Sunday, March 13, 2011

Using salt around the home

In every home, even some business's, you will find one mineral. Do you know what that mineral is? "SALT", yes that's right. But what you are using it for is what? "FOOD". But did you know according to the Salt Institute there is over 14,000 ways to use this mineral. In early days of man, salt was used to preserve their food. Although for man to find it was very difficult. Today in our times, it is common to use salt and to produce it. Salt also known as sodium chloride has been used since medieval times to clean around the home. Today also it is a abundant resource for us, and very inexpensive.





Don't get to confused thought, because there are a class of chemical compounds that we call salts. The salt we are going to talk about today is  good old sodium chloride, as we refer to as table salt. Salt can also be found in our oceans, in which we refer to it as sea-salt, a unrefined salt.  Another known product of salt is referred to as Kosher, a sodium chloride processed to flat crystals. Your Epsom salt is a very different salt, it is magnesium sulfate, and not for eating.




But salt is not just for the table, you can actually go green with salt and clean the home or business. So let's get right to it and learn some way's we can use salt other than sprinkling it on our food.


 For some kitchen facts on salt, it will not make your water boil any faster. What it does is bring it to a higher temp, which in turn reduces your cooking time. Because it does this, when you use it to poach eggs it Set's the egg whites more quickly, so sprinkle some in your water.

How many of you use lemon to keep your fruits from browning? Did you know dropping them into lightly salted water, also helps them to retain their color. Also soaking your pecan and walnuts in salt water for several hours makes it easier to remove the nut meat. Icing a cake, add a little salt to the icing and it will prevent the icing from sugaring.

Have you just peeled onion or garlic, you can get rid of the order with a pinch of salt/vinegar combo. Beating some egg whites or whip cream, a pinch of salt will make those peaks not only higher, but make them quicker. We all have cheese, wrapping your cheese in a moistened cloth with saltwater, will extend its life and prevent mold.

Even though I do construction, I still love to cook. I find that when a casserole bubbles over in my oven I can use this tip. Put a handful of salt on the spill and it will not smell or smoke, because the spill will turn into a baked crust, which is much easier to clean up.

Go green with salt also, it works great as a scouring agent. Adding salt and vinegar together will boost cleaning and deodorizing action to clean up with. A great soft scrub is making a paste with salt, baking soda, and dish soap. This is great to use on appliances, enamel and porcelain. If you have stains in the sink, use your paste of salt and baking soda to remove them. You can also deodorize and de - grease your kitchen drain by pour salt and hot water down, this will decrease any build up in the drain. If you have any marks made by beverage glasses or hot dishes, on wooden tables use a thin paste made of salt and veggie oil on it and the white marks it made will disappear. After using grease to cook, especially in cast iron pans, which I use most often, sprinkling a little salt and wiping with a paper towel will clean them right up.



Another good tip, is for coffee drinkers, like my wife. If you have any stained cups, try this. Mix salt with a tab of dish soap making a soft scrub. This will not only get rid of tough coffee stains but tea stains as well. Baking soda is not the only product to clean your fridge's with and keep them smelling clean. Salt and baking soda will not only clean but deodorize, but will also keep chemical cleaners away from food.

Have brass or copper pans, mixing equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar making a paste will clean them right up. Let it sit on them for a hour, wipe clean with a soft cloth, and then buff. Getting rid of rust is also easy with a mixture of salt, cream of tarter and just enough water to make your self a paste. Rub the paste on the area with rust, let it dry and then brush it off and buff it with a dry soft cloth. Back to coffee, clean that glass pot with salt and lemon, it cleans it crystal clear every time.

There are so many reasons this great mineral comes in handy. If you know one share it here with me.

0 comments: