What Is Pickling salt and How Can I Use It?
If pickling salt has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 66 recipes to try it in.
Key Points
- Pickling salt is pure, fine-grained salt with no anti-caking agents and no iodine.
- Those additives cloud a brine and can darken pickles, so plain pickling salt keeps both clear.
- Use it for canning, pickling and fermenting, where a clean, exact salt ratio matters.
- In a pinch, additive-free sea or kosher salt works; match it by weight, not volume.
What is pickling salt?
Pickling salt is plain fine salt, and the point of it is what it leaves out. It carries none of the anti-caking agents in table salt, which would cloud a brine, and no iodine, which can darken pickles and dull their color.
Because the grains are fine and additive-free, it dissolves fast and completely, so a brine stays clear and the salt measures consistently. That precision matters in pickling and fermenting, where the salt ratio sets the crunch and, in a ferment, keeps the batch safe.
Reach for it whenever you are putting up jars, like a batch of Favorite Mustard Pickles, or building a brine for fermenting. In a pinch, additive-free fine sea salt or plain kosher salt will stand in; just match by weight, since the grain sizes differ.
For everyday seasoning and measuring salt between types, see salt.
Quick facts
Where to find pickling salt: Pickling salt is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
- In Chinese
- 酸洗盐
- British (UK) term
- Pickling salt
- en français
- sel de décapage
- en español
- sal de decapado
Recipes using pickling salt
There are 66 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Grama's Dill Pickles
Grama's dill pickles are a classic hot-pack brine of white wine vinegar, water, and pickling salt poured over fresh cucumbers with sprigs of dill. Crunchy old-school pickles, ready after a few weeks of curing.
14-Day Sweet Pickles
Old-fashioned 14-day sweet pickles canned at home. A traditional brine-and-syrup method that builds crisp sweet-tart [cucumbers](/recipes/cucumber) over two weeks, finished with celery seed and pickling spice.
Crock-Style Kosher Dill Pickles
Crock-style kosher dill pickles fermented with grape leaves for snap, fresh dill, garlic, and a salt-vinegar brine. Old-school crunch you cannot get from a jarred pickle.
Sweet Gherkin Pickles
Sweet gherkin pickles: classic four-day pickling process for whole baby cucumbers with sugar, vinegar, turmeric, and pickling spices. Crunchy sweet-tart canned pickles for the pantry.
Peppy Dill Wedges
Peppy dill wedges are spicy cucumber pickles with dill seed, crushed red pepper, and apple cider vinegar, quick-processed for canning. A crunchy, no-sugar pickle with heat.
Kosher Garlic Dills
Homemade kosher garlic dill pickles with a spiced vinegar brine, bay leaf, mustard seed, and fresh dill. A classic canning recipe that yields 7 pints of crunchy pickles.
Chunky Pickle Slices
Classic bread and butter pickle slices with cucumber, onion, and green pepper in a sweet-tart cider vinegar brine with mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed. Canned for the pantry.
Refrigerator Pickles
Refrigerator pickles made with sliced cucumbers and onions in a sweet vinegar brine with turmeric, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. No canning required. Keeps for 4 months in the fridge, and you can add fresh vegetables anytime.
Bread 'N Butter Pickels
Classic bread and butter pickles with that sweet-tangy crunch you remember from grandma's kitchen. Cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers cured in a spiced vinegar brine with mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed.
Dill Beans
Crunchy pickled green beans canned with fresh dill, garlic, mustard seed, and a touch of cayenne. This classic dilly bean recipe yields 7 pints of tangy, snackable preserved beans.
Pickled Green Beans with Savory
For those who love the taste of green beans, you will love this savory side dish that is very easy to make.
Homemade Garlic Dill Pickles
Homemade garlic dill pickles canned with fresh dill heads, whole garlic cloves, and a kick of red pepper flakes. Crisp, tangy deli-style pickles that keep on the pantry shelf.
Honey Spears
Honey spear pickles with cucumbers and onions brined overnight, then canned in a sweet honey-vinegar syrup with mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. A golden, sweet-tangy refrigerator or canning pickle.
