I read a recipe today that said to be sure and use kosher salt and not ionized salt. It was a Persian recipe. Would there be a noticeable difference? I would think that they would be interchangeable with no difference in taste. Any opinions?
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- Thread starter georgevan
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larry_stewart
Master Chef
The grains on the kosher salt are usually bigger than typical salt, so the measurements will be off if you exchange one for the other. As for taste, basically the same.
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larry_stewart
Master Chef
Not sure how accurate this conversion chart is, but can give you an idea of the comparison.
https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/salt-conversion-chart/
https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/salt-conversion-chart/
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Based on the standard used on seriouseats.com, a website that's highly regarded, a teaspoon of table salt (which is usually iodized) is equal to 1½ tsp of Mortons Kosher salt and 2 tsp of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.
If you could precisely measure these volume amounts, they should all weigh the same.
If you could precisely measure these volume amounts, they should all weigh the same.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
I recently bought a large box of Morton Kosher salt, and after reading the ingredients, I chucked it out forthwith.
It has an albeit miniscule amount of a type of cyanide in it to prevent caking. Sodium ferrocyanide. I don't care if it's "safe" in tiny proportions, I'd rather just have freakin' salt. Let it cake like my brown sugar. I'm a big boy. I can break it up. Or maybe shake it with some dry rice.
I was looking at some of the labels of salt that I was going to purchase in its place. The date of expiry or best buy dates cracked me up. The stuff was in the ground for millenia. But now it goes bad.
It has an albeit miniscule amount of a type of cyanide in it to prevent caking. Sodium ferrocyanide. I don't care if it's "safe" in tiny proportions, I'd rather just have freakin' salt. Let it cake like my brown sugar. I'm a big boy. I can break it up. Or maybe shake it with some dry rice.
I was looking at some of the labels of salt that I was going to purchase in its place. The date of expiry or best buy dates cracked me up. The stuff was in the ground for millenia. But now it goes bad.
The only thing I can think of that shouldn't have iodized salt is things you are trying to ferment, like sauerkraut or kimchi or pickled turnips. I don't know if it makes any difference in cheese making.
If the amount of salt is important, I prefer weight measurement. I've been using pickling salt. It has nothing added to it, but the brand I have now, has noticeably larger grains than the previous brand I bought. For iodized salt, I buy a Greek brand called Kalas. It doesn't have any silicates or sugar listed in the ingredients or sodium ferrocyanide.
If the amount of salt is important, I prefer weight measurement. I've been using pickling salt. It has nothing added to it, but the brand I have now, has noticeably larger grains than the previous brand I bought. For iodized salt, I buy a Greek brand called Kalas. It doesn't have any silicates or sugar listed in the ingredients or sodium ferrocyanide.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
To say "I won't eat sodium ferrocyanide because I don't want to ingest cyanide" is like saying "I won't eat sodium chloride because I don't want to drink chlorine." A compound is not the same, and does not have the same characteristics, as one of the chemical elements it contains.
From McGill University in Montréal: "Some commercial varieties of salt have small amounts of sodium ferrocyanide added to prevent the caking (or clumping) that can occur under various conditions. When humidity is high, for example, a thin layer of moisture forms on the surface of the salt crystals causing some of the salt to dissolve in this layer thereby forming brine. If the relative humidity drops, the water then evaporates and the brine solution recrystallizes between the salt crystals, causing them to aggregate into clumps. By adding ferrocyanide, the solubility of salt in water decreases so the salt is less likely to dissolve in the moisture coating the crystals. All to say that ferrocyanide reduces the amount of recrystallization.
"But of course, any mention of cyanide conjures up images of poison so the very presence of ferrocyanide in salt sounds scary. Which is precisely why producers would rather list it on a label as “yellow prussiate of soda,” an old-fashioned term first coined in reference to Prussia, the country where it was originally synthesized. There is, however, no need to be terrified of ferrocyanide because the cyanide in this compound is tightly bound to an iron atom preventing it from being released in the body. And even if it were released, it would be irrelevant because the amount is way too little to cause any harm. Not to mention the fact that ferrocyanide itself is remarkably non-toxic.
"For those who still, for some reason or other, prefer to steer clear of a salt with ferrocyanide, there are some salts with other anti-caking agents. Regular Windsor salt, for example, uses calcium silicate, whereas its kosher salt version uses yellow prussiate of soda. Apparently, however, ferrocyanide is the most effective of the anti-caking agents. So really, just don't worry about it."
