How to Store Salt Long-Term & 9 Rational Reasons You Should
Do you have a stockpile of salt? If not, you might want to consider stocking up. It’s an essential item for preppers and can be used for many purposes. But, do you know how to store salt long-term? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the best way to store salt so that it is effective when you need it.
Why Should I Store Salt?
Salt is a versatile and essential ingredient in any kitchen, but it can also have a number of other uses around the house. Here are just a few reasons why you should always store salt in your pantry or other appropriate location:
1. Great for Cleaning
First of all, salt is great for cleaning. A sprinkle of salt on a damp sponge can help remove stubborn stains from countertops and sinks. You can also use salt to clean delicate items like china and crystal. Just make sure to rinse well afterward.
2. Salt Has Many Health Benefits
Salt is also good for your health. It can help regulate blood pressure, improve circulation, and prevent muscle cramps. In addition, salt can be used as a natural laxative and can help relieve congestion. Note that too much salt can be harmful, so before you change your salt intake to any degree, check with your health professional for guidance.
3. An Essential Survival Item
Salt is an essential item for survival. In the event of a power outage or other emergency, salt can be used to purify water. It can also be used to preserve food.
4. Food Preservation
Salt can be used to preserve food. When added to the meat in the right proportions, it can help prevent spoilage and keep the meat fresh for a longer period. Salt can also be used to pickle vegetables. This method of preservation is not only effective, but it also adds a delicious flavor to the vegetables.
5. It Deters Pests
Salt can also be used to deter pests. Sprinkling salt around doorways and windowsills can help keep ants and other insects out of your home.
6. Can Be Used For First Aid
Salt can be used for first aid purposes. For example, if you get a cut or burn, applying a little salt to the area can help clean the wound and speed up healing. When doing so the wound can be somewhat painful, so be careful not to apply too much.
7. Flavor Enhancement
Of course, one of the most important uses for salt is flavor enhancement. A little salt can go a long way in bringing out the flavor of food. So, if you’re looking to add a little extra flavor to your meals, be sure to keep salt on hand.
8. Salt Can Be Used to Clear Ice
Salt is very handy to use when you need to clear some ice buildup on your sidewalk or driveway. Of course, you aren’t going to use the salt that’s part of a meal recipe. Salt used to clear ice is more coarse. Again, using it often and in large amounts can possibly adversely affect the cement, so clear it off as appropriate and try not to get too much on your lawn. Salt for this purpose doesn’t require the strict storage issues addressed below.
9. Salt Is A Necessary Part Of Soft Water Systems
For those of us who like soft water, or actually need it as part of sensitive skin treatment, having coarse or pelletized salt available for your tank is important. Or course, salt for your softener is very much the same as salt used to clear ice, so you wouldn’t have to worry about its storage like you would household salt.
How to Store Salt Long-Term
Now that we’ve discussed some of the reasons why you should store salt, let’s talk about how to do it. Here are a few tips for storing salt long-term:
Store Salt in a Cool, Dry Place
One of the most important things to remember when storing salt is to keep it in a cool, dry place. Salt can absorb moisture from the air, which can make it clump and hard to use. So, be sure to store your salt in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Choose the Right Container
When it comes to storing salt long-term, it’s important to choose the right container. Glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids are ideal. You can also find 5-gallon buckets with Gamma Lids salt storage containers that are designed to keep salt dry.
Know When to Replace
Even if you’re using the best storage methods, salt can eventually go bad. If your salt starts to clump or looks discolored, it’s time to replace it.
How to Store Salt In Bulk
If you want to store salt long-term in bulk, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First of all, make sure to store your salt in an airtight container. You can find special food-grade containers that are designed for storing bulk items.
Be sure to label your container with the date so you know when the salt was packaged. Salt can last for several years when stored properly, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution and use it within a year or two. I have salt that is 5 years old and it’s still good, so it’s a personal preference.
Another important thing to remember is to keep your bulk salt in a cool, dry place. A cool basement or root cellar is ideal. If you don’t have either of these, you can store your salt in the refrigerator. Just remember to keep it in an airtight container so it doesn’t absorb moisture from the air.
Morton Salt Shelf-Life Guide and Cargill Salt Information
How Many Salts Should I Store?
