SALT USES:
Besides making foods delicious, it's believed there are more than 14,000 uses of salt, and our grandmothers were probably familiar with most of them. Many of these uses were for simple things around the home before the advent of modern chemicals and cleaners. However, many uses are still valid today and a lot cheaper than using more sophisticated products.
We make no guarantee about the results if you try any of them, but there must be something to them since they have been handed down over the years in many households. Most of these uses have stood the test of time.
The most familiar use of salt undoubtedly is in the kitchen and on the dining table. Salt accents the flavor of meat, brings out individuality of vegetables, puts "oomph" into bland starches, deepens the flavor of delicate desserts and develops flavor of melons and certain other fruits. No other seasoning has yet been found that can satisfactorily take the place of salt. But there are other uses around the home, too.
Salt is an excellent cleaning agent, by itself or in combination with other substances. A solution of salt and turpentine restores the whiteness to yellowed enameled bathtubs and lavatories. A paste of salt and vinegar cleans tarnished brass or copper. A strong brine poured down the kitchen sink prevents grease from collecting and eliminates odors.
Salt helps destroy moths and drives away ants. A dash of salt in laundry starch keeps the iron from sticking and gives linen and fine cottons a glossy, like-new finish. A thin paste of salt and salad oil removes white marks caused by hot dishes or water from wooden tables.
A box of salt is an important item in many bathrooms. In mild solutions, it makes an excellent mouthwash, throat gargle or eye-wash; it is an effective dentifrice; it is an effective antiseptic; and it can be extremely helpful as a massage element to improve complexion.
Kitchen::
Boiling Water - Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking time. (It does not make the water boil faster.)
Peeling eggs - Boiling eggs in salted water will make eggs peel easily.
Poaching eggs - Poaching eggs over salted water helps set the egg whites.
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.
Preventing browning - Apples, pears and potatoes dropped in cold, lightly salted water as they are peeled will retain their color.
Shelling pecans - Soaking pecans in salt water for several hours before shelling will make nut meats easier to remove.
Washing spinach - If spinach is washed in salted water, repeated cleanings will not be necessary.
Preventing sugaring - A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.
Crisping salads - Salting salads immediately before serving will keep them crisp.
Improving boiled potatoes - Boiled potatoes will be given a fine, mealy texture by sprinkling with salt after draining, then returning them to the pan and shaking them back and forth quickly to get rid of the excess moisture.
Cleaning greasy pans - The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you put a little salt in it and wipe with paper.
Cleaning stained cups - Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.
Cleaning ovens - Salt and cinnamon take the "burned food" odor away from ovens and stove burners. Sprinkle spills while oven and burners are still hot; when dry, remove the salted spots with a stiff brush or cloth.
Cleaning refrigerators - Salt and soda water will clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator. It won't scratch enamel either.
Extinguishing grease fires - Salt tossed on a grease fire on the stove or in the oven will smother flames. Never use water; it will only spatter the burning grease.
Improving coffee - A pinch of salt in coffee will enhance the flavor and remove the bitterness of over-cooked coffee.
Improving poultry - To improve the flavor of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting.
Removing pinfeathers - To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.
Cleaning tarnished silverware - Rub tarnish with salt before washing.
Cleaning copper pans - Remove stains on copper pans by salting area and scouring with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
Cleaning coffee pots - Remove bitterness from percolators and other coffee pots by filling with water, adding four tablespoons of salt and percolating or boiling as usual.
Removing onion odors from hands - Rub fingers with salt moistened with vinegar.
"Sweetening" containers - Salt can "sweeten" and deodorize thermos bottles and jugs, decanters and other closed containers.
Cleaning sink drains - Pour a strong salt brine down the kitchen sink drain regularly to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.
Brightening cutting boards - After washing them with soap and water, rub bread and cutting boards with a damp cloth dipped in salt; the boards will be lighter and brighter.
Fixing oversalted soups - If soup has been oversalted, cut up a raw potato or two and drop into the soup. The potato will absorb the salt.
Cleaning dried-on egg - Salt not only makes eggs taste better, but it makes "eggy" dishes clean easier. Sprinkle salt on dishes right after breakfast; it makes them a whiz to clean when you have time.
Preventing food from sticking - Rub a pancake griddle with a small bag of salt to prevent sticking and smoking. Sprinkle a little salt in the skillet before frying fish to prevent the fish from sticking. Sprinkle salt on washed skillets, waffle iron plates or griddles, heat in a warm oven, dust off salt; when they are next used, foods will not stick.
Preventing mold - To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.
Whipping cream and beating egg whites - By adding a pinch of salt, cream will whip better and egg whites will beat faster and higher.
Keeping milk fresh - Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.
