Can Kosher Salt Be Used Instead of Pickling Salt?

Pickling salt doesn't turn brine cloudy because it doesn't contain certain additives, and as a result, it also won't affect the color of the pickles. The same is true of kosher salt, which makes it an appropriate substitute for pickling salt.

NaCl

All salts consist of sodium chloride, which has the chemical formula NaCl. Pickling salt is the purest kind of salt, which means it contain no additives and virtually no trace of other minerals.

Coarse Versus Fine

Kosher salt is coarse. Pickling salt can be both coarse or fine. You can grind kosher salt in a salt grinder to obtain the equivalent amount of fine pickling salt.

Additives

Both kosher and pickling salt do not contain iodine (which is commonly added to table salt) or anti-caking agents. The lack of these additives makes them appropriate substitutes for each other.

Reverse Substitution

Pickling salt can be substituted for kosher salt in cooking. Use the coarse-grained variety of pickling salt, or if you only have fine-grained pickling salt on hand, use half of the amount of pickling salt called for in the recipe. You can always add more if needed.

Harvesting

All salts, including pickling and kosher salts, are obtained through evaporation of either sea water or water forced through a salt deposit. Kosher salt is raked during the evaporation process.

References

• Gourmet Sleuth: Guide to Culinary Salts
• Real Simple: Six Types of Salts and How to Use Them
• The Salt Institute: What is Salt and Other Common Salt Questions

Resources

• Morton Salt's Salt Guide