Lets talk about salt storage

[Stwood]

These .50 cardboard containers of salt, how do you store them for long term, if you do?

And, do you buy the long term prepared cans of salt?

[Redman]

I buy those 4lb. boxes of Morton canning and pickling salt. I use it for everything, I don't buy iodized salt. The salt does clump up in the box. I just rap it with the side of a fist or a rolling pin to loosen it. Using it for canning or other cooking and table use we use it fairly quickly.

Haven't run across long term prepared salt.

[David in MN]

Dude, it's salt. In 10,000 years it will be salt. I buy (keep on hand) 5 lb containers of Himilayan pink sea salt from Costco because it tastes good and is unbelievably cheap. I also keep Morton Kosher salt for salting meat and cleaning my cast iron pans. I also keep a 10 lb block of pink sea salt which I use as a platter to serve things like cheese (because I'm a fancy boy).

I don't really worry about salt because at any given moment I have 30 lbs of it on hand plus 100 lbs bagged up for the water softener (if I got real desperate). If things got sketchy salt would be a low priority.

I do know from working in the industry that storing salt in a very humid place can lead to it clumping bad. It doesn't change in quality it just kind of sucks to work with.

[Stwood]

Thats the whole point of my post David. Keeping the moisture out.
I don't water to store water in my salt containers.

[Redman]

Thats the whole point of my post David. Keeping the moisture out.
I don't water to store water in my salt containers.

 You'd likely have to seal it in bags with a dessicant seems. I have about 70 lbs. of sugar in two 5 gallon buckets w/gamma seal lids. It still clumps, not as quickly as it does sitting on the shelf in the original bag but.......

I got to check out that pink salt at Costco and I've been checking out those salt blocks periodically on Amazon. I want one, not in the budget.

Checked those 5 Lb. jars, $2.70/lb. Found this $1.58/lb. 12 lb. container.

https://www.costco.com/Olde-Thompson-Himalayan-Pink-Salt%2c-192-oz..product.100358395.html

[Stwood]

I buy the Augason #10 cans. Currently 8.88 at Walmart.
6-1/2# cans, so that's $1.37 ish per pound.
I'm finding that's actually a cheaper way to store than dealing with the 1#10oz? .50 cent containers and have them run water out of them in high moisture conditions.
I just transfered those containers of salt to glass jars, with a bag of rice in them to dry them out.

[Stwood]

Thats the whole point of my post David. Keeping the moisture out.
I don't want to store water in my salt containers.

Only way to edit my posts, is to quote myself. 

[David in MN]

Thats the whole point of my post David. Keeping the moisture out.
I don't water to store water in my salt containers.

You must have more humidity.. I keep salt next to the range in a Le Creuset salt cellar.

https://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware-10-Ounce-Crock-White/dp/B000P7Q2A0/ref=asc_df_B000P7Q2A0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167135614232&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1090202116012663038&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019570&hvtargid=pla-312931997404&psc=1

It's got no lid and I can leave salt in it months at a time with no issue. I have known restaurants to put rice in the salt shakers to soak up moisture and help the salt to flow. That's an old trick. If you really have moisture issues why not use a glass jar? I can't imagine a closed jar will have that much moisture. I've been to food production plants that leave salt bulk binned for 2 years with virtually no climate control.

Redman: Kirkland Ground Himilayan Pink Salt. Love it.

Haha Stwood, beat me to the punch. I was typing exactly your thouhts.

[Stwood]

Lol.

Well whats strange is, we have a honey container we keep salt in (open) on the counter in the kitchen and it does fine.
But these cardboard pour containers that I have (7) in my storeroom, suddenly wet their pants.
But, I did have the a/c shut off in that room for a while now, maybe a month.
Yea, I keep my storeroom cooled, which also keeps my shop fairly cool.

[Redman]

Well Steve as you may remember here on the Gulf Coast I keep all my stuff inside in the A/C and it still clumps over time. I know the rice trick, don't use it. I don't however leave even table salt open, I have several of these containers for spices. Never had salt clump in them that I recall. Pretty sure the cardboard absorbs a lot of moisture also.

