Question from P. T.
I know that ordinary table salt is nothing but sodium chloride. My problem is trying to settle on a company to buy Himalayan salt from. Every one of the companies that I have looked at claim that they are the “one and only”. And, on one site, they claim that if the salt is not red, then it is not the real Himalayan salt. Gosh, I thought the salt came in a variety of colors, depending on where the salt was mined from. Which company would you buy from?
Debra’s Answer
First, let me say a few words about salt for readers who don’t yet know about different kinds of salt.
The salt that is in most salt shakers and used in most food processing is refined salt, containing pure sodium chloride and nothing else. Natural salt as it occurs in the Earth contains a broad spectrum of minerals. It is refined for industrial purposes, used in factories to make various products, and is also used industrially as a cheap food preservative. Refined salt has been associated with health problems such as water retention and high blood pressure.
Natural salt actually restores health to the body by providing needed minerals as well as sodium and chloride. Many functions in the body just won’t happen without sufficient salt. In ancient times, before salt was refined, natural salt was considered to be one of the most valuable substances on Earth, and essential to life.
Once you’ve made the leap from refined salt to natural, then the next choice is whether to choose sea salt or salt from the Earth. All salt originally was from the sea, but as the Earth changed over time, some of those evaporated seas are now underground in salt deposits. One area of such deposits is under the Himalayan Mountains.
Salt in the Earth is often mined by use of explosives and other devices that are less than eco-friendly. Mechanical mining can also change the energy matrix of the salt. Mining and processing by hand preserves the energetic quality of the salt.
I buy a brand of Himalayan salt called “The Original” Himalayan Crystal Salt. It comes from a deposit of salt from a sea that evaporated millions of years ago, from a time when the planet was a pristine ecosystem. Then when the Himalayan mountain range was formed, the degree of compression was so extreme that it created perfectly structured crystal grids within the salt, giving it a unique bio-energetic pattern. The salt is gently hand-mined, hand-selected, hand-crushed with stones, hand-washed, and sun dried, both to preserves the Himalayan ecosystem and retains the original bio-energetic qualities of the salt.
Debra, I’m wondering if there is a particular salt shaker you like for dispensing the natural salts. I’ve used several brands of high-quality salt, but they tend to come in plastic shakers. I’ve refilled the plastic shakers with the same brands of salt, which can be purchased in larger bags. But I’d like to switch from the plastic shaker to something else. I assume glass would be best, but I’m wondering about the metal lids — is that a problem in terms of contact with the salt (maybe causing corrosion or some other issue)?
I use a glass spice bottle with a metal lid and the little plastic piece with holes for the shaker. I also have salt in an alabaster jar, which I use more frequently when I need to measure or pinch. For the table I actually prefer the “salt cellars” with little spoons. Also, you can get coarse salt and put it in a pepper grinder.
No problem with the salt and the metal lid, but my salt is not in contact with the lid.
There are glass shakers with metal tops. I just prefer having the lid on my bottle. Especially here in Florida where it is very humid.