Setting gelatin - To set gelatin salads and desserts quickly, place over ice that has been sprinkled with salt.
Cleaning:
Cleaning brass - Mix equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar to make a paste, rub the paste on the brass item, leave on for an hour or so, then clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.
Cleaning wicker - To prevent yellowing, scrub wicker furniture with a stiff brush moistened with warm saltwater and allow to dry in the sun.
Cleaning grease spots on rugs - Some grease spots can be removed with a solution of one part salt and four parts alcohol and rubbing hard but carefully to avoid damage to the nap.
Extending broom life - New brooms will wear longer if soaked in hot saltwater before they are first used.
Removing wine stains - If wine is spilled on a tablecloth or rug, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with salt, which will absorb the remaining wine. Later rinse the tablecloth with cold water; scrape up the salt from the rug and then vacuum the spot.
Removing rings from tables - White rings left on tables from wet or hot dishes or glasses can be removed by rubbing a thin paste of salad oil and salt on the spot with your fingers, letting it stand an hour or two, then wiping it off.
Restoring sponges - Give sponges new life by soaking them in cold saltwater after they are washed.
Settling suds - If a washing machine bubbles over from too many suds, sprinkle salt on the suds to reduce them.
Brightening colors - Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.
Removing perspiration stains - Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains disappear.
Brightening yellowed cottons or linens - Boil the yellowed items for one hour in a salt and baking soda solution
Removing blood stains - Soak the stained clothing or other cloth item in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)
Removing mildew or rust stains - Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching; and finally, rinse and dry.
Color-matching nylons - Good nylons that don't have a match can be made the same color by boiling them a few minutes in a pan of lightly salted water.
Fixing sticking iron - Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.
Health & Beauty:
Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle for sore throats.
Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums.
Washing mouth - Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens the breath.
Bathing eyes - Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and use the solution to bathe tired eyes.
Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads soaked in the solution on the puffy areas.
Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in warm water to which a handful of salt has been added. Rinse in cool water.
Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.
Treating mosquito and chigger bites - Soak in saltwater, then apply a mixture of lard and salt.
Treating poison ivy - Soaking the exposed part in hot saltwater helps hasten the end to poison ivy irritation.
Relieving fatigue - Soak relaxed for at least ten minutes in a tub of water into which several handfuls of salt has been placed.
Removing dry skin - After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It removes dead skin particles and aids the circulation.
Applying facial - For a stimulating facial, mix equal parts of salt and olive oil and gently massage the face and throat with long upward and inward strokes. Remove mixture after five minutes and wash face.
Removing tattoos -CAUTION- This is a medical procedure that can be done only by a physician. It is called salabrasion and requires several treatments by rubbing salt on the tattoo. Healing is required between treatments, but there is virtually no scarring.
Other Uses:
Extinguishing grease fires - Keep a box of salt handy at your stove and oven and if a grease fire flares up, cover the flames with salt. Do not use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease. Also a handful of salt thrown on flames from meat dripping in barbecue grills will reduce the flames and deaden the smoke without cooling the coals as water does.
Drip-proofing candles - Soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well. When burned they will not drip.
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.
Cleaning fish tanks - Rub the inside of fish tanks with salt to remove hard water deposits, then rinse well before returning the fish to the tank. Use only plain, not iodized, salt.
Invigorating goldfish - Occasionally add one teaspoon of salt to a quart of fresh water at room temperature and put your goldfish in for about 15 minutes. Then return them to their tank. The salt swim makes them healthier.
Cleaning flower vases - To remove deposits caused by flowers and water, rub with salt; if you cannot reach the deposits to rub them, put a strong salt solution in the vase and shake, then wash the vase with soap and water.
Keeping cut flowers fresh - A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.
Holding artificial flowers - Artificial flowers can be held in an artistic arrangement by pouring salt into the container, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt will solidify as it dries and hold the flowers in place.
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.
Keeping windows frost-free - Rub the inside of windows with a sponge dipped in a saltwater solution and rub dry; the windows will not frost up in sub-freezing weather. Rubbing a small cloth bag containing salt that has been moistened on your car's windshield will keep snow and ice from collecting.
Deicing sidewalks and driveways - Lightly sprinkling rock salt on walks and driveways will keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easy removal. Don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to grass and ornamentals.
Deodorizing shoes - Sprinkling a little salt in canvas shoes occasionally will take up the moisture and help remove odors.
