I bet you have tasted different kinds of salts in your life. But have you ever wonder how is sea salts made? If you have wondered, then you have come to the right place to learn about what is the process of sea salt production.
Baker & Baker Salt is one of the first salt manufacturers in Australia. They have been doing this business for years. So, it is a great pleasure talking to you through the sea salt harvesting process. So here we go.
How is Sea Salt made?
Making sea salt is actually a simple process but it can be quite time-consuming. Looking into history, the production of salt was from back prehistoric times. That’s why salt production is one of the oldest chemical practices performed by humans.
The first step to prepare sea salt is to evaporate the seawater. It is as simple as that. Solar evaporation is the earliest method used to produce sea salt.
Besides this, there are other methods. Such as mining from the earth and creating salt brine. This will produce rock salt and table salt. (which we are not going to talk about in this blog)
Yet, the natural evaporation process helps to get gourmet salts.
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Before diving into the sea salt process, let us first realize the composition of the salt in detail.
Sea Salt Composition
In the commercial market today, available sea salt varies in their chemical composition.
In general, salt contains sodium chloride i.e. NaCl. Although the principle component is NaCl, the remaining part can range from 0.2% to 10% of other salts. Also, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Salt can have different colours depending upon the level of purity.
Do you know? The commercial salt available in the market varies in their chemical composition. And the ionic composition of natural saltwater is constant.
Above, we have learned about the composition of sea salt. Let’s get started with the salt production process.
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Sea Salt Production Process
First of all, understanding the process is very important. So, I’m going to walk you through the production process in detail. In the later part of this blog, we’ll learn the process in depth.
Salt manufacturers produce the sea salt in a large amount than someone who would make them in house.
Well, you learn the commercial techniques of the sea salt harvesting process. It can increase your knowledge and your productivity as well. So, Here’s how we do it:
First of all, you need to collect seawater in a small pond and left the water for evaporation. When all the water gets evaporated, the remaining residue will be the sea salt. This method works in an area where there are sun and very little rain. But you can also use the boiling method if the weather conditions are not favourable.
After the water gets evaporated, Pipe the remaining segment into large steel pans. This step removes any mud or impurities from the saltwater.
In the pans, the impurities settle at the bottom while. And remaining water drains and heated until only salt crystal remains.
Commercial salt manufacturers add calcium and magnesium to increase nutrition and distinct taste.
So, this is the sea salt production process in a brief. If you have got that then let’s jump into the process in depth.
Collect Sea Water
You need to collect water with high salt-rich sea or salt ponds. The quality and taste of the salt depending on the water collected as each source. They will have different minerals present in each respective location.
According to some research, ocean water may not give you the taste and quality that you are expecting.
So, it is a better idea to experiment with different sources of water. No matter where you collect the water from, it is important that I should be pure and clean.
You may ask “how do we know that the water is clean?”
I would recommend you to look for places where the water is safe for fishing. It is safe to assume that the water is good for sea salt harvesting.
Oh well! Replacing fine-grain table salt with crystals of Pink Himalayan salt may help to reduce sodium intake. Also, Pink Himalayan salt provides more health benefits than regular table salt.
Filter the water
Let your water sit for a while to allow the sediments and impurities to settle. It is important to remove shells, sand, and other sediments before harvesting the sea salt.
Use a clean cloth (cheesecloth) to filter the water. Be careful to not disturb the impurities at the bottom.
Pour the water into another pot. You can perform this several times.
Evaporate the water
After the filtration, the sea saltwater is ready for the evaporation. The evaporation of the saltwater finally gives the product “Sea salt”
There are various steps carried out with a variety of methods:
- The foremost method is evaporating the water through solar power. Place the saltwater in direct sunlight until the water gets evaporated. When all the water is gone, the leftover is sea salt. This method can take several weeks or even months depending upon the climate.
- The next method would be boiling. This is the quickest method of extracting the sea salt from the saltwater. But be careful not to scorch the salt. Bring the saltwater to its boiling point. Once the water starts getting evaporate, you’ll start noticing the formation of the sea salt in the remaining water.
- After the water evaporates, take out the damp salt and sit it in the sun to finish the evaporation.
- The fourth and final method is using an oven to evaporate the water. Turn your oven to its lowest setting. Pour the water into a high-sided container and place it in the oven. Let the water slowly evaporate over the course of several days.
Sea Salt Harvesting
When the water evaporates, you’ll see a crust starts to form.
Use a spoon to fragment it into a container. Salt crystals will form in a range of shapes and sizes and may take on different colors depending on where you collected your water.
- You can use a salt grinder for this purpose and grind it to a finer texture.
- Enjoy the salt by tasting it plain or using it in your everyday cooking.
The Bottom Line
Salt is the most used seasoning in the world. At present, it has so many health benefits and fights with most of the diseases. Such as gum disease, infections, mouth sores, wounds or muscle cramps.
Salt increases body water conservation making you less thirsty. Also, supports the nervous system and your vascular health.
There is an excellent selection of salt available to purchase online, with thousands of customer reviews.
Feel free to experiment and choose the salt that’s right for you.
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