Uses For Salt
I just received my 25 pound bag of Redmond Real Sea Salt (ground Fine). It should last awhile! I began purchasing Redmond salt some time ago. Mined in Utah from ancient sea bed. Good tasting salt!
Anyway, I kept buying it in relatively small quantities – along with other types such as pink Himalayan sea salt too (also good). Given that prices are going up pretty quick on everything these days, I decided on the big quantity.
25 Pound Bag
(Redmond on amzn)
Uses for salt go beyond that of food flavor or baking chemistry. Salt has a number of other additional uses as well.
We need salt to survive. “The human body contains many salts, of which sodium chloride (AKA common table salt) is the major one, making up around 0.4 per cent of the body’s weight at a concentration pretty well equivalent to that in seawater.” reported by BBC Science Focus.
Although many people get enough salt (or sometimes too much) from the typical junk food diet, it’s a great prepper/preparedness item to have in your ‘survival kitchen’ inventory.
Okay, lets talk about what we came here for… the uses for salt. I originally started with 30 when I first published this. Now up to 35 uses for salt. Maybe you can add a few more to the list…
Can’t say I’ve tried all these (only a few), but interesting nonetheless. For me, it’s about flavoring the food.
Uses for Salt
Perk Up Coffee Flavor
Add a pinch of Salt to the coffee in the basket of your coffeemaker. This will improve the coffee’s flavor by helping to remove some of the acid taste. It works!
Dispose of Disposal Odor
To help remove odors from garbage disposals, pour 1/2 cup of Salt directly into the garbage disposal. By running the disposal following manufacturer’s directions, you’ll send those odors down the drain.
Eliminate Fish Odors
Removing fish odor from your hands is simple with Salt. Just rub your hands with a lemon wedge dipped in salt, then rinse with water.
Cut Cutting Board Odors
To help cut odors off of your wooden cutting board, simply pour a generous amount of Salt directly on the board. Rub lightly with a damp cloth. Wash in warm, sudsy water.
Soothe Sore Throats
To alleviate the discomfort of a mild sore throat, gargle several times daily with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 cup warm water. It’s like taking a liquid lozenge.
Soak Your Feet
To prepare a salt water bath, pour 6 quarts (1-1/2 gallons) warm water in a large basin. Mix in 1/4 cup Salt and 1/4 cup baking soda. Soak feet for up to 15 minutes.
Peeling eggs
Eggs boiled in salted water peel more easily.
Testing egg freshness
Place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoonfuls of salt has been added. A fresh egg sinks; a doubter will float.
Cleaning greasy pans
The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you use a little salt in it and wipe with paper.
Cleaning stained cups
Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.
Removing pinfeathers
To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.
Preventing mold
To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.
Keeping milk fresh
Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.
Relieving bee stings
If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.
Removing soot
Occasionally throw a handful of salt on the flames in your fireplace; it will help loosen soot from the chimney and salt makes a bright yellow flame.
Keeping cut flowers fresh
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.
Keeping patios weed-free
If weeds or unwanted grass come up between patio bricks or blocks, carefully spread salt between the bricks and blocks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
Killing poison ivy
Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer.
Deodorizing shoes
Sprinkling a little salt in canvas shoes occasionally will take up the moisture and help remove odors.
Save the bottom of your oven
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smoke and smell, and it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
Clean a gunky iron bottom
Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.
Deter ants
Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills and anywhere else ants sneak into your house. Ants don’t like to walk on salt.
Tame a wild barbeque
Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).
Clean teeth
Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda–dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual.
Scaling fish
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.
Non-stick pancakes
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won’t stick.
Clothespins
Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer.
Melt snow and ice
Sprinkle salt on snow or ice to melt away.
Clean cast iron skillets
Sprinkle salt in skillet and scrub.
Remove onion smell from hands
Just wet hands with water, sprinkle salt on your wet hands, rub hands together as if washing them, and rinse…smell is gone.
Snails /Slugs in garden
Sprinkle salt to kill snails.
Scalp cleanse
Wet hair, apply shampoo, pour few tsps. salt on head/scalp. Rub vigorously with finger tips. Rinse well.
Neti pot
Use this special salt (or equivalent) with a ‘neti pot’ to clear sinus /nasal passages.
Bathtub soak
Epsom salts for soothing cleansing bath and muscle relief.
Corning
It’s a very old way of preserving meat by packing it in salt.
Survival!
Quote from a MSB reader:
“The most important use of salt is to prevent hyponatremia in our body. Hyponatremia is caused by many factors. Low sodium results in low blood volume (shock) and death quickly follows. Understanding the need for salt intake is important. I mention it here only to alert readers to read about this in depth elsewhere so that you recognize the symptoms, cause and treatment In times of SHTF. This will save a life.”
Add your own uses for salt in the comments below: