Storing Salt

[California_Dreaming]

I realize the need for salt in our diets. I also realize the need for storing canning salt.

Thinking about the need to protect the salt from the elements (such as flood and such), I bought cans from the cannery and canned salt on my home canning machine. I canned 6 #10 cans of table salt a year ago and this week I opened up one can and the inside of the can was corroded. I do like to store food and such in smaller cans with #10 being the largest(it makes it easier to lift), therefore the large buckets are out of the question.

Does anyone have experience storing salt?

[NeuroTypical]

I just get fifty cent cardboard boxes of salt from the store. If I were worried about moisture, I'd stick them in a ziplock bag.

[Iggy]

I buy the bags of salt at the store when they go on sale- around canning time, then I vacuum seal them.

I pretty much vacuum seal nearly every thing. Keeps out the moisture and the bugs.

[shine7]

Store salt in a dry, warmish place. Salt and sugar are the exception to

food storage. You will want 'warm, dry, dark' for these 2 items, instead

of 'cool, dry, dark'.

[NeuroTypical]

How come?

[pam]

Store salt in a dry, warmish place. Salt and sugar are the exception to

food storage. You will want 'warm, dry, dark' for these 2 items, instead

of 'cool, dry, dark'.

It's funny because in googling this, every site that I went to in regards to storing salt almost all basically say this:

Store it in a cool, dry place, far from any sources of heat or sun light

[annewandering]

Salt is corrosive. Better to use plastic or just let it harden and add a hammer to your storage items.

[Guest]

Salt itself is neutral. It is when it combines with an electrolyte like water that it becomes corrosive.

Sea salt is very moist. You can't store sea salt in a metal can for longer than a couple of weeks or so even if you spread it out to dry before storing.

Table salt is drier, so you can put this in a can as long as you can be sure it is vacuum sealed - because, salt is great at absorbing moisture from the air making it corrosive.

Iodized salt has a much shorter shelf life than non-iodized salt.

For food storage - it is better to store salt in non-metallic containers.

[shdwlkr]

If you must store salt in #10 cans double bag it and seal the bags. That keeps the salt from the inside of the can, keeps some of the moisture out and in most cases will stop the rust.

Also as has been said a hammer does wonders on hard salt or sugar just make sure it is in a bag that doesn't break from being hit by the hammer.

[zippy_do46]

I remember reading to use salt or sugar bags in between flour and cornmeal bags to help with moisture problems for short time storage in the pantry. This has worked great for me in our high humidity climate.

[shdwlkr]

I have been thinking on this more lately and I think I am going to buy the 25 pound bags and double bag them in plastic and put them in a plastic bucket along with a hammer again in plastic and put a good lid on it and forget about it. Salt when hardened softens up well with a hammer.