Try Kosher Salt for your Canning Needs
Harvests from backyard and community gardens must be in full swing because lately, we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about canning salt! Since our co-op does not carry canning salt, below are a couple of tips and recommended substitutes. You can find 3 lb. boxes of Kosher salt in our meat department.
pickling salt = canning salt = canning and pickling salt
Canning or pickling salt is similar to table salt, but lacks the iodine and anti-caking additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy. Pickles made with table salt would still be good to eat, but they wouldn’t look as appetizing. Pickling salt is available in large bags or boxes in some supermarkets, but sometimes hard to find in cities.
Substitutes:
Kosher Salt (Since it’s not as dense as pickling salt, you’ll need to use more, but follow directions on package or use a recipe that has measurements for substitute salts. For some brands, it’s best to measure by weight rather than volume.
Table Salt (The iodine in table salt may turn your pickles dark, and the anti-caking agents may turn the pickling liquid cloudy but it won’t affect the flavor.)
Don’t substitute reduced-sodium salt for pickling salt when making pickles.