Pickled Cherries with Hyssop
Pickled cherries with hyssop: fresh cherries packed in red wine vinegar brine with fresh hyssop sprigs, then water-bath processed for shelf-stable jars. Tart, floral, herbal, and a stunning partner for cheese boards, roast duck, or cocktails.
Curry Pickles
Homemade curry pickles with thin-sliced cucumbers, vinegar, mustard, and celery seed. A tangy, spiced twist on classic canning pickles. Makes 3 pints.
Aunt May's Pickled Green Tomatoes
Aunt May's pickled green tomatoes is a heritage four-day sweet pickle recipe that turns 15 pounds of unripe tomatoes into translucent, cinnamon-and-clove spiced jewels in cider vinegar syrup. Old-school canning that fills the pantry.
Mushroom Ketchup
Mushroom ketchup, a Victorian-era umami bomb of salted fresh mushrooms and dried boletus simmered with vinegar, warm spices and sherry. A shelf-stable savory condiment worth the two-day project for real depth.
Mushroom Ketchup
Mushroom ketchup, a Victorian-era umami bomb of salted fresh mushrooms and dried boletus simmered with vinegar, warm spices and sherry. A shelf-stable savory condiment worth the two-day project for real depth.
Refigerator Pickles
Refrigerator pickles in a cold dill-and-garlic brine, ready in three days. The no-canning, no-fermenting method that lets you keep adding cucumbers as you eat from the jar.
Pickled Onions
Pickled onions brined overnight in salt water, then packed in a hot vinegar brine with mustard seeds, horseradish, bay leaf, and hot peppers. Crunchy and tangy.
Lime Hot Pickle
Lime hot pickle, a fiery South Asian condiment of cut limes cured for three weeks in their own juices with chili and pickling salt. Sharp, tart, and built to wake up bland curries and lamb.
Pickled Bread-And-Butter Zucchini
Bread-and-butter pickled zucchini turns a garden glut into 36 sweet-tart jars. Mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric build the classic bread-and-butter spice profile around sliced zucchini and onion.
Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles
Quick fresh-pack dill pickles canned in pint jars with mustard seed, dill heads, and a hot vinegar brine. The classic American summer canning project, no fermenting required.
Jim's Piccalilli
Traditional English piccalilli with cauliflower, cucumber, pearl onions, and green tomatoes in a turmeric-mustard sauce. Homemade mustard pickle that improves with keeping.
Summer Garden in a Jar
Preserve summer's bounty with this big-batch pickled vegetable recipe. Carrots, cauliflower, green beans, peppers, celery, and olives in a tangy vinegar brine with mustard seed and turmeric. Makes 20 pints.
Ice-Water Pickles
Ice-water pickles: quartered cucumbers chilled in ice water, packed over onions, and covered with a boiling apple cider vinegar and mustard seed brine. Sweet, crisp, classic refrigerator pickles.
Easy Dill Pickles
Pickling cucumbers are cucumbers that are not less than 3-inches long and not more than 4-inches long.
Pickled Dilled Beans
Pickled dilled beans canned with fresh dill, garlic, and a kick of red pepper flakes. Crunchy whole green beans in a tart vinegar brine, the Bloody Mary garnish you'll never run out of.
Pickled Roasted Hot Peppers
Roasted and pickled hot peppers with banana, Hungarian, and bell varieties charred until blistered, peeled, then canned in vinegar brine. The roast adds smoky depth that raw pickled peppers can't match.
Robb's Bread & Butter Pickles
Bread and butter pickles with thin-sliced cucumbers and onions brined with salt and ice, then packed in a sweet-sour brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, and turmeric syrup.
India Relish
India relish with cucumbers, green tomatoes, peppers, and onions in a spiced vinegar brine with turmeric, cinnamon, and mustard seeds. A classic canning recipe.
Sunchoke Dills
Homemade pickled Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) with dill, caraway, mustard seed, garlic, and chili peppers. A crunchy, tangy canning project for preserving your fall or early spring harvest.