Salt storage amounts vary depending on who you ask. However, most experts recommend 3 pounds of salt per person per year for most household uses, like meal preparation. I find this to be a low amount and recommend 10 pounds per person per year. Please consider the following:
- The American Heart Association recommends that Americans consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of salt. The average American consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium per day, which is about 1½ teaspoons of salt. Less than 1% of the population is on a low-sodium diet. With that said, I still recommend 10 pounds per person per year because it never hurts to have extra.
- Bringham Young University recommends 8 pounds of salt per person per year for long-term storage, according to their studies.
- The Nutrition Facts on containers of each type of salt list the recommended serving size as 1/4 teaspoon and the sodium content as 590 mg per serving. This means that each teaspoon of salt contains 2,360 mg of sodium. If you have a family of four, I recommend 40 pounds of salt for long-term storage.
How Long Will Salt Last in Long-Term Storage?
Pure salt that does not have any additives will last indefinitely. However, sodium chloride is a stable compound and will lose potency or flavor benefits over time.
Pure salts such as sea salt, Pink Himalayan salt, and canning salt can last virtually forever if stored correctly. But, salts like iodized salt have a shorter shelf life due to additives.
Best Salts to Stock
There are many types of salt, but not all of them are ideal for long-term storage. Here are some of the best salts to stockpile for long-term storage:
- Sea salt: Sea salt is unrefined and has high mineral content. It’s also less likely to clump than other types of salt. Can be stored indefinitely.
- Pink Himalayan salt: This salt is unrefined and has high mineral content. It’s also less likely to clump than other types of salt. Can be stored indefinitely.
- Canning salt: Canning salt is pure sodium chloride with no additives. It’s perfect for pickling and canning because it doesn’t contain any impurities that can affect the taste or color of food. Can be stored indefinitely.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt is pure sodium chloride with no additives. It’s used in koshering meat because it doesn’t contain any impurities that can affect the taste or color of food. Can be stored indefinitely.
- Iodized salt: Iodized salt is a type of table salt that has iodine added to it. This is important for people who live in areas where iodine is not naturally found in the water supply. According to Morton, iodized table salt has a 5-year shelf life due to potassium iodide which is part of its makeup.
More About Salt Storage
- 12 Unusual Uses For Salt
- Salt: Everything You Need to Know
- 15 Reasons Why I Store Epsom Salts
- 5 Interesting Facts About Himalayan Salt
Final Word
Storing salt long-term is a great way to be prepared for an emergency. Salt is an essential item that can be used for many things, such as preserving food, making saline solutions for wounds, and more.
Just remember to store salt in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. I also recommend storing 3-10 pounds of salt per person per year. And, if you want your salt to last indefinitely, make sure to choose pure salt without any additives.
What type of salt do you store? Let me know in the comments below! May God Bless this world, Linda
Linda,
Great post as usual. We have a little over 100 pounds of salt, both iodized and sea salt, stored in small four to five pound vacuum sealed packages. Needless to say, we will be using the iodized first and keeping the sea salt for longer term storage if needed.
Hi Harry, thank you for your kind words, my friend. I want to make it easy for people to stock up. So many people make it harder than it needs to be. Good job on the 100 pounds of salt. Linda
I don’t have enough salt stored. We don’t use a lot of salt though, but I’d rather have too much than not enough.
Hi Deborah, I think this is why I write about what I do. It’s a friendly reminder to stock up on what others may need. Life is good! Linda
I store Mediterranean Sea Salt and Pink salt in Mason jars. I find both keep well in the Mason jars and are easy to store in my pantry.
Hi Pam, I love mason jars! Great reminder! Linda
Thank you, Pam! I have jars, so I will be storing the salt in jars.
Great post. It amazes me how little most of us know about the everyday basic items we use/consume. I started buying more sea and kosher salt recently just for the heck of it. Now I’m glad I did! We are a low-salt bunch, but definitely not salt-free. The iodized stuff may wind up being used more for non-food tasks. Thanks.
Hi Terry, thank you for your kind words. It’s nice to be reminded of stocking up on things we need. Life is good when we are prepared! Linda
Health issues prevent us from using too much salt but I still use it. Some recipes require it so I have some (rock hard!) containers in our basement which probably need to be replaced. When I BBQ steak, we use Smoked Applewood salt that we had first tried on a cruise. It’s THE most amazing flavor to filet mignon. I love your articles which tickle the brain on what I need to bone up on for our food storage!
