What’s the Best Salt for Pickling?

The world of pickles spans everything from classic dill and bread-and-butter slices to condiments like pickled red onions and atchara. Quick pickles, also known as refrigerator or vinegar pickles, are made by adding a hot brine to fresh produce and letting them sit in the fridge. Fermented pickles get their tang through weeks of fermentation, which converts the natural sugars of the pickled ingredient into lactic acid.

Almost any fruit or vegetable can be pickled as long as you make a good brine. And the key to a good brine is salt. This kitchen staple not only works as a seasoning, but helps to keep fermented pickles safe by regulating microorganisms and promoting lactic acid formation. For this reason, Penn State University warns not to omit salt in fermented pickles or sauerkraut.

I make both quick and fermented pickles every week, and I can confidently say the type of salt you use matters. Here’s how salt affects your pickles — and the best types you can buy for all your pickling needs.

What is pickling salt?

The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) recommends canning or pickling salt for making pickles — and it indeed is the best choice for both fermented and quick pickles, if you’re able to find it.

Pickling salt is simple sodium chloride with no additives. It differs from regular table salt, which often contains potassium iodine (in iodized varieties), dextrose, and the anti-caking agent calcium silicate. The granules in pickling salt are super-fine, so they dissolve completely in brine.

Morton makes a canning and pickling saltwhich you can find at Walmart and hardware stores near the canning jars. I’m rarely able to find it at my local grocery store, however.

The best salt if you don’t have pickling salt

If you can’t find pickling salt, your best bet is kosher salt — but not just any kosher salt. When making quick or fermented pickles at home, I always use Diamond Crystal, which is readily accessible at most grocery stores.

Senior F&W recipe developer Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman agrees. “It contains no additives and its structure readily and evenly dissolves, both qualities which make it a good option for pickles,” she says.

If the recipe you’re using calls for canning salt, use 1 1/2 cups of Diamond Crystal for every cup of canning salt.

I don’t recommend Morton’s kosher salt, which contains yellow prussiate of soda, an anti-caking agent that helps create its signature jagged crystals. Because of this process, Morton’s kosher salt is about twice the weight of Diamond Crystal.

If you only have Morton’s kosher salt on hand, start with less and adjust your brine as needed. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh it out. Mass is more accurate than converting the volume of spoons or cups.

What other types of salt can you use?

Fine sea salt can also be a good choice for pickles if it doesn’t contain minerals or additives. Coarse sea salt is too large for the job and tends to not be economical for large batches of pickles. (You won’t find me using Maldon for my pickles.) But it’s okay to use in a pinch as long as it doesn’t contain minerals. If using coarse sea salt to make pickles, pay attention when stirring it into your brine — it will take longer to dissolve compared to finer grains.

You can make pickles with both iodized and non-iodized table salt, but keep in mind that those anti-caking agents that keep it shakable in a shaker can make your brine appear cloudy and leave sediment at the bottom of the jar. It’s not cute — but it’s also not dangerous.

What salts should you not use?

The NCHFP does not recommend reduced sodium or “lite” salt for making fermented pickles for the same reasons above. They caution that although it is safe for quick pickles, it may affect the flavor of your pickles.

Any “salt substitute” is completely off the table, especially anything with potassium chloride, which can result in bitter-tasting pickles.

As for “artisanal” salts, reserve them for finishing dishes. Oregon State University advises against Himalayan salt, which may contain minerals that can unpredictably affect your final pickle. You should also avoid pink curing salt or Prague powder (not to be confused with Himalayan), which is intended for curing meats.

Salt troubleshooting

What do you do if you have some canning salt, but don’t have enough? Simply grind any other pure salt in a spice grinder to match the grain size and measure by weight to finish the recipe.

Store your salts in a cool, dry place and keep them in their own jars. Otherwise, your measurements will never be consistent. Keep them covered if they’re next to your stove so they don’t steam and cake up. Check on them occasionally and break up with a spoon if they start to look lumpy.