Did You Know- Salt Production
Salt is ubiquitous in today’s culinary world, but there was a time when it was a scarce and valuable commodity. In the era preceding the Industrial Revolution, salt mining was a perilous and labor intensive task, often relegated to slaves and prisoners. The hazardous conditions, including the risk of rapid dehydration from continuous exposure to salt and inhaling salt dust, meant that many miners had a reduced life expectancy. As a result, salt was not only a luxury but also an indicator of affluence and social status.
In modern times, advancements in mining technology have transformed salt from a luxurious item to an essential and readily available ingredient found in kitchens around the globe. The evolution in mining techniques has made salt extraction safer, more efficient, and far less labor intensive, leading to an abundance of salt that is easily accessible and economical.
In regions where the climate is conducive-specifically where the ratio of evaporation to rainfall is sufficiently high-solar evaporation of seawater is an effective method for producing salt. This process takes advantage of the natural power of the sun to evaporate water, leaving behind concentrated brine that eventually crystallizes into salt. The system involves a series of interconnected evaporation ponds. As seawater moves through these ponds, it becomes progressively more concentrated due to the loss of water through evaporation. By the time the brine reaches the salt evaporation pond in the final pond, it has reached a saturation point where salt begins to crystallize and settle on the floor of the pond. This method is particularly appealing because it relies on renewable energy, making it an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to harvest salt. Many of the world’s largest salt production facilities utilize solar evaporation as their primary method of salt extraction.
One of the traditional methods of salt production in more temperate climates is using open pans. In open-pan production, salt brine is heated in large, shallow open pans. The earliest examples of this date back to prehistoric times and the pans were made of either a type of ceramic called briquetage, or lead. Later examples were made from iron. This change coincided with a change from wood to coal for the purpose of heating the brine. Brine would be pumped into the pans and concentrated by the heat of the fire burning underneath. As crystals of salt formed, these would be raked out and more brine added. 
Located in the Zipaquira salt mines that have been exploited since the 5th century BCE, the Cathedral of Salt is Colombia’s largest salt mine. Initially carved out in 1950 and inaugurated in 1954, it was rebuilt 200 feet below the original in 1995 following structural concerns. It can hold 10,000 people and regularly attracts over 3,000 visitors.
Source: AI
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Did You Know, Salt, Uncategorized
I had no idea
It was interesting researching it. There is so much more interesting facts but I didn’t want to bore everyone.
So interesting to learn about something we take for granted in our day to day lives! I visited a salt mine once and it was very very cool. It certainly made me appreciate the labour and work involved in producing salt! Happy new year, Diane!
I would love to visit one Ab. I would have to go alone since my husband is claustrophobic. Happy New Year!
Solo trips can be wonderful!
Great post Diane!
Thank you Dorothy!
Very informative. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year. 🙂
You are very welcome! Happy New Year!
Thank you. Happy New Year to you as well. 🙂
Cool post. I was able to visit the salt mines at Wieliczka Poland (outside Krakow). Amazing
I am SO jealous!
This was so interesting and I didn’t realize the hazards with mining salt!
The images in the post are awesome – excellent food education post 🙂
Thank you, it was a fun thing to read about. There was so much more information like rock salt, how they cleaned table salt etc. I had to leave a lot out because I was having trouble with WP.
Interesting facts about salt Diane. We don’t use it much at our house but maybe we should use it a bit more. I know a lot of chefs put it on beef before they cook it
Living on Lake Erie I have always heard about the salt mines here. I have no idea where they are and I have never seen them. I think it would be so interesting to see them. I use a lot of salt and my blood test always show it borderline low.
Yes some salt is good for us, I think it’s the iodine? There were some salt mines we could have went to when we were in Romania but we didn’t have time to go them, I wish we had though!
Salt has iodine naturally but not enough to meet the recommended daily amount we are suppose to have. That was too bad you didn’t have time but heck, you made it to Romania!!!
My family was in the salt business for three generations – my grandfather founded the company, my father and two uncles ran it for many years, and when none of the grandchildren expressed an interest in the salt business, my father was ecstatic when I fell in love with a chemical engineer. 😉 He persuaded Marty to work for the company, and he eventually became plant manager. So, my sister, cousins, and I were told a lot about salt from the time we were kids. But I don’t think I ever heard of the cathedral! I’m pretty sure my dad didn’t know about it, either. He and my mom were world travelers, and had he known about it, he would have gone there, for sure! 😉 <3
Your post got me so excited I had to read it to my husband. I never dreamed a blogger friend would have family in the salt business! I got a kick out of your husband being a chemical engineer. I wish I could see the cathedral too. Thank you for making my day Annie.
That was interesting Diane. I know we have salt mines in Detroit, but I think they don’t have tours anymore. We should appreciate salt more after all that work!
I was interested too Linda. The size of the mine is stunning. I didn’t even go into the process of washing and drying the salt or how they get rock salt. There are so many different kinds of salt.
It is interesting how they process it all and that salt is so cheap and lasts forever. I can when I first started doing the grocery shopping myself (so my mom didn’t have to do it), that regular Morton Table Salt was ten cents.
Isn’t it funny how we remember things like that?
Yes it is – 10 cents for the same size that is probably $1.50 now. I don’t use salt at all, but keep it for mouth abrasions. I wear a bite split and sometimes it irritates my mouth so I use saltwater to get rid of it.
That’s funny Linda, and I know it works for you. I have had so many sore throats (I still have my tonsils) and my mom always made me gargle with salt water. By the second day it was getting better. I still do it today and brought my kids up to do it too.
Yes, I have done that too for sore throats on the advice of my mom. 🙂 Today I went out for shots, grocery store, gas and finally to the Park. I hope I don’t end up with the flu. We are the highest level of flu outbreak (purple), as is Ohio and Indiana. I had a flu shot but back in mid-September and doesn’t cover this new super-flu. I got my tonsils out in 1972 and he didn’t remove the tonsil root on one side and it grew back, so I had the small tonsil removed in 1987. Each time I had complications as I was older. The second time was outpatient surgery and a friend of the family drove me … two-minute procedure, but I ended up being off work from 12/22 until after New Year’s.
That’s crazy he didn’t remove it all. It was the perfect time to do it so you had the holidays off.
I know – it made no sense at all …
I passed this on to my husband who is writing a book set in prehistoric times. I thought it might make a good thread in his book.
That is so fascinating Linda! If he researches it a little more, he will find how in the old days with poor communities, they put the salt water in large pots and boil off the water to get the salt. I was shocked by how bad the minds were on the workers way back when, just as coal mining is.
I’ve always been fascinated with salt mining, Diane. I saw in the comments you live around Lake Erie, which I know features some very large mines. Don’t know how much of that salt is used for food purposes, but I’d definitely be up for touring one anywhere in the world. Very cool stuff.
One of my fellow bloggers said they closed touring salt mines in this area, too bad!
Yes, that is. I think they’d be fun to explore.
I agree! I’d love to see the Cathedral salt mine.