Salt............in Thailand

[OneeyedJohn]

It is the little things that matter eh?

Why does our salt cellar always always become like puffed powder snow after a day or two out of the supermarket.??

I know the old trick with rice...doesn't work for me.

I've imported Salsa salt from the UK.....doesn't work for me

I've bought small one and big ones, cleaned them , dried them out....doesn't work for me

Is there some chemical reaction going on as everyday day I see moisture on top of the salt cellar similar to perspiration.

I'd just love to shake a pure spray of salt on some of my food occasionally.

In the old days we was taught to pile the salt on the side of your plate and politely dip ur forkful of food into it, but if you dont have a flat plate ( difficult in Thailand) then one finds a small proportion of ones food with a disproportionate amount of salt on it

Please can anyone HELP.

[tt61]

This forum is about visas. Perhaps you feel that your important salt problems fit in here but I don't think the rest of us do. Jeez, why can't Thaivisa.com implement some kind of intelligence screening filter to sort out halfwits like the OP...

[Thaddeus]

Get a salt grinder made of glass and use course ground sea salt.

Topic may need moving methinks

[OneeyedJohn]

Keep ur <deleted> hat on...just an innocent mistake. I'm sure a kind MOD can move it to General or Food.

Wots ur problem ?? :realangry

By the way, I may be half blind but I'm not half-witted, so keep the abuse out of it.

Edited October 21, 2006 by OneeyedJohn

[Tywais]

Please can anyone HELP.

Could try a small silica gel packet, or put the shaker in the microwave for a brief time (assuming it is glass) to dry it out.

[ZZZ]

keep the salt on one of those very small plates used for chilli or soy, then take a pinch when you need it.

[tropo]

It is the little things that matter eh?

Why does our salt cellar always always become like puffed powder snow after a day or two out of the supermarket.??

I know the old trick with rice...doesn't work for me.

I've imported Salsa salt from the UK.....doesn't work for me

I've bought small one and big ones, cleaned them , dried them out....doesn't work for me

Is there some chemical reaction going on as everyday day I see moisture on top of the salt cellar similar to perspiration.

I'd just love to shake a pure spray of salt on some of my food occasionally.

In the old days we was taught to pile the salt on the side of your plate and politely dip ur forkful of food into it, but if you dont have a flat plate ( difficult in Thailand) then one finds a small proportion of ones food with a disproportionate amount of salt on it

Please can anyone HELP.

It's the rainy season now with the resultant high humidity that's causing your salt to clump. ..and the closer you live to the ocean, the more trouble you're going to have.

I find the lids of salt containers here are not well sealed which exacerbates the problem.

I didn't have any problem ealier on in the year when the weather was drier.

At 5/6 baht per container, just change your salt regularly, or keep them close to the oven in a dry environment.

If you place your salt in a perfectly sealed jar and close it as soon as you've used it, you'll probably find your salt will stay in much better condition for much longer...and add some silica gel to eliminate moisture.

[Tim207]

Please can anyone HELP.

Could try a small silical gel packet, or put the shaker in the microwave for a brief time (assuming it is glass) to dry it out.

Just a guess but you might try it in the fridge. Cooler temps hold less moisture. The relative humiddity will be higher in the cold but the air will have less moisture in it.

[Tywais]

Please can anyone HELP.

Could try a small silical gel packet, or put the shaker in the microwave for a brief time (assuming it is glass) to dry it out.

Just a guess but you might try it in the fridge. Cooler temps hold less moisture. The relative humiddity will be higher in the cold but the air will have less moisture in it.

Sounds like it would work, but as soon as you take it out into the humid warm air, condensation.

[Tim207]

Just a guess but you might try it in the fridge. Cooler temps hold less moisture. The relative humiddity will be higher in the cold but the air will have less moisture in it.

Sounds like it would work, but as soon as you take it out into the humid warm air, condensation.

Condensation on the outside just like a can of coke. It would take a lot longer for the humid outside air to pass through the holes of a salt shaker. Even as the inside air heats the air inside will still have the same amount of moisture in it. Also helping to keep the moist air outside might be that the warming air inside is expanding and pushing out of the holes. This is all theory but now I am really curious if this will work. I hope someone will try this and post the results.

[Tywais]

I hope someone will try this and post the results.

Think I'll give it a try, frustrated trying to shake out wet salt. Will dry it thoroughly first (shaker and fresh salt). My refrigerator has an air recirculator that helps remove the humidity also. Will try one in the freezer too.

[suegha]

Well, if you believe what the 'experts' say- give up salt!

[OneeyedJohn]

Many thanks everyone for the thoughtful response.

I don't have one of those fancy American fridges so your experiments there would be interesting.

My wife is always cooking so the relative humididty in the kitchen is probably very high.

I'd love to sort this out scientifically

PS is that Silica gel the same u get with new computer parts??

[Thaddeus]

PS is that Silica gel the same u get with new computer parts??

Yes..... but always read the label, some of that stuff can be toxic.

[sbk]

Tip your salt out into a bowl and microwave it for about 10 or 20 seconds. It will dry and harden. Break it up and put it back in the salt shaker. It will stay dry and unclumped for about a week or so.

[dutch]

My salt is in a small stainless steel pot.

The lid is covered with an extra soft plastic cover.

(It was sold in Germany this way together with a simular pot for pepper).

I used in for more than 5 years in Indonesia and about two years in Thailand.

I have absolutely NO problems.

Edited October 22, 2006 by dutch

[dash]

"Is there some chemical reaction going on as everyday day I see moisture on top of the salt cellar similar to perspiration ?"

Yes OP you made a correct observation. Salt is hygroscopic.... is attracting water

[naka]

Just store the salt in the fridge when not in use.

I thought everone knew that trick. Do the same with biscuits, crackers etc.

Naka.

[OneeyedJohn]

"Is there some chemical reaction going on as everyday day I see moisture on top of the salt cellar similar to perspiration ?"

Yes OP you made a correct observation. Salt is hygroscopic.... is attracting water

I obviously left school too soon...had to look ^^^ in the dictionary.

We called those things Barometers i thought. OH well you've all sorted out my salty problems

Thanks all.

Gosh these peanuts are way too salty

[Tywais]

Did a little experiment. Got two identical glass salt shakers, cleaned them and dried in a microwave. Also used sbk's suggestion and put the salt in the microwave briefly and a few seconds with a spoon to break it up (works great sbk). Filled them with the same amount and put one in the freezer and one in the refrig part. Freezer isn't a good idea, too cold and condensation on the shaker top happens very fast. The one in the refrig seems to work OK but condensation on the top is pretty fast also but the salt comes out ok. Will know more in a week or two if the salt stays separated.

[OneeyedJohn]

Yep , I got that far as well. I forgot to remove the salt from its plastic container before nuking it OOOoops

Some might think we have too little to occupy our 'brains'

Expect to see final experiment results report here i week hence

[Tywais]

Yep , I got that far as well. I forgot to remove the salt from its plastic container before nuking it OOOoops

Sorry, but that is funny. I put mine in a plastic microwave bowl but even it started bending from the hot spots where the salt was. I can imagine what happened with the plastic.

[cathyy]

Oh, geez, just buy a Tupperware salt shaker. The top lid seals airtight over the holes, and keeps it flowing freely, if you just remember to close it after use. Worked in the Philippines, works here.

[Bellatrix]

Add half a teaspoon of uncooked rice grains to the shaker. Restaurants do this all the time in Australia.

[sbk]

Add half a teaspoon of uncooked rice grains to the shaker. Restaurants do this all the time in Australia.

After a time it sticks to the rice.