Lazy Day or Refrigerator Pickles
Sweet refrigerator pickles ready in 24 hours, with crisp cucumbers, sliced onions, garlic, celery seed, and mustard seed in a sweet vinegar brine. No canning required, keeps two months chilled.
Pickled Sweet Peppers
Pickled sweet peppers brined overnight and canned in an apple cider vinegar brine with horseradish and garlic. A classic boiling-water bath canning recipe for colorful bell peppers.
Reduced-Sodium Sliced Sweet Pickles
Reduced-sodium sliced sweet pickles for home canning, with crisp cucumber chips in a spiced sweet vinegar syrup of allspice, mustard and celery seed. The sweet-tang flavor with far less salt.
Fire Balls
Pickled green cherry tomatoes canned with hot red peppers, garlic, celery, and dill in a vinegar brine. Spicy, tangy fire balls that live up to their name.
Dill Crock
A gallon-jar fermented vegetable pickle with cauliflower, green beans, peppers, onions, green tomatoes, and olives cured in a garlicky dill brine. Ready after 10 days of room-temperature fermentation.
Dilled Zucchini Sticks
Pickled zucchini sticks canned with fresh dill, garlic, celery seed, and onion in a sweet vinegar brine. A crunchy way to preserve summer's zucchini bounty in 4 pint jars.
Gardiniere
Italian giardiniera pickled vegetables with red peppers, cauliflower, wax beans, squash, radish, carrots, and onion in a basil-garlic brine. Water-bath canned for long pantry storage.
David's Favorite Dill Pickles
Old-school garlic dill pickles made with a simple vinegar brine, fresh dill, and whole garlic cloves. This canning recipe fills about 8 quarts of crunchy, tangy pickles.
Reduced-Sodium Sliced Dill Pickles
Reduced-sodium sliced dill pickles canned in a vinegar-sugar brine with celery seed, mustard seed, onion, and fresh dill heads. A USDA-tested low-salt canning recipe.
Pickled Cherries
Pickled cherries with stems on, packed in apple cider vinegar brine sweetened with brown sugar. A cocktail garnish, charcuterie board star, and salad topper that keeps for months.
Best Homemade Pickled Jalapenos
Homemade pickled jalapenos canned in a vinegar-water brine with garlic, pickling salt, and a touch of sugar. Whole or quartered peppers processed in a boiling water bath for shelf-stable storage all year.
Green Tomato Relish
Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.
Apple Chutney
Bold apple chutney with garlic, fresh ginger, and hot chilies. Simmer tart apples until mushy, then add pear strips that stay intact for texture. Makes 8-10 pints for canning.
Hot & Sweet Pickled Peppers
Hot and sweet pickled peppers turn banana peppers into crisp, tangy jars with a sugar-vinegar brine and whole garlic cloves. A classic water-bath canning recipe for sandwiches, pizzas, and antipasto.
Green Tomato Relish By Mavis Vawter
Green tomato relish with onions, red bell peppers, and banana peppers in a tangy white vinegar brine with pickling spices. A classic end-of-season canning recipe that yields 11 pints.
Pickled Bell Peppers
Pickled bell pepper strips preserved in a sweet vinegar brine with garlic and pickling salt. Home canning recipe for crunchy, sweet-tart pepper pickles. Perfect for sandwiches, charcuterie, or condiments.
More pickling salt recipes
- Apple Chutney
- Best Homemade Pickled Jalapenos
- Bread & Butter Green Tomato Relish
- Crisp Bread & Butter Pickles
- David's Favorite Dill Pickles
- Easy Dill Pickles
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Green Tomato Dill Pickles
- Hot & Sweet Pickled Peppers
- Jim's Piccalilli
- Pickled Dilled Beans
- Pickled Roasted Hot Peppers
- Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes
- Reduced-Sodium Sliced Dill Pickles
- Reduced-Sodium Sliced Sweet Pickles
- Robb's Bread & Butter Pickles
- Sweet & Sour Green Tomato Pickles
