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.
