Kosher Salt and Table Salt
Kosher salt and table salt are made by the same company. Table salt is simply regular table salt in a Kosher salt container. Because Kosher salt is used for making kosher meat products like, meatballs, rice balls, cakes, potato chips, and even soup stock, it should be clear to see the differences between Kosher salt and table salt.
Table salt is a blend of sodium chloride, which is the main ingredient in traditional table salt, and two or more other minerals, mainly magnesium and calcium. Sodium chloride acts as a neutralizer and absorbs moisture and produces a dense, hard consistency. To create table salt, seawater is added to the salt – usually, the salt on top of the sea water stays on the top.
Today, the most common form of table salt is a mixture of sodium and potassium chlorates. This salt has been found to interfere with some drugs, so thats why youll find that kosher table salt can not be used with prescription drugs such as aspirin, tranquilizers, and tetracycline.
The main difference between table salt and Kosher salt is the presence of sodium chloride. As discussed earlier, Kosher salt is more compact and dense, with a fine texture. You may also notice that Kosher salt has a slightly higher alkalinity compared to table salt.
Just like other salts, there are different types of Kosher salt. There are three types of salt:
Low-Molecular-Weight (LMW) Salt: This is the most commonly available type of salt, also called sea salt. It is mined from salt mines at sea. It is lighter than sea salt but still retains a large amount of calcium and magnesium.
High-Molecular-Weight (HMW) Salt: This type of salt is mined from salt mines. It contains a large amount of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. In addition, this salt does not absorb water and is absorbed very well by meats.
Organic Salt: This type of salt is mined from natural rocks. It is high in sodium, yet is able to retain all of the essential minerals of regular table salt. Organic salt should not be used to cook with, because it does not have the properties of salt.
Though table salt and Kosher salt are both made with mineral salts, they have different solubles. And to create table salt, they each require different processes.
Low-alkali mineral salt is mined from salt mines at sea. It is not as dense as sea salt, but is not as dense as LMW salt. The refined product has high sodium and magnesium content, which make it the perfect choice for catering, health food stores, and grocery stores.
High-low density salt is extracted from seas and bodies of water. It has no sodium content and is well suited for use in all recipes. While the refined product is beneficial for cooking, it is also used to control humidity and keep food from absorbing too much water.
Whether your foods are kosher or not, table salt and Kosher salt should be the same in the United States. Some products are not Kosher products. They are salt alternative products which are non-Kosher in nature, making it necessary to use the correct product for the proper purposes.
