7 Genius Tricks To Prevent Salt From Clumping and Becoming Damp

Salt is one of the most essential ingredients in your kitchen, but it can be a mystery. A little too much of it or a little too less can totally alter the taste of your dish. Similarly, if not handled with care it can lose its essence very easily or tends to clump up if it is hit even with the tiniest amount of moisture. This is common especially during the damp monsoon season and also if you leave you salt jar out in the open for too long.

We’ve got the best advice on how to store salt so as to make sure it lasts long and prevent it from clumping.

1. Add raw rice grainsWhen storing it in a shaker, add a few grains of uncooked rice to avoid salt from clumping. The rice grains are known to absorb the moisture and keep the salt dry. This is considered to be one of the most effective tricks that can even help in reviving damp salt. Use long rice grains to prevent them from falling out of the shaker.
 2. Dried parsley leaves
Make a bed of dried parsley leaves at the bottom filling up at least ¼ of the container and then add the salt over it. It not only infuses the salt with a fresh aroma but also prevents the dampening effect.(Also Read: 15 Incredible Rock Salt (Sendha Namak) Benefits for Skin, Hair and Overall Health)
 
3. Soda crackersTo keep salt from drawing moisture and hardening into chunks, some people place a soda cracker in the container.  A soda cracker is thin and crisp biscuit made with white flour, yeast and baking soda. Make sure you change the crackers in 10-15 days.(Also read: What is the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?) 
4. Coffee beansJust like rice grains, you can add few coffee beans to your salt. If you’re wondering, salt does not pick the flavour from coffee beans and they’ll help in preserving the quality of salt.
  
5. ToothpicksBelieve it or not, toothpicks can help in keeping your salt dry. Don’t break them; just place them as it in the salt container. Though this may work, the other methods given above are safer.(Also Read: How Much Salt Do You Need In A Day?)
 
6. Dried beansIf you are unsure about coffee beans affecting the taste of salt, you can even use dried white beans or kidney beans. They won’t alter the taste and are hygroscopic which simply means that they have the ability to absorb moisture from air.
  
7. ClovesLastly, you can place some cloves in your salt jar. Just like parsley, cloves may infuse a warm aroma in your salt which goes well with almost all kind of dishes. So, you don’t have to worry.
  
It’s always better to store salt in airtight glass jar or use salt boxes or pigs made with wood or ceramic. These allow better air flow and keep the moisture out. Avoid using plastic or metal containers as the chemicals from plastic can contaminate your salt and in case of metal containers it can cause rusting and erosion which can also affect the quality of salt.