Choose pickling salt without iodine and with small crystals. Avoid specialty salts and low sodium salt, as they can affect the acidity and salinity of the brine, leading to bacterial growth and potential illness.
There are many brands of pickling salt and there is not much difference from each other. The best pickling salts are not treated with iodine and come in the form of small, powder-like crystals that dissolve quickly in pickles. All salts intended for pickling are made from sodium chloride just like standard table salt.
When choosing a pickling salt, it’s important to find one that doesn’t contain iodine. Table salt usually contains iodine, which is both an important nutrient and an additive that keeps the salt from clumping when exposed to moisture. Using an iodine-treated salt in a pickle, however, can change the color of the pickles and brine. While there’s nothing wrong with eating pickles discolored by iodine, the yellow or brown tint the food takes on can make it unpalatable.
It is also important, when choosing a pickling salt, to pay attention to the size of the salt crystals themselves. Most pickling recipes assume that pickling salt has small crystals about the size of grains of sand. Cooking instructions are often given in volume, which can make using the correct amount of salt difficult if the salt contains larger crystals. There is no problem with using kosher salt or flake salt in a pickle, although the amount of salt used will need to be regulated, as an equal weight of these larger salts will take up more volume than pickling salt.
Select a pickling salt that has no additives or extra ingredients. Sea salt, Hawaiian salt and other specialty salts are not ideal for use as pickling salts. These salts often contain other chemicals that can affect the acidity of the brine. Adjusting the acidity, even a small amount, can allow bacteria to grow in the pickle. In this case, people who eat pickles may get sick.
Low sodium salt should never be used as a pickling salt. The salinity of the brine must be carefully regulated so that the pickle is safe to eat long after pickling. Using a brine that isn’t salty enough can also allow bacteria to grow in the pickle. Also, only the actual sodium chloride salt is appropriate for use as a pickling salt.
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