Can you use pickling salt to preserve meats?

Here's why:

* Pickling salt is designed for preserving vegetables. It's a fine-grained salt with a lower sodium chloride content than table salt. This lower sodium content helps prevent the vegetables from becoming too salty.

* Meats require a different type of salt for preservation. They typically require a higher salt concentration to inhibit bacterial growth.

* Using pickling salt on meat can result in insufficient preservation. The lower salt content won't be enough to kill bacteria and prevent spoilage. This can lead to food poisoning.

Instead of pickling salt, use kosher salt or curing salt (also known as pink salt) for meat preservation.

* Kosher salt has a larger grain size and a lower sodium chloride content than table salt. It's a good choice for general meat preservation, especially dry curing.

* Curing salt contains sodium nitrite, which helps preserve the color and flavor of the meat, while also inhibiting bacterial growth. It's important to use it according to the instructions on the package.

Always follow safe food handling practices and consult reliable sources for recipes and instructions when preserving meats.