[Redman]

All that being said, I have an open box of Washing Soda and an open box of Boraxo in the house. Both went to seemingly unbreakable bricks very quick (faster than a cat can lick it's butt). Next time I make clothes soap I need to get a bucket and lid and use all ingredients completely. The mixed stuff in the garage is good to go always.

[Stwood]

Well I wuz mainly wondering how ya'll stored your long term.

Looks like I'll stick with the 6# 8oz Augason cans for long term, and only buy the household size 1# 10oz cardboard containers when needed.

Red what brand/size of a container is that?

[Frugal Upstate]

I’m interested in those containers too-I’d like some salt shakers for the cabin that don’t let moisture in.

[Redman]

Well I wuz mainly wondering how ya'll stored your long term.

Looks like I'll stick with the 6# 8oz Augason cans for long term, and only buy the household size 1# 10oz cardboard containers when needed.

Red what brand/size of a container is that?

I’m interested in those containers too-I’d like some salt shakers for the cabin that don’t let moisture in.

They are Tupperware brand. I've had 6 of the large size for years. About 1 cup cap. I think. The small size I don't know the capacity. Here is a link to Amazon, looks like a really great price. Don't recall what I paid, it's been at least 10 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Plastic-Empty-Spice-Container/dp/B07B8WZJCX?hvadid=229044857929&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9027821&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2013391295459104222&hvtargid=kwd-306927690466&keywords=tupperware+spice+containers&qid=1537628690&sr=8-2&tag=googhydr-20&ref=sr_1_2

[Stwood]

 

I'll put those on my wish list...

[Redman]

I'm not sure those I linked are Tupperware. The containers noted "by Tupperware" are twice the price. I may order some in a couple weeks because I could use more and just to find out if they are in fact Tupperware.

[Redman]

I'll put those on my wish list...

  I'd order some today but I've blown my budget again. Cars, canning jars and lids, jeans, general BS.

[Stwood]

I hear that.
I found some other goodies while viewing those containers. 
Those small square spice jars are nice. We've been trying to buy those jars with the needed spices in the stores. Saving the empties and reusing, wishing we had more of them.

[Carl]

  Why not just use a salt mill (grinder) ?

[mountainmoma]

I'm not sure those I linked are Tupperware. The containers noted "by Tupperware" are twice the price. I may order some in a couple weeks because I could use more and just to find out if they are in fact Tupperware.

I have alot of  tupperwear storage containers that are over 30 years old.  That has always been the difference, cost more, but a better value.

[Redman]

I have alot of  tupperwear storage containers that are over 30 years old.  That has always been the difference, cost more, but a better value.

Agree MM, we have Tupperware over 30 yrs. old also. I just checked a little more, those I linked are not Tupperware but Signora Ware possibly made in India. I thought that was just a Tware seller but no a manufacturer. Please excuse my error. Amazon does sell the Tupperware containers and they do cost about twice as much. No doubt they will out last most of us.

[Stwood]

  Why not just use a salt mill (grinder) ?

Tell me about those Carl. I've never been around/seen one.

[Carl]

Tell me about those Carl. I've never been around/seen one.

Just like a pepper grinder ,but used to make rock salt or sea salt (chunks) into a fine grind.

one example  https://www.amazon.com/OXO-2154300-Salt-Grinder-Clear/dp/B00A4TTDIC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1537641600&sr=8-5&keywords=salt+grinder+mill

[Stwood]

Thanks

[David in MN]

Lol.

Well whats strange is, we have a honey container we keep salt in (open) on the counter in the kitchen and it does fine.
But these cardboard pour containers that I have (7) in my storeroom, suddenly wet their pants.
But, I did have the a/c shut off in that room for a while now, maybe a month.
Yea, I keep my storeroom cooled, which also keeps my shop fairly cool.

Ah. Cardboard no good. As a former food industry guy cardboard is one of 2 things: a water absorber or a moth habitat. Either way get it out. But I'm still suspect you have another underlying issue. Could there have been condensate (think water on wire racks dripping on them) or a reason there was very high moisture? And are other products being destroyed? Brown sugar is the legendary bad moisture product. And I'd expect white sugar to turn into cast iron before salt had any issue.