SALT IN FOOD
Salt serves many purposes. Humans and other animals have an inherent taste for this essential nutrient. Salt is the world's oldest known food additive. People use many types of sodium chloride in food processing, cooking or at the table -- at home or in restaurants. Each makes its unique contribution. Besides contributing its own basic "salty" taste, salt brings out natural flavors and makes foods acceptable, protects food safety by retarding the growth of spoilage microorganisms, gives proper texture to processed foods, serves as a control agent to regulate the rate of fermentation in food processing strengthens gluten in bread, provides the color, aroma and appearance consumers expect and is used to create the gel necessary to process meats and sausages. As a result, more heavily processed foods usually contain more sodium and salt. Many countries' food labeling regulations include sodium. The world's great chefs appreciate salt's many culinary benefits, including surprising applications like salt in desserts. Salt should be part of every family's food storage program.
Beyond nutrition, people use sodium chloride for several necessary functions in food processing and cooking, including:
Preservative:
Salt preserves foods by creating a hostile environment for certain microorganisms. Within foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure and inhibits bacterial growth and subsequent spoilage. Salting fish made long-range explorations possible in the age of sailing ships.
Texture Aid:
Salt strengthens gluten in bread dough, providing uniform grain, texture and dough strength. With salt present, gluten holds more water and carbon dioxide, allowing the dough to expand without tearing. Salt improves the tenderness in cured meats such as ham by promoting the binding of water by protein. It also gives a smooth, firm texture to processed meats. Salt develops the characteristic rind hardness in cheese and helps produce the desirable, even consistency in cheese and other foods such as sauerkraut.
Binder:
Salt helps extract the proteins in processed and formed meats, providing binding strength between adjacent pieces of meat. Water binding properties are increased and, as a result, cooking losses are reduced. Salt increases the solubility of muscle proteins in water. In sausage making, stable emulsions are formed when the salt-soluble protein solutions coat the finely-formed globules of fat, providing a binding gel consisting of meat, fat and moisture.
Fermentation Control:
In baked products, salt controls fermentation by retarding and controlling the rate of fermentation, important in making a uniform product. During pickle making, salt brine is gradually increased in concentration, reducing the fermentation rate as the process proceeds to completion. Salt is also used to control fermentation in making cheese, sauerkraut and summer sausage.
Color Developer:
Salt promotes the development of color in ham, bacon, hotdogs and sauerkraut. Used with sugar and nitrate or nitrite, salt produces a color in processed meats which consumers find appealing. Salt enhances the golden color in bread crust by reducing sugar destruction in the dough and increasing carmelization.
BENIFITS OF SALT
Sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, represents an essential element of life, being one of the elements the human body cannot do without. It is present for 2/3 in the extra-cellular liquids and for 1/3 it is primarily fixed within the bones. Every imbalance in the extra-cellular hydration is connected to anomalies in the presence of sodium (that is, of salt). In the US, the consumption of sodium is on an average about 3 grams a day, corresponding to the ingestion of 7-8 grams of salt.
A certain amount of salt must be incorporated daily in our diet, not only because it is very rapidly eliminated by our organism and also because it enhances the taste of our food, but above all because the identification of salty taste triggers the production of the saliva and the gastric juices, essential for food digestion. In addition, the presence of sodium and chlorine is essential in the digestive processes, since they are both present in the gastric juices, in the saliva, in the pancreatic juice and in the bile. The sodium and the chlorine act then at different levels, along the digestive track, since sodium contributes to the absorption of glucides, while chlorine, in the form of hydrochloric acid, is essential for the digestion of solids.
The kidneys regulate the sodium balance. They are able to quickly adjust the sodium balance, when the quantity of salt varies between 1 and 16 grams a day. Under these conditions, there are no variations in the extra-cellular volume or in body weight. With quantities of salt higher than 16 grams a day, kidney adjustment requires 3-5 days, during which time an increase in the extra-cellular volume and in body weight is evident. After this period of time, the two values stabilize themselves to the new acquired levels.
Sodium chloride can also be used as treatment:
In cases of glandular problems causing obesity, for instance, salt baths are very useful, even in cases of hypo function or hyper function of the thyroid.
The application of dry or wet salt compresses reduces the excess liquid present in the tissues.
For relief of swollen and sore feet, immerse them in a basin of warm water with a handful of salt.
To reduce bags under the eyes apply compresses soaked in a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a 4 cups of warm water.
Gargling with some salt and bicarbonate of soda dissolved in water disinfects the mouth, leaving a fresh breath.
The inhalation of salt-water steam through the nose can relieve bothersome cases of phlegm or of inflammation of the respiratory mucosa.
For an all natural peeling, try mixing a cream with honey and salt and massage it gently over the interested parts of the face.
WHAT IS SALT ?