Oh, Linda, I finally got part of the basement cleaned out – I took your advice and did just one section. It still took me several hours but now all my medicines, toiletries, first aid stuff, etc., is all up-to-day, reorganized and looking pretty on the shelf! I dread, simply dread, the next section tho. It’s all my canning supplies, household goods, and horrors of all horrors, the holiday decorations section! But, one step at a time. At least I have aisles I can walk through now.
Hi Robbie, oh I need to find that Smoked Applewood Salt!! That sounds awesome! It’s really fun to be able to see what we have and walk through the aisles again. It’s one section at a time. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. The holiday decorations, I hear you on that one. I had to let go of so many to move to our smaller home. It actually feels good. I gave all the Christmas decorations to two granddaughters, they were thrilled. I love the Christmas tree with just lights, it’s easy to put up and take down. I love it! It’s all about simplifying my life. It feels great! Linda
Linda, talks about live and learn. I had no idea salt could go bad. I mean, yes, I knew it could absorb humidity and get hard as a rock but wow! I’m checking dates on all my iodized salt now. I put desiccant pack in my salt storage containers–not in with the alt itself, but into the buckets my bags of salt go into.
Great article about an important subject.
HI Ray, thank you for your kind words, my friend. It’s all about stocking, rotating, and tossing. Linda
Only non iodized salt will preserve meat properly
Hi Matt, I have only made hamburger jerky and it had to be refrigerated or frozen after making it. I have only used, Tender Quick (Home Meat Cure Salt). Good to know. Linda
Sea salt is very easy to do yourself by evaporating the seawater in able to have pure sea salt left. I used to do this with my nieces and nephews every summer when I would take them to the beach. They loved doing this and had such pride in the salt that they would take it home to use until the next summer when we would do it again. It became a tradition that they looked forward to with their Auntie (that’s me 😉 ) every summer. In all honesty, I initially showed them how when I was a very young child we were so poor that we when would be at the backwaters of the ocean shrimpin and crabin for our own subsistence needs we would also use that opportunity to collect seawater to later boil down for the salt.
This is a great “prepper family activity” for when vacationing at oceanside locations.
Hi Ravenna, wow, good to know. That would be a good family project like you said. I love it! Linda
My oldest niece, now that she is a parent is doing this with her kids. I love how something that when I was a kid was done due to poverty, but has turned into a family tradition as a way to honor and pass on those time-honored skills. I love getting a small jar of sea salt that my great nieces processed and gave to me as my Christmas gift.
HI Ravenna, oh me too! I love hearing about time-honored skills! Oh, and homemade gifts like that are the best thing ever! Linda
We have a large bucket of salt compliments of our HOA for use on the driveway and steps. I have 10 pounds of iodized salt and 4 pounds of pink Himalayan salt. Prior to reading this article, I thought that was enough. Now I know I have alot of work to do. We do have 4 salt lamps, more for their soft glow, rather than any health benefits. Off to add more salt to my curbside pickup order. Stay safe and healthy everyone.
Hi Chris, the HOA gave you salt? Wow, that’s awesome! Concrete gets slippery, that’s for sure. It’s better to have too much than not enough. Stay safe! Linda
another salt product to stockpile and the reason behind it is to create an animal salt lick >>> in the post-SHTF times without any enforcement of game laws you’ll want time & effort savings way to fill the dinner table – totally illegal and hunter morality absent in normal times a salt block and a water source could be a life saver …..
Hi Illini Warrior, great tip on the animal salt lick, thank you! Linda
Hi Linda:
I know of one salt you did not mention and that is Israel dead sea salt. My son bought it when he was alive and it is a really good salt. I did a search and you can buy it from Israeli products. at (www)israeliproducts.com/spices-and-seasonings. This is the only place I could find that sold Dead sea salt for use in food. Other places have it but it is labeled for using in your bath. One said it was all natural so I assume that it could be used for cooking but it did not say.
Hi Jackie, oh thank you for that tip! I love trying different salt!! Linda
Does Morton mention the shelf life of their non-iodized table salt?
Thanks!
Hi Karl, yes, it’s 5 years, here’s the link where I found the shelf-life. https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/morton-salt-expiration-guide/
Linda
Great. Thanks!!!
Is the shelf life of Cargill Purified Sea Salt with magnesium carbonate no longer indefinite? I had intended it for long-term storage but may alter plans (and storage containers) if the anti-caking agent means it’s no longer a good option for that.
Hi Kat, this is where I looked up the information, Cargill Salt
I hope this helps, Linda