GaryLScott added 12 months ago

Different size grains and pickling salt doesn't have added iodine, table salt does

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ChefOno added 12 months ago

Pickling salt is made without iodine or anticaking agents ("When it rains, it pours"). It's finer grained than table salt making it easier to dissolve.

Table salt may or may not have iodine added.

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petitbleu added 12 months ago

As an aside: when making cheese or fermented pickles such as sauerkraut or kimchi, do not use iodized salt. The iodine will kill the beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation. Use pickling salt, kosher salt, or sea salt (although you'll have to use different amounts depending on the coarseness of the salt.)

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ChefOno added 12 months ago

I did not know that, thanks. What I do know is that iodized salt smells funny and makes food taste funny.

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Pickling salt also dissolves in cold water.

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SeaJambon added 11 months ago

And - the lesson I learned the hard way -- Iodized table salt can turn your pickled product interesting colors. Learned when pickling garlic, used iodized salt (didn't know better) and the garlic turned a very interesting blue/green color. A fun science experiment, but never could bring myself to taste it...

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chefsusie added 11 months ago

Just a note about garlic being blue/green: Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that turn blue, green or purple in an acid solution. While this color transformation tends to occur more often with immature garlic, it can differ among cloves within the same head of garlic. The garlic flavor remains unchanged, and it totally edible without bodily harm.

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