I guess the long and short is that I'd be doing a root cause analysis and looking for a systemic problem. I hope this helps. I have a lot (10 years) experience in the food industry. If we saw a problem like this we'd be digging into it. Salt is usually pretty stable stuff.

Oh, oh... get lot codes and check a recall. That could be it. If the salt was out of spec from the jump. No kidding I once shitcanned a few million dollars of cake mix because it didn't perform and wwe tracked it back to flour that was out of spec with moisture. It's rare but it happens.

[Stwood]

Lets see................
Brown sugar is still all good. Plastic bags in plastic tubs, around 2 years old.
The Augason brown sugar is still moving in the cans.

No water leakage from anything dripping.

I'll have to dig the containers from the shop trash cans. They are pretty tore up, and the salt was hardened, but yet wet on the bottom and sides. (Not all of them) Mainly 2 of the containers.


Salt is jarred up after I first posted. Put in 80oz pickles jars with a small bag of rice (open) on top. So far, the salt is still mostly in rock state, but there is moisture inside the jars.

If the rice gets soaked and needs more, I'll most likely toss the salt.
No use in ruining rice to save pennies on salt. Lol

[Carl]

  Salt is hygroscopic ,meaning that it attracts and absorbs water...eventually becoming a solid lump.Long term storage requires a sealed,water/moisture tight container. It can be milled or ground up after forming a rock of salt. I often store with macaroni noodles in the shaker to help absorb moisture and keep salt in granular form.Unless in an air tight container,little will keep salt in granular form.

[Stwood]

Is your Augason salt still loose Carl?

Oh, and David said something about sugar. Yes, our sugar hardens, but easily un cakes.
I store all sugar in one gallon and also the 80oz pickle jars, to keep them meandering little ants at bay. If I leave sugar in the original paper package for a week or so, them little buggers can sniff it out.

Same with flour. It all goes in glass jars.

[David in MN]

I feel like the odd man out and when I disagreewith Carl it usually means I need to rethink but here's where I come from...

My block of salt is sitting unwrapped in no container in a cupboard. I'm not worried about it disintegrating. My local hardware sells salt for the softener bagged outside and as long as it's not rained on it's fine. If salt were fragile and easily destroyed it wouldn't have been a currency. I have made salt be evaporating sea water on a beach. It takes time but it's not impossible.

As an experiment I took my salt block out of the cupboard and weighed it to exactly 7 lbs and 7/8 ounces. I then submerged it in water for 10 minutes, dried it, and re-weighed it. It's now 7 lbs and 6/8 ounces. Margin of error. What I'm getting at is that my salt block didn't take on water while submerged. I knew this would be the result because rock salt in my softener doesn't disappear. I put a bag in every so often but salt is pretty tough stuff. It takes months to degrade while in water.

I'm not saying not to jar the salt. I'm saying the root cause is probably not ambient humidity. Southern Italy gets humid and Romans used salt as money. I worked with a plant outside San Francisco (a little humid) and they left salt bagged on pallets on the floor. They refused brown sugar because it turned to rock but salt was no problem.

As another interesting aside, I would sacrifice rice for salt. I pay $8 for a 25 pound sack of rice at Costco (I split it up with friends and family) but my sea salt runs much more pricey. It sounds wrong but I would be economically right wasting 5 lbs of rice on 1 lb of salt.

Maybe if we're going long term there could be an issue. Maybe. (Runs to his basement.) My salt is 7 years out of code in a cardboard container and fine. That's my deep storage I hope to never use and that's how little I worry about it. It will outlast me.

Stwood... I jjust can't shake the feeling you have a different problem. I take solace that jarring will prevent problems. But as a historian friend liked to say before he passed, "I don't think this smoke means that fire".

[Carl]

Is your Augason salt still loose Carl?

Yes,the salt in a can is still loose.  That is some special salt you have there Dave.