655333 Sun Sep 27 13:31:39 -0700 2009 28 42 U.K./Ireland 0 5062164 I just moved to Wales and can't find kosher salt anywhere. I think it may sometimes be called koshering salt; regardless, I can't find it! Any suggestions? Thanks! Sun Sep 27 13:31:39 -0700 2009 1103821 mjwallace 1 5062407 I've never heard of kosher salt in the UK - but do see it mentioned all the time by Americans. I presume it's a type of salt and not something specifically Jewish? Sun Sep 27 15:18:47 -0700 2009 5062164 154102 Harters 2 5062414 That'll teach me to reply before Googling. I see that, according to WikiP, kosher salt appears to be simply what we call "cooking salt" - available in any supermarket. Sun Sep 27 15:21:56 -0700 2009 5062407 154102 Harters 2 5062419 In the U.S., regular table salt has iodine added to it, which Kosher salt does not. Sun Sep 27 15:23:27 -0700 2009 5062407 10985 MMRuth 3 5062436 Off at a slight tangent, but this may be of interest (place is about 30 miles from me) http://www.saltmuseum.org.uk/ Cheshire salt accounts for over half of UK consumption of cooking salt Sun Sep 27 15:31:46 -0700 2009 5062419 154102 Harters 4 5063173 Does Malden still produce salt, too, John? I remember kosher salt as having very large granules. I didn't realize it didn't have iodine in it. Sun Sep 27 23:33:53 -0700 2009 5062436 11939 zuriga1 5 5063232 Maldon's the refined sea salt, June. Certainly the leading brand of sea salt, although I like the Anglesey stuff - Halen Mon. Mon Sep 28 01:55:00 -0700 2009 5063173 154102 Harters 3 5065986 Iodised salt is widely available in the UK, and clearly marked as such, so I guess that ordinary table salt is non-iodised? Anyone know what iodising achieves? Tue Sep 29 00:00:21 -0700 2009 5062419 156990 Robin Joy 4 5066080 I would make the same assumption. Iodine is added as it prevents some disease, but I don't remember what it is. Tue Sep 29 03:58:25 -0700 2009 5065986 10985 MMRuth 5 5066160 Iodine is good for the thyroid function (Source: Vegan Society) Tue Sep 29 05:22:20 -0700 2009 5066080 154102 Harters 4 5115267 Robin, where can I get iodised salt in the UK? I live in London and looked at Tesco, Waitrose and Sainbury's, as well as multiple health stores and no one carries it. Iodised helps prevent thyroid disorders. Lack of iodine in the diet also supposedly can contribute to retardation in the long term. A person needs about 220 micrograms of iodine per day. Iodised salt is the easiest way to get it (other alternatives are seafood and seaweed). Thank you Ecaterina Mon Oct 19 14:37:21 -0700 2009 5065986 1117613 esuprun 5 5115298 Normal table salt is often iodised - check the label. Otherwise, I know for a fact you can get it in Lidl. Mon Oct 19 14:47:33 -0700 2009 5115267 110146 greedygirl 6 5117922 It is a well established fact that Iodine is essential for the correct functioning of the Thymus gland. Goiter used to be a big problem in the US mid-west until Iodine was added to salt in the 1920's. Even today poorer countries or poorer regions in large countries have recently started Iodine programs in salt to address the public health impact of Thyroid disease. And as you can see from this article the move to products with no Iodine in the US could be causing a public health issue: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080201/can-us-shake-iodine-deficiency-riskthyroid disease Back to the Kosher salt question. Isn't Kosher salt simply rock salt? And Rock salt is widely available in the UK. The characteristic of Kosher salt that makes it good for Koshering meat is the large size of crystals and their open structure. This makes for a milder salt, and a salt that dissolves more slowly thus good for pickling meats (and removing blood from meat). If you are brining meats or doing salt crust cooking I can see the advantage of rock (Kosher) salt, but for general cookery normal table salt is fine, with fine sea salt good for garnishes and use at the table where the flavour may be important. And in the UK table salt and sea salt comes with or without Iodine and is easy to find. Tue Oct 20 13:26:06 -0700 2009 5116349 64584 PhilD 7 5118082 Not that it has anything to do with salt, but I was married to an endocrinologist for many years. He knows more about the topics than WebMD. :-) Tue Oct 20 14:21:13 -0700 2009 5117922 11939 zuriga1 8 5118306 June, there are many many reputable studies in scientific journals that show added Iodine has addressed Thyroid problems across the world, it is easy to do a web search and find them. However, there is some concern that too much Iodine can be harmful, typically those at risk take a lot of diet supplements with added Iodine, or are like Japanese coastal dwellers who eat lots of Iodine rich foods like fish and seaweed (Iodine in salt can then tip the balance). Bottom line for the vast majority of people is that iodine in salt is fine, there is probably more danger from too much salt than iodine. Tue Oct 20 16:02:17 -0700 2009 5118082 64584 PhilD 9 5119049 >there is probably more danger from too much salt than iodine.