However, the disadvantage here is that although it does not contain iodine, it contains anti-clumping agents. This will definitely make your saltwater cloudy if left on for a long time, making the dish unattractive.
Non-iodized table salt is processed into smaller particles compared to kosher salt and raw sea salt. This makes it easy to dissolve in saltwater just like pickling salt. The fine salt grain texture leaves measurements unobstructed. Small salt grains with a 1: 1 ratio compared to pickling salt make the flavor measurements become easy. Besides, this salt is also quite ideal for patients with iodine excess.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is pickling salt necessary for pickling?
According to the full USDA guidelines (2015), pickling salt is not required for packaged pickle recipes. But pickling salt is required to ensure the safest fermentation of pickles.
2. Is kosher salt the same as pickling salt?
Pickling salt and kosher salt are not essentially the same thing. However, kosher salt is a good substitute for pickling salt because kosher salt does not contain anticaking agents. This is very suitable for pickles.
3. Can I use table salt for pickles?
Although table salt is completely safe to use in the pickling process, the additives in the salt make it discouraged as the quality of the pickles can be affected by the additives themselves. An example phenomenon is that the pickle brine becomes cloudy or contains a scale.
4. Where to buy the best salt pickling?
On the market, there are many reputable sour salt manufacturers like Mrs. Wages, Celtic Sea Salt, Boise Salt Co., Morton Salt, Morton, SaltWorks, Marshall’s Creek Spices. You can buy them in malls, supermarkets or more conveniently at Amazon, which gives you a million options.
Pickling & Canning Sea Salt from Sea Salt Superstore is an interesting suggestion for you. Pickling & Canning Sea Salt does not include iodine and additives. They are born for home pickles. They are more spongy and more soluble than traditional salt, making pickling fast and highly efficient. You can use them for pickling onions, turnips, cabbage, and so on.
As its name is “pickling salt“, this salt is ideal for pickling. Besides, they can also be used as other common salts. Hopefully, with the above sharing, you have grasped the secret of the perfect pickles recipe.