A Pinch of Salt
We probably all take salt for granted. It's just something we use when we cook and serve meals. There's always a salt and pepper shaker on the table and we probably reach for them without even thinking.
You cook with salt. You can clean with salt. You can bathe in salt, too, for goodness sakes!
And how about those salt lights? There is probably nothing that's older than salt. There's a lot about salt that is good. There's a little bit that's not so good. Let's sort some of it out.
Photo courtesy of wlodi.
What, exactly, is salt?
According to Merriam Webster: Salt is a white crystalline substance that consists of sodium and chlorine and is used in seasoning foods. It's a mineral. In fact, it's the only mineral that is consumed by humans as a part of their diets.There is evidence that salt has been harvested since the neolithic period (3900 - 1700 BC). By some accounts even earlier than that - as early as 6000 BC in China.
This terrific photograph is used through Creative Commons. It's a piece of crystalized rock salt from a lake in Chile and it's from the Flickr photostream of Michael Tyler
Back to the Salt Mines
There are salt mines all over the world. Take a closer look at some of these amazing Flickr photos. See that chandelier? It's made from salt! And so are those statues of the kings! Really!
Wieliczka Salt Mine - Poland
Salt Mine House - Portugal
Salt Mines - Sicily
Salt Chandelier
Working in the salt mines
Wieliczka - The salt mine of Krakow
Old Mining Cart
Salt Mound
Kings carved from salt
Inside the salt mine
Salty Superstitions
Vote for your favorite...
...or add a salty superstition here.
If you spill salt, throw a bit of it over your left shoulder. It will keep the devil at bay.
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Sprinkle salt on the doorstep of your new home to ward off evil spirits.
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It is good luck to carry salt in your pocket or to wear a small bag of salt around your neck.
0 points
If you add a pinch of salt to whipping cream, it will whip better.
Six Tips for Using Salt
Photo courtesy of KevinDooley
If you wash your salad greens in salt water, they will retain their crispness.
Rub your wooden cutting boards with coarse salt to keep them looking bright.
Sprinkling salt on your frying pans and skillets will help keep the meat or fish from sticking.
Boiling eggs in salted water will make them easier to peel.
Fresh cut flowers will keep longer if you add a pinch of salt to the water.
Clean copper pans by rubbing with a combination of vinegar and salt.
Salt is the Spice of Life
I have five kinds of salt in my pantry. Gray salt, Kosher salt, Sea salt, Hickory Smoked salt and plain old table salt.
That's a really paltry collection and I should be ashamed of myself. My list pales by comparison to many other cooks who have more than a dozen varieties of salt at any given time.
Black Salt, Pink Salt, Sea Salt, Red Salt
An excellent selection is available at Amazon.
Hawaiian Black Lava Salt- Organic Sea Salt 6 Oz Jar
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/29/2009) 
Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt- Organic Sea Salt 6 oz Jar
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/29/2009)
Himalania Himalayia Pink Salt in Box with serving spoon 8.8 oz
Amazon Price: $13.79 (as of 11/29/2009)
Fleur de Sel De Guerande- French Sea Salt ; 6oz
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/29/2009)
The Best Salts in The World - Collection of 24 Mini-Jars With Cork Tops in Bamboo Presentation Box. The Salt Connoisseur Ultimate Gift!
Amazon Price: $139.00 (as of 11/29/2009)
A Salty Dog
A refreshing beverage with a little kick
Ice, grapefruit juice and vodka in a glass with a salted rim...simple as that.
The Benefits of Bath Salts
Category: File - :RadoxBathSalts.JPG|thumb|right|Bath salts
The term bath salts refers to a range of water-soluble, usually inorganic solid products designed to be added to a bath, either to improve cleaning, provide a medical improvement, improve the experience of bathing, or serve as a vehicle for cosmetic agents.
Bath salts have been developed which mimic the properties of natural mineral baths or hot springs.
Such salts include:
* magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts)
* sodium chloride (table salt)
* sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
* sodium hexametaphosphate (Calgon, amorphous/glassy sodium metaphosphate)
* sodium sesquicarbonate
* borax
Although, chemically speaking, many organic substances commonly u...
Would you like to know more about salt?
The Story of Salt
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 11/29/2009)
American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 3rd Edition: A Complete Guide to Reducing Sodium and Fat in Your Diet
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 11/29/2009)
Salt: Your Way To Health (This Book Will Show You Why Salt Is The Most Misunderstood Nutrient)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)
Not So Healthy Effects of Salt
Photo courtesy of timlewisnm
Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Too much salt can cause edema or retention of fluid which may adversely affect your kidney function.
But salt, per se, isn't the only "bad guy". There are excessive amounts of salt in many processed foods. Meats, fish, canned vegetables - lots of other prepared foods have high amounts of sodium. It's a preservative, after all.
So the more fresh foods that you consume, the better.
Put a Little Light on the Subject
Salt lamps are said to be beneficial as air purifiers. They're created by hollowing out chunks of rock salt to make a space for a light bulb or a candle. When the candle or light has been lit, negative ions are released into the air.
It's widely believed that salt lamps emit a healing energy. Who couldn't use a little healing energy? Sounds good to me.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Salts for Your Bath
Ahava Honey Herbal Relaxation Bath Salts, 32oz
Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)
Nukumori Nigori Sen Milky Japanese Bath Salts Assortment from Nihon no Meito (Ten 30g Packets, 300g total)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)
Himalayan Natural Crystal Bath Salts, 1 Lb Bag
Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)
Renewal Spa Lavender Gift Basket - LARGE - Spa Bath and Body Gift Set - with Bath Tea Salts
Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 11/29/2009)
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Comments, please!
Thank you for visiting this lens. I hope you've learned something new. Please leave a message.
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Reply
- 24websurf 24websurf Sep 30, 2009 @ 7:47 am
- I really enjoyed this! Great information.
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Reply
- sandyspider sandyspider Aug 12, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
- Very nice work!
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Reply
- bdkz bdkz Jul 31, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
- Very nice!
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Reply
- aj2008 aj2008 Jul 1, 2009 @ 8:58 am
- I cut down on cooking with salt years ago, but would never forgo it in a lovely vinagraitte dressing for salad! I no longer put it on the tabble unless we have chips (fries in the USA) which is not very often.
I did not realise there were so many varieties of salt - I just use freshly ground sea salt.
Angel Blessings for a very interesting lens.
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Reply
- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Jun 26, 2009 @ 7:36 am
- Salt is the number one seasoning but most people doen't think of it as a seasoning. Does that make sense?
Thanks for sharing,
Lizzy
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Sources
Giving credit where credit is due.
- About Salt: The Most Intimate Mineral
- Salt pervades the Earth and seas and, not least, our lives.
- Salt - History for Kids!
- History of Salt for Kids - When did people first begin producing salt? Why did they suddenly need more salt? Why was salt so valuable?
- Food Facts & Trivia: Salt
- Food Reference, Culinary and cooking history, trivia, kitchen & cooking tips & facts, recipes, quotes, humor, poetry and culinary crosswords
- Salt, Salt - The Spice of Life, Types of Salt, Cooking with Salt, Salt Substitutions, Salt Composition and Medical Uses, History of Salt
- Salt, Salt - The Spice of Life, Types of Salt, Cooking with Salt, Salt Substitutions, Salt Composition and Medical Uses, History of Salt
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CherylK
Lensmaster CherylK has been a member since February 3 2008, has rated 1,134 lenses, favorited 890, and has created 53 lenses from scratch. Cheryl Kohan donates their royalties to Acumen Fund and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. This member's top-ranked page is "Simple Steps to Prevent Water Pollution". See all my lenses
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