< Definitely.. and luckily, a lot of products have emerged on supermarket shelves to make it easier for people with, let's say, high BP. Tue Oct 20 23:33:08 -0700 2009 5118306 11939 zuriga1 10 5119090 Excess salt is more likely to come from processed foods, than from adding salt to cooking or at the table. Wed Oct 21 00:59:22 -0700 2009 5119049 110146 greedygirl 11 5119323 True... it's amazing how much salt some manufacturers put in their products. It pays to look at the labels - one reason I'd never buy canned veg and of course why bother doing that unless absolutely necessary! Wed Oct 21 06:21:28 -0700 2009 5119090 11939 zuriga1 5 5116256 I'll check and get back to you. Mon Oct 19 21:33:50 -0700 2009 5115267 156990 Robin Joy 5 5126878 Yesterday Waitrose in Motcomb St, London SW1 had as much iodised salt as you could ever want. Cerebos brand, in the maroon/yellow cartons. Fri Oct 23 22:23:55 -0700 2009 5115267 156990 Robin Joy 1 5063225 You can't find it in the UK-- I had the same problem. I went to all the London grocers who stock "American" or "Jewish" (the labels of the stores, not mine!). I also asked the mail order businesses for "American" food in the UK (Let's Eat American) --- I was sure they would have received several requests. Alas, they assured me there was no demand and the minimum order would b 5 cases!! Maladon crystals are very large, the "Cornish Kosher sea salt" is also large grained (but not as big as Maladon). The "cooking salt" found in most grocery stores (usually in a plastic bag) is used by a friend of mine, but I am not so fond. All lack the uniformity of kosher salt. If iodine (not uniformity/size of crystals) is your concern -- sea salt has no additives. So...I recommend getting some Maladon to fill the immediate gap then requiring "tithing" from visiting friends!! I have visitors bring kosher salt and New Mexico chilies. Sorry to be the poster of bad news!!! Mon Sep 28 01:41:06 -0700 2009 5062164 1112471 kschnepp 2 5063351 Drat. I was afraid of that. Thanks for all the replies. Will try cooking salt. I have the Maldon salt, which is gorgeous stuff but a little big. Maybe a whiz through an electric coffee grinder would trim it down? Seems a bit of a waste though. I think you're right, kschnepp, kosher salt will be my boarding fee from American visitors. It's funny that kosher salt is so drilled into American foodie heads as being an essential yet it's not at all in the UK. Thanks again! Mon Sep 28 05:47:05 -0700 2009 5063225 1103821 mjwallace 3 5063533 "It's funny that kosher salt is so drilled into American foodie heads as being an essential yet it's not at all in the UK." I suppose it depends on what you'd use it for. I'm curious to know for what Americans would use a salt that, I gather, has grains bigger than normal table salt, yet not as big as sea salt/ fleur de sel. As an aside, I can't recall ever seeing anything remotely like this name in other European countries so I assume it's specifically north American (do Canadians use it?) Mon Sep 28 07:12:29 -0700 2009 5063351 154102 Harters 4 5063564 I could be wrong, but I think kosher salt is often used for brining things like salt (corned) beef. I used to keep it around in America, but can't tell you now why that was . :-) I also think that religious Jewish people use it, not because of any reason other than it helps with using meat that has been prepared in slaughtering using the 'kosher' methods. Wiki helped me a bit that latter part. Mon Sep 28 07:24:50 -0700 2009 5063533 11939 zuriga1 5 5063571 I use it as my "every day" salt, because it doesn't have iodine in it. I believe that you can get it in either larger or smaller grains. Mon Sep 28 07:27:46 -0700 2009 5063564 10985 MMRuth 6 5064006 I like it, too, for that lack of iodine. I should have bought some last month in the States but I'm due a CARE package before long. I wonder if anyone even remembers the real CARE package... a true sign of when I grew up! Mon Sep 28 09:39:01 -0700 2009 5063571 11939 zuriga1 1 5115294 I am confused by this debate because you can buy regular, non-iodised sea salt in two different sizes in my local stores - fine and coarse. What is the difference between that and kosher salt? Mon Oct 19 14:46:54 -0700 2009 5062164 110146 greedygirl 1 5125835 Titanic's Deli in Manchester have Kosher salt and deliver, although if its just for salt, perhaps wait until you're in that neck of the woods. http://www.titanics.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2etitanics%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2fSpices%2ehtml&WD=salt&SHOP=%20&PN=Groceries%2ehtml%23a882#a882 Kosher salt that I've had has differed from ordinary salt in that it has large, hard, round crystals, not the pyramids you get with Maldon salt, and not as freeflowing as table salt. Hope that helps! Fri Oct 23 12:42:20 -0700 2009 5062164 1118629 bakinglady 2 5126051 "Titanic's Deli in Manchester have Kosher salt" The website describes it as "koshering salt" - will this be the same as what Americans know as "kosher salt"? Hyman's is a well known kosher deli in north Manchestert now trading as Titanics. It's founder, Joseph Hyman, was one of the lucky ones - surviving the ship's sinking in 1912. Still family owned. One of these days I'll go and have a nosy. Fri Oct 23 14:04:35 -0700 2009 5125835 154102 Harters