Salt containers

[alwang]

I was almost about to post this question in the Too-Embarassed-To-Ask thread, but here goes: what do people use to store their kosher/sea salt for kitchen use? I've seen the little Alton Brown salt cellars: are they actually practical? What I currently do is just pour little handfuls from the box that my Morton's Kosher came in, and then use the other hand to salt.

A related question: if you're using one of those salt cellars, is it hygenic to just stick your fingers in there and grab a pinch? If I had to wash my hands everytime I needed some salt, that seems really inconvenient. Or do the anti-bacterial properties of salt make this a moot issue?

-al

[K8memphis]

My hands of course are the epitome of clean.

But yes we get all kinds of schtuff in our salt.

We have ours in a pretty sugar bowl that has butterfly wings for handles... and it gets butterfly poop in there I guess. Just when the salt gets low, toss the old, refill and you're all set.

[larrylee]

I have one of those AB salt cellars and I think they work just great. If I'm going to be using salt for food prep I might pour some out into a little prep dish.

[SheenaGreena]

I have one of those salt containers that I bought from the japanese (dollar) store. It has a handle with a flip top and a little scooper to pick up the salt. I just flip the lid off and take pinches as I need them with my fingers. There is no way I could use a salt shaker because of the amount of salt I need. I'd be shaking all day

[Special K]

I use a couple of lacquered wooden sake boxes, one for Kosher and one for Grey. I used to use little caviar spoons to scoop out the salt, but lately I've just been grabbing a pinch when I need it.

[KristiB50]

I have the AB salt cellar and love it.

I also have some salt pigs I bought at an antique store.

I'm a compulsive hand washer.

[memesuze]

I have my cooktop kosher salt in a small french canning jar lookalike - keeps it dry and I can flip open the bail closure with one hand and use my other to pinch out the salt as needed

Edited July 5, 2007 by memesuze (log)

[DerekW]

Salt pig, of course

I was mildly surprised to find that most salt pigs lack ears and tails, but these ones are adequately equipped.

[Richard Kilgore]

I have used a small glass prep bowl in the past, but a year or so ago picked up one of the glass condiment bowls with the flip top metal lid SheenaGreena mentioned above. I just take a pinch with my fingers. I also keep sea salt in an Italian glass jar with rubber seal and clamp closure.

[Porthos]

I was almost about to post this question in the Too-Embarassed-To-Ask thread, but here goes: what do people use to store their kosher/sea salt for kitchen use? 

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I use a small shaker designed for parmesan cheese. I rarely measure salt when I cook but I can grab the box of Kosher salt or unscrew the lid when I do measure out salt. I think I paid all of $2 for it at Wal-Mart.

[Big Bunny]

I use a small shaker designed for parmesan cheese.  I rarely measure salt when I cook but I can grab the box of Kosher salt or unscrew the lid when I do measure out salt.  I think I paid all of $2 for it at Wal-Mart.

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Ditto to the letter, except I got mine at a sidewalk sale. It pairs nicely with the restaurant-style sugar shaker I keep sugar in.

BB

[Bella S.F.]

I use a squat, flat mason jar with a spring lid (with one of those rubber sealers around the lid.) It has a nice sized opening on the top which makes it is easy to get my hand in and grab what I want. I also like the fact that it is completely covered so that it does not get unidentified flying objects in it.

If I am seasoning meat, I try to only touch the meat with one hand and use the other hand for getting the salt and sprinkling it where I want it. If I know that I will need both hands for the meat, I put some of the salt in a small bowl so that I won't contaminate the rest of the salt. It drives me crazy when I watch people on cooking show working with the meat, then they stick their hands in a large bowl of salt, and then they use the pepper grinder. All without washing their hands. Yeh... I would really like to use that pepper mill to grind some pepper on my salad after that.

[menon1971]

I keep mine in a small 18th C. repro stoneware bowl that was bought at a scratch and dent sale. I have yet to note much schmutz. Also, bear in mind that most living organisms need water to survive and salt usually dessicates the little nasty things like it does when curing a ham.

Edited July 5, 2007 by menon1971 (log)

[moosnsqrl]

Mine is similar to this. It has a hinged lid so I can at least keep some of the flotsam and jetsam out when I'm not in a cooking frenzy.

[Octaveman]

I have the large salt box from Totally Bamboo. It's awesome. The sliding top keeps it covered and is easy to open with one hand to get the salt. The large one was my preference as it's not TOO big and it holds plenty more salt than the small one.

[merrybaker]

I use a crock from Pommery mustard. It's heavy, dishwasher proof, holds a lot, and has a wide opening. I keep a plastic spoon inside to keep it clean.

[prasantrin]

I use a pink tupperware-like container with tulips on the lid for my fine sea salt, a yellow tupperware-like container with tulips on the lid for coarse sea salt, and a red Hello Kitty tupperware-like container for my kosher salt (these were all purchased years ago when I was on a very tight budget, and even though I can afford better containers now, I quite like them!).

I mostly just use the Hello Kitty kosher salt one for my neti pot, not for cooking, though.

[Jmahl]

I use a crock from Pommery mustard.  It's heavy, dishwasher proof, holds a lot, and has a wide opening.  I keep a plastic spoon inside to keep it clean.

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Like Merrybaker I use a French mustard crock with a wooden salt spoon (that's what I call it). I don't worry about covering. If something falls into the salt it dies and is salted away.

Jmahl

[Marlene]

I use a salt box that I bought in Barcelona. I really wish I'd bought two now. I have this one up at my cottage, but I'll take it home at end of season, because the one I use at home is wooden, with a swing lid which is much harder to manage one-handed.

This one holds a lot of salt and it has a flip up lid for ease of use. I keep this filled with kosher salt for cooking. I just reach in a grab a pinch when I need it. I keep my Maldon Salt in a glass container with an air tight lid that sits on the table for usage.

[Rebecca263]

We use the sawed off top of a coconut. Even after 6 years or so of use, the surfaces are very nice to the touch.

[I_call_the_duck]

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Purty!

I keep my kosher salt in a Morton's salt tin box with a flip lid. It's big enough for Mr. Duck's hand. I just dip right in, but Mr. Duck uses the little wooden spoon.

No pretty container for the sea salt.

[LittleLea]

I keep my maldon salt in one of Alton Browns cellars. Works perfectly for me. It gets really humid here so if I were to try to keep it in anything uncovered it would most likely clump.

[Bond Girl]

I just keep it in a random glass jar with a little caviar spoon in it to keep it clean.

[Marigene]

I use an old berry bowl that sits on the stove for my kosher salt. That way I can add a pinch when needed.

[dhdav66]

We use a maple salt cellar that we bought from Crate and Barrel. When we're cooking, we just dump some salt into a prep bowl to dip out.