Sodium chloride or common salt is the chemical compound NaCl. Salt occurs naturally in many parts of the world as the mineral halite and as mixed evaporites in salt lakes. Seawater has lots of salt; it contains an average of 2.6% (by weight) NaCl, or 26 million metric tons per cubic kilometer (120 million short tons per cubic mile, an inexhaustible supply (note: seawater also contains other dissolved solids; salt represents about 77% of the Total Dissolved Solids). Underground salt deposits are found in both bedded sedimentary layers and domal deposits. Deposits have been found to have encapsulated ancient microorganisms including bacteria. Some salt is on the surface, the dried-up residue of ancient seas like the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Salt even arrives on earth from outer space and its presence on the planet Mars makes scientists think life may exist there. Conversely, surface salt depositions and man-made saltworks can be seen from space.
Sodium chloride crystals are cubic in form. Table salt consists of tiny cubes tightly bound together through ionic bonding of the sodium and chloride ions. The salt crystal is often used as an example of crystalline structure. It can be modified by temperature. Different types of crystals have different uses, as for food.
It varies in color from colorless, when pure, to white, gray or brownish, typical of rock salt (halite). Chemically, it is 60.663% elemental chlorine (Cl) and 39.337% sodium (Na). The atomic weight of elemental chlorine is 35.4527 and that of sodium is 22.989768. Properties of salt are collected in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Chemical Sampling Information database.
Properties of Pure Sodium Chloride: Molecular weight - NaCl 58.4428 Atomic weight - Na 22.989768 (39.337%) Atomic weight - Cl 35.4527 (60.663%) Eutectic composition 23.31% NaCl Freezing point of eutectic mixture -21.12° C (-6.016°F) Crystal form Isometric, Cubic Color Clear to White Index of refraction 1.5442 Density or specific gravity 2.165 (135 lb/ft3) Bulk density, approximate (dry, ASTM D 632 gradation) 1.154 (72 lb/ft3) Angle of repose (dry, ASTM D 632 gradation) 32° Melting point 800.8° C (1,473.4° F) Boiling point 1,465°C (2,669° F) Hardness (Moh's Scale) 2.5 Critical humidity at 20 °C, (68° F) 75.3% pH of aqueous solution neutral
Sodium chloride is sold in several different particle sizes (gradation) and forms, depending on the intended end use. Discrete crystals can be seen in rock salt used for deicing. Fine granules are typical of table salt and even finer popcorn salt. Kosher salt, pickling salt and ice cream salt are slightly coarser. Small compressed pellets are used in water softeners and large salt blocks are used as salt licks for livestock. When viewed under strong magnification, all sodium chloride is crystalline. Very large cubic crystals, of two, three or more inches in size, can be seen in some salt mines. They are transparent and cleave into perfect cubes when struck with a hard object.
Purity of rock salt produced in North America varies depending on the type of salt (evaporated, rock, solar) and on the source. Rock salt typically ranges between 95% and 99% NaCl, and mechanically evaporated salt and solar salt normally exceed 99% NaCl. Evaporated salt made with purified brine has the highest purity, in some cases 99.99% NaCl. Voluntary standards, such as those developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the American Water Works Association (AWWA) assure appropriate quality for the intended use. Mandatory specifications for food grade, drug/medical and analytical use include Food Chemicals Codex, U.S. Pharmacopoeia, and Reagent Grade Chemicals. Special devices, refractometers, are used to measure salinity.
Common salt or sodium chloride is considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as safe for its intended use as a food additive. This GRAS (generally recognized as safe) classification, and the universal use of sodium chloride since antiquity, affirms its safety. The Merck Index refers to sodium chloride as "not generally considered poisonous." Many substances in everyday use can be toxic in high concentrations, even water. Toxic levels of sodium chloride are reported as: Oral toxicity (The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, 1986): Human; TDLo: 12,357 mg/kg/23 D-C Mouse; LD50: 4,000 mg/kg Rat; LD50: 3,000 mg/kg Rabbit; LDLo: 8,000 mg/kg
Acute aquatic toxicity (U.S. EPA, Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Chloride, 1988): Rana Breviceps (frog); No observed effect concentration (NOEC): 400 mg/L. Daphnia pulex 48-hour LC50 or EC50: 1,470 mg/L Daphnia magna (water flea); 48 hour EC50: 3,310 mg/L Myriophyllum spicatum (water milfoil); Phytotoxicity (EC50 for growth): 5,962 mg/L Pimephales promealas (fathead minnow); 69-hour LC50: 7,650 mg/L Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill) LC50 or EC50: 7,846 mg/L Anguilla rostrata (American eel) 48-hour LC50 or EC 50: 13,085 mg/L
EPA says that the chlorides of calcium, magnesium and potassium are generally more toxic to fresh water species than sodium chloride. Some Antarctic species depend on salt to protect them against the cold.
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