where do we get salt from

Solar Evaporation

SF Fig. 2.4. (A) Salt evaporation ponds in Ile de Ré, France. SF Fig. 2.four. (B) Salt evaporation ponds near Maras, Peru.

SF Fig. 2.four. (C) Aerial view of evaporation ponds about southern San Francisco Bay, California.

Traditionally, salt was harvested from either solar evaporation ponds or rock deposits. Salt evaporation ponds are shallow, artificial basins designed to excerpt salt from seawater, salty lakes, or mineral-rich springs through natural evaporation (SF Fig. 2.4). Every bit the water dries up, the salt crystals are harvested by raking. Salt evaporation ponds are almost entirely located in warm climates with high evaporation and low precipitation (little pelting). Today, seawater is sometimes filtered to remove impurities before solar evaporation.

Traditional French Table salt Harvesting

There are two types of common salt formed by evaporation of seawater and harvested using traditional methods; fleur de sel (flower of table salt) and sel gris (gray salt). Although these are French words, they can also refer to table salt produced outside of France. Fleur de sel is hand-harvested body of water salt that is collected from the top of table salt ponds. Information technology is white, crispy, and flaky. It is frequently used as a "finishing" salt to season foods correct before eating (SF Fig. 2.5 A). Fleur de sel is not produced in large quantities and is labor-intensive, thus information technology can exist very expensive. Sel gris, in dissimilarity, comes from the same solar evaporation salt ponds as fleur de sel merely is produced in greater quantities and harvested differently. Sel gris salt crystals fall to the lesser of the pond before being nerveless. Sel gris is generally grey, equanimous of large cube-like course crystals, and has a higher mineral concentration than fleur de sel (SF Fig. 2.v B).

SF Fig. 2.5. (A) Fleur de sel (B) Sel gris

Traditional Hawaiian Table salt Harvesting

Native Hawaiians used ocean salt, pa'akai ("to solidify the body of water"), to flavor and preserve food, for religious and ceremonial purposes, and as medicine. Preserving food like i'a (fish) and he'east (octopus) was essential not just for storage on country, but also to provide nourishment during ocean voyages. In Hawai'i, sea salt can be collected from rocky shoreline pools, were it occurs as a result of natural solar evaporation. Native Hawaiians besides harvested body of water common salt on a larger scale through the use of homo-made shallow dirt ponds. One of the few active table salt ponds is located on the isle of Kaua'i near Salt Pond Park in the ahupua'a (watershed) of Hanapepe, where salt is made according to ancient traditions.

In Hanapepe, underground seawater is accessed from deep wells and held in holding pools, where the seawater becomes concentrated through evaporation, and and then transferred to shallow ponds (SF Fig. 2.6 A). The corporeality of time it takes until the common salt is set to be harvested from the shallow ponds depends on environmental factors like atmospheric precipitation. Table salt is not harvested during the winter months when information technology is rainy. During harvest, the summit, white bounding main common salt is raked, rinsed, and stale (SF Fig. ii.6 B). This salt is used like table salt. Some of the white salt is likewise mixed with reddish 'alaea clay, which is collected from the mountains of Waimea (SF Fig. 2.half dozen C). The red colour comes from iron oxide in the dirt. Native Hawaiians believe that 'alaea gives the table salt spiritual power; it is used in traditional ceremonies, for ritual blessings and purifying, and for healing purposes.

SF Fig. 2.six. (A) Table salt evaporation ponds in Hanapepe, on the island of Kaua'i, Hawai'i. SF Fig. 2.six (B) Raking the peak of the salt ponds in Marakkanam in Tamil Nadu, India. SF Fig. 2.half dozen (C) 'Alaea salt is a Hawaiian salt made from solar evaporated seawater. The table salt is then coated with scarlet dirt.

The middle layer of common salt is a pinkish colour and also used for seasoning, blessings, and medicine. The bottom layer of salt, which is only harvested once at the end of the season, is brown. Information technology is used as bleach, for pickling, for blessings, and to maintain kalo (taro, a root vegetable) loʻi (fields) and loko iʻa (fish ponds).

Although the Hawaiian salt produced at Hanapepe is harvested using traditional methods, information technology does not come across strict "food grade" requirements co-ordinate to the U.S. government. This means the common salt may exist given equally a gift or traded, only it cannot be commercially sold. Because 'alaea does not meet "food course" requirements, "'alaea table salt" sold in stores is not made with authentic 'alaea clay. These requirements are in place to protect the consumer. Interestingly, the price of manufacturing table salt besides prevents most "Hawaiian table salt" from being produced in Hawai'i.Here is a Youtube video about the Traditional Saltmaking in Hawai'i.

Rock Salt

SF Fig. two.vii. Modernistic rock salt mine in New York

Salts that are harvested from rock deposits were formed past the evaporation of ancient seas. Rock table salt can be mined direct, equally shown in SF Fig. ii.vii, or acquired by pumping a solvent, similar h2o, into the deposit. Water dissolves the table salt, forming a salty brine solution. The salt is then harvested past dehydrating the brine solution. Today, the alkali solution may exist treated with filtration or chemicals to purify it before dehydration.

Specialty and Seasoned Salts

Unrefined salt contains small amounts of minerals, sediments, and algae that touch on the color and sense of taste of the salt. The unique composition of the common salt reflects where the salt was harvested. Specialty salts may also be flavored or smoked. Some flavors that have been added to salt include citrus (like lime or lemon), vanilla, celery, truffle, and espresso.

Some salts have get famous for their distinctive colour or gustatory modality. These are some examples of famous salts:

Himalayan pinkish common salt, a stone table salt mined mostly in Pakistan. The pink colour is due to fe oxide (SF Fig. 2.8 A).
Kala namak ("black salt" in Hindi), a stone salt. The salt smells of rotten eggs due to its sulfur content. The night purple color is due to atomic number 26 sulphides. The salt begins every bit Himalayan pinkish common salt that is heated and mixed with Indian spices (SF Fig. two.eight B).
Blackness lava common salt, which is made from solar evaporated seawater. The table salt is coated with activated charcoal. There is no lava in the salt. The charcoal gives the salt a black colour and smoky flavor (SF Fig. ii.eight C).