Description

Kosher salt, on the other hand, has slightly larger crystals and therefore a more pinch-able, easy to control texture. We use it any time theres a seasoning moment while cooking, whether it be salting pasta water or seasoning a whole chicken pre-roast.

But even within the kosher salt field, crystal size and shape varies from brand to brand. In the BA Test Kitchen, we use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has a distinctly different texture from Morton's Kosher—another very common brand. Mortons crystals are denser and more pebbly than Diamonds flatter, pyramid-like crystals. That means that theres actually more salt by weight in a cup of Morton's than there is in a cup of Diamond. Which is why you'll notice that, whenever a significant amount of kosher salt is in play in a recipe, we'll tell you how much salt to use depending on which brand you're using. See, crystal size matters.