Salt from sea water, the stove-top version

[Occamstazer]

So does the natural dampness affect anything but clumping?

 

[freemotion]

It should dry, since it is winter and the woodstove is going full time. It is only damp now because I took it off the stove before it was 100% dry, because I couldn't control the heat and needed to get ready for work.

Once very dry, I will put it in a tight glass jar. In humid weather, it will draw moisture from the air and get clumpy. I keep my salt in a little wooden bowl except in winter, when I also can use a salt shaker.

 

[big brown horse]

xpc,

It suddenly became salt... I looked at it and gave it a stir, went out to do chores, and checked it less than an hour later and voila! Salt! Damp salt, so I am letting it finish by airdrying.

Salt by itself is hygroscopic and will always be a little damp, Morton added the anti-caking and drying agents and made the famous - when it rains it pours slogan, meaning your salt poured when it was raining outside.

My goodness what don't you know?!! That will come in handy next trivial pursuit game I play.

Free, when we lived in Houston (very humid) we used white rice to mix in with the salt to keep it from clumping together. The rice never made it through the salt shaker holes. I've used brown rice, but it makes your salt look dirty...either rice works though.

 

[Beekissed]

You can even use beans for this. They absorb the moisture also but I think rice does it better.

 

[freemotion]

Howzabout rice AND beans? xpc, it will still dry in the winter, won't it? My purchases sea salt is dry all winter. Just gets damp and clumpy in humid weather.

 

[freemotion]

We did the taste test today....tried to make it a blind taste test, but the texture difference is just too great and I was too impatient to grind it or dissolve both in water. So we did an eyes-open taste test....we ALL resoundingly agreed that the homemade salt was quite a bit stronger (as in saltier) than the Redmond Real Salt...I couldn't find Celtic last time I was at Whole Foods (don't get me started!!! ) so we didn't compare that one, my favorite.

It has a texture of big flakes that I think would do well if run through the food processor or morter and pestle for table use, but the flakes are fine for cooking. They'd also be interesting on crackers or pretzels, homemade.

Some salt stuck to the bottom of my pan, so it is soaking overnight and I will add that water to the goat's food tomorrow.

I filled a pint canning jar almost to the top!

I can't wait to get more sea water to make some more! Except for aquiring the sea water, this was the easiest project I've done in a while. I highly recommend it.

 

[xpc]

I am in the middle of painting my kitchen and will get back to you later, as others said have it tested by a local or online lab for toxicity only saying it is from a local salt source. Or let your goats be the royal taste testers for a while.

 

[freemotion]

I guess I never updated this....I finally asked the reference desk at my local library to do some research for me...they will do up to a half hour of online research on a question! I couldn't find the info on the pollutants in the area where I got the water.

She found a good article and local map of pollutants for me, and based on this, I am happy with the water I used and will make some more.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm glad you got some information and feel more confident about your salt-making.

I can't do it where I live . . . too much PCB, etc.

 

[big brown horse]

That is wonderful freemotion!

PCB's?? Say it isn't so DM! :/ But the water looks so pretty!