Once a commodity so valuable, it was used as currency, salt has been a part of the human experience for thousands and thousands of years.
While in use long before recorded history, the earliest records of salt date back 4,700 years.
In ancient times, salt played a role in pharmacology and is a part of folklore fables, superstitions, and fairy tales. And, the word 'salary' is derived from a Latin phrase (salarium argentum) named after the salt rations paid to Roman soldiers.
In medieval days, Venice, Italy, rose to financial prominence with a monopoly on... saltmaking. Actually, nations have fought wars over access to salt, and high taxes on salt helped precipitate the French Revolution.
Biologically, salt is necessary for us (for all animals) to live. The body cannot produce sodium on its own, and the sodium chloride combo is a non-toxic way for the body to access sodium.
Sodium is important for maintaining the balance of pressure between the inside and outside of our cells. Our bodies use sodium to help with important processes like regulating the balance of water in the body, absorbing nutrients, controlling muscle and nerve function, regulating blood pressure, and blood coagulation.
Once the body is done taking what it needs, any extra sodium is secreted by our kidneys and when we sweat, we lose sodium.
Sodium is naturally present in a lot of the foods we eat. Adults need about 1,500 to 2,000 mg of salt a day (that's 3/4 to 1 teaspoon a day); children require even less.
Awkward pause in conversation? Try sharing these ice-breakers:
▪ Salt melts ice by lowering the freezing temperature of water.
▪ In the early 1900s iodine was added to table salt to help offset an iodine deficiency. Iodine is key to the function of the thyroid gland. Sea salt naturally contains iodine, but effective content can be depleted in processing.
▪ Ages old practices - we obtain salt in quantity through mining and evaporation.
▪ Adding salt to water (like boiling pasta) raises the boiling temperature of water (but not drastically) - it's just the best way to bring flavor to pasta by seasoning it internally as it absorbs the water.
▪ Salt is a mineral and has an indefinite storage-life.
According to the Salt Institute, there are over 14,000 known uses for salt, so we've narrowed the list down to uses that can help you around the house:
▪ To remove coffee stains from the inside of a glass coffee pot, add 4 teaspoons salt, 1 cup crushed ice and 1 tablespoon water. Gently swirl until clean, then rinse. Coffee pot should be at room temperature before cleaning. Do not use if pot is cracked or chipped.
▪ So hard to clean up - spilled eggs. Pour salt on top of the spill to cover the eggs. Then wipe the eggs up with a paper towel.
▪ Remove rust from household tools by using salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply the paste to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub.
▪ Spilled wine? Immediately blot up all moisture from the spill, then sprinkle the area with salt. Let the stain sit for 15 minutes. The salt should absorb any remaining wine in the carpet (turning pink as a result). Then clean the entire area with a mixture of 1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water.
▪ 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!
▪ Remove fish odor from your hands with salt - just rub your hands with a lemon wedge dipped in salt, then rinse with water.
▪ To help cut odors off of your wooden cutting board, simply pour a generous amount of salt directly on the cutting board. Rub lightly with a damp cloth. Wash in warm, sudsy water.
▪ To get rid of a carpet spot, run in a mixture of equal parts salt, vinegar, and borax. Let this dry and then vacuum it up.
▪ Tossing a handful of salt on your fire on occasion is supposed to keep the chimney clean.
▪ Use a mixture of salt and vinegar to remove garlic or onion scent from your hands.
▪ To remove soap build-up from faucets, clean with a mixture of 1 part salt to 4 parts vinegar.
▪ Remove grease spots in a rug with a mixture of 1 part salt to 4 parts rubbing alcohol. Rub hard, going in the same direction as the nap of the carpet, then rinse with water.
Want to know more? Just click.
The Salt Institute
Networx
Morton Salt
TLC - How Stuff Works
Fine Cooking: Cooking Pasta Properly
Dr. Andrew Weil on Sodium
Originally created by accident thousands of years ago, vinegar is another handy household ingredient. Click here to read more from our blog archives.
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