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/h...n-food-babe-and-everyone-else-13-cyanide-salt
From McGill University in Montréal: "Some commercial varieties of salt have small amounts of sodium ferrocyanide added to prevent the caking (or clumping) that can occur under various conditions. When humidity is high, for example, a thin layer of moisture forms on the surface of the salt crystals causing some of the salt to dissolve in this layer thereby forming brine. If the relative humidity drops, the water then evaporates and the brine solution recrystallizes between the salt crystals, causing them to aggregate into clumps. By adding ferrocyanide, the solubility of salt in water decreases so the salt is less likely to dissolve in the moisture coating the crystals. All to say that ferrocyanide reduces the amount of recrystallization.
"But of course, any mention of cyanide conjures up images of poison so the very presence of ferrocyanide in salt sounds scary. Which is precisely why producers would rather list it on a label as “yellow prussiate of soda,” an old-fashioned term first coined in reference to Prussia, the country where it was originally synthesized. There is, however, no need to be terrified of ferrocyanide because the cyanide in this compound is tightly bound to an iron atom preventing it from being released in the body. And even if it were released, it would be irrelevant because the amount is way too little to cause any harm. Not to mention the fact that ferrocyanide itself is remarkably non-toxic.
"For those who still, for some reason or other, prefer to steer clear of a salt with ferrocyanide, there are some salts with other anti-caking agents. Regular Windsor salt, for example, uses calcium silicate, whereas its kosher salt version uses yellow prussiate of soda. Apparently, however, ferrocyanide is the most effective of the anti-caking agents. So really, just don't worry about it."
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/h...n-food-babe-and-everyone-else-13-cyanide-salt
I always want to know "WHY" when there is a statement like that. Is it because you might not use enough? or too much?
Or is there another ingredient that they believe will interact with whatever non-clumping additive in the ionized salt?
The difference in taste would only be because of the amount of salt used. The difference in appearance due to an interaction could (IMHO) be the only other reason. Or both reasons, too bad you/they don't specify.
georgevan, I'm curious, are you interested in making this recipe? or just throwing it out there?
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
Yes, I read the same things about it, but you missed my point.
I don't care about caking enough to risk the FDA being wrong. Again.
I had a similar discussion with a few members here years ago (I don't recall if you were one of them) about the safety of glyphosate.
And another discussion, I think with Isbel, about the tiny but allowed amount of lead you ingest from drinking alcohol from leaded decanters.
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I've been using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for decades. I like that there is only one ingredient listed.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I didn't miss the point and this isn't just for you, bucky. I posted it so anyone who reads this thread will see another point of view and can make an informed decision. And, chemistry is the same around the world, which is why I posted a page from a Canadian university and not the FDA.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
My god, you make chatting here painful.
And again, you swung and missed. We've had discussions here before where experts were wrong.
I hope you enjoy a plateful of unnecessay and hopefully safe chemicals today.
And again, you swung and missed. We've had discussions here before where experts were wrong.
I hope you enjoy a plateful of unnecessay and hopefully safe chemicals today.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Well, I thought maybe you could be more pleasant this time, but I was wrong. Oh well.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
You haven't changed a bit.
For Chrissakes, please stop responding to my posts.
For Chrissakes, please stop responding to my posts.
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roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
Kenny?
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Your unreasonably hostile response to my posts demonstrates that you're the one who has not changed. Too bad. Have a great day.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
You might try to talk TO people and understand what they are saying rather than regurgitate googled information AT them.
But, no matter. Again, please don't respond to my posts. Can you do that?
But, no matter. Again, please don't respond to my posts. Can you do that?
bethzaring
Master Chef
BT, I have always enjoyed and appreciated your posts. I hope you do not get fed up with DC and leave again.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
Thank you, Beth. That's very kind of you.
I just had a few minutes and found this bit, since Google is my friend: Sodium ferrocyanide is the sodium salt of the coordination compound of formula [Fe(CN)6]4−. In its hydrous form, Na4Fe(CN)6 · 10 H2O (sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate), it is sometimes known as yellow prussiate of soda. It is a yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. The yellow color is the color of ferrocyanide anion. Despite the presence of the cyanide ligands, sodium ferrocyanide has low toxicity (acceptable daily intake 0–0.025 mg/kg body weight[2]). The ferrocyanides are less toxic than many salts of cyanide, because they tend not to release free cyanide.[3] However, like all ferrocyanide salt solutions, addition of an acid can result in the production of hydrogen cyanide gas, which is extremely toxic.
Again, like Andy, all I want is a little salt. No acceptable levels of something unnecessary. And certainly not an unpleasant argument about it.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
You first.
