Salt shaker with spilled salt
Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

Kosher salt is a large-grained, flaky salt that was originally developed for the purpose of koshering or treating meats to conform to the standards of Jewish dietary law. Unlike table salt, kosher salt does not contain additives such as iodine. Kosher salt is easier to sprinkle judiciously into dishes than table salt because of its coarse texture. It may also be used to line cocktail glasses, garnish foods such as pretzels, create salt crusts on meat or fish, compose brines, make pickles and can foods. Kosher salt can be substituted for table salt in many applications, from baking to roasting.

Adapting Your Recipe

Kosher salt can easily be substituted for table salt to a cooked meal. Be advised, however, that unlike table salt grains, kosher salt flakes can take a little while to melt, so wait a minute or two and re-taste your food before deciding if you need more salt. This also applies when making sauces or mixing dressings. Add the kosher salt; give it a little time to dissolve and then taste.

Measuring: Because kosher salt has big, irregularly shaped grains, it weighs much less by volume than table salt. This means you should increase the amount of salt that is called for in a recipe when you are substituting kosher salt. The general rule is to increase the amount of salt by 25 percent. So, if the recipe calls for one teaspoon table salt, substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt.

Pickling: When substituting kosher salt for other types of salt in pickling or canning, http:www.cookthesaurus.com recommends measuring by weight, rather than by volume. This will ensure that you are adding sufficient salt to your canning or pickling solutions.

Roasting: Kosher salt is actually a superior option to table salt for creating spice rubs, marinades or salt crusts for roasted foods, as its rough texture allows it to adhere more easily to the surface of foods than table salt. Simply follow the 25 percent rule for more kosher salt than table salt as called for in the recipe.

Baking: You should never substitute kosher salt for table salt, unless you are just sprinkling a little salt on the finished product as a final touch. The kosher salt grains often will not melt sufficiently when added to breads, batters and the like. This results in unevenly flavored baked goods.