Sea Salt – An Indispensable Commodity for Uncertain Times

[Sentry18]

https://mdcreekmore.com/sea-salt-an-indispensable-commodity-for-uncertain-times/

Sea Salt – An Indispensable Commodity for Uncertain Times
Written by M.D. Creekmore in Prepping and Preparedness

Guest Post by Roxanne L. Griswold

When we think about setting aside emergency supplies, most of us would agree that preserved food and purified water are the essentials and everything else is secondary to these. Some might even choose to incorporate things like a manual grain mill, a water purifier, a food dehydrator, a solar cookstove and so on.

But who would ever consider something as simple and humble as sea salt as an indispensable necessity and commodity in the tumultuous days ahead? I would even go so far as to say if sea salt is not a part of your survival provisions, it’s time to tuck away this invaluable, hidden treasure.

In fact, salt was once valued as a form of currency – it was that scarce, and considered a luxury of few. The ancient Greeks used salt to trade for slaves and Roman soldiers were paid in “salt money” or “salarium argentum” where we derive the English word, “salary”. Homer called it “Divine”. Jesus calls His followers (which I’m honored to say I am) the “salt of the earth”.

Wars have been fought and whole settlements turned into cities and nations over the pursuit of salt. Just as gold and silver have once again gained ground in this present economic meltdown, so also will sea salt be a valuable and tradable commodity, literally “worth its weight in gold.” It will be a supreme bartering tool.

Sea salt has a unique ability to draw out the flavor in food like no other seasoning, but this is secondary to yet another one of its amazing values. Salt has long been known for its ability to preserve foods. If in the event of societal and economic collapse, refrigeration may be a thing of the past. Unless you plan to consume what you pick immediately, depend on your air dehydrator or live off your food storage, you will need salt for preserving food.

During harvest time, there should be plenty of fresh food (assuming you thought ahead to plant a garden), but the long harsh winters will inevitably come and preserving food will be a crucial issue. Even hunting for game, chances are you will not be able to consume it all in one sitting – salt preservation will be key. And without power, your pressure canner or electric dehydrator will not get you very far, so salt can be the perfect alternate route.

With salt’s same ability to retard spoilage, “mineral-dense sea salt” will also aid in the disinfecting and healing of wounds. A simple salt paste or soaking a wound in a salt/water solution several times a day should achieve positive results.

Sea salt also rejuvenates the skin keeping a more youthful appearance while aiding in the healing of acne, psoriasis, eczema and other skin related problems. Ever wonder why your skin felt so tight, free and clear of irritation or blemishes after spending a day at the beach?

Sea salt has miracle healing properties that are often overlooked. In fact, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland is world renown for its hot salt springs that people flock to with skin conditions. Dead Sea salts are another sought after skin commodity.

But might I be quick to add that not just any salt will suffice when it comes to you and your precious loved ones, especially typical table salt (sodium chloride) and in some cases, certain brands of sea salt. Salt that is processed for vast human consumption while meeting the public’s demand for a product that is cheap and convenient, much is also sacrificed.

Table salt has been stripped of all but two of its 84 trace minerals through a chemical process, dried at extreme temperatures, and oftentimes – for the sake of appearance – anti-caking, free-flowing, or conditioning agents are added along with iodine.

But buyer beware of even some brands of so-called sea salt: It may be mechanically harvested from dirt or concrete basins and piped through metal conduits; artificially processed; heated to extreme temperatures to break the molecular structure; stripped of its essential minerals and further adulterated by chemical additives.1 In essence, many highly acclaimed “sea salts” are no different than plain old table salt.

So where do you find pure, unadulterated salt – as God intended in nature? The best sea salt we have discovered on the market is Celtic Sea Salt®. Dense with vital trace minerals along with its light grey hue from the pure clay sole it’s harvested from, this sea salt is unmistakable in old-world flavor and nutritious. (And taste may mean everything with a bland diet of survival foods!)

Extracted from the natural evaporation of the sea and wind alone, the ocean brine is channeled from the sea to the pristine shallow clay ponds, surrounded by vegetation. It provides a natural habitat for the salt while the salt farmer gathers the dazzling white crystals with a long, shovel-like tool then collects it daily by hand.2

Celtic Sea Salt® can be a simple addition to any food storage plan that just makes sense. It not only stores indefinitely, it provides so many hidden health benefits to mention in this article, but here are just a few: Supplying well over 80 (24 of which are essential to life) minerals needed for proper metabolic functions and the assimilation of necessary nutrients in the body, natural sea salt is also an excellent immune booster and helps keep the body alkaline.

It works synergistically with vitamins and other minerals for their bioavailability to the body. For instance, we know that calcium needs both magnesium and Vitamin D3 to be absorbed; Sodium and potassium need each other in the proper proportions to help maintain normal blood pressure and water distribution.

Since natural sea salt contains a balance of minerals including sodium and potassium, the body is able to safely eliminate any excess sodium without the complications of typical table salt. This is a huge benefit for those who have to monitor their salt intake.

In an age of degenerative diseases and in the difficult times that may lie ahead, no doubt sea salt is and will be worth its weight in gold – in more ways than one. It’s not only essential for health and vitality but clearly carries a vast array of benefits. Discover for yourself why sea salt should be an important part of not only your emergency storage plan but to a healthier “you”.

“Seawater contains minerals such as ionized sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and selenium, plus many trace elements such as copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and chromium. The human body uses the minerals & trace elements in sea salt to create electrolytes, maintaining the “internal ocean” which is vital to the proper functioning of every system in the body.”

 

[camo2460]

Sea Salt has a lot of Trace Elements and these Trace Elements are good for us, but we also have to Remember that Sea Salt is also just Salt, and over Indulging in any kind of Sodium can have Adverse Health Effects. I Personally use, and like Sea Salt and I Store it, but Regular Table Salt would also do the Trick.

 

[Morgan101]

I have not purchased any sea salt, but regular table salt is definitely in our preps. I will have to look for sea salt. Sounds like a good addition.

 

[Sentry18]

We prep table salt as well as pink Himalayan salt. I have a few huge slabs of pink salt that we use on the grill as well. For whatever reason I started using it when I smoke meats, grills out, etc. and it just became a thing. It is supposed to have lots of minerals too, but I can't confirm that it does.

 

[Meerkat]

https://mdcreekmore.com/sea-salt-an-indispensable-commodity-for-uncertain-times/

Thanks for info and a little history lesson to boot. .

Daughter sent us a small bag she ordred form Selena Naturally Celtic Sea Salt, last year we still have half of it. It taste good and takes very little of it. Big granuals and tends to be tiny damp stored or in air tight shaker. It was not cheap,$30 for 2 pounds!

 

[WVDragonlady]

Can't afford to stock huge amounts of this expensive celtic salt for preserving foods. thats ridiculous. I have some of the "non-pure" sea salt, regular old table salt, plain salt and kosher salt stocked.
It'll have to do

writer of the article getting free salt from the company mentioned I wonder?

and why is it always the most expensive stuff writers always try to push on people. expensive doesn't equal better all the time

 

[Sentry18]

Pretty sure one could just go to the salt flats with a shovel and a bucket and spend nothing. I often find that just because there is a highly inflated expensive options does not mean that you can only find it at that price.

 

[Morgan101]

Would the rock salt you use on your driveway work just as well? Salt is a mineral, right? How much do you have to do to it.?

 

[Bacpacker]

I've found good size containers of pink sea salt at Sams for a decent price. Not sure of the purity, but the flavor is good.

 

[Meerkat]

Can't afford to stock huge amounts of this expensive celtic salt for preserving foods. thats ridiculous. I have some of the "non-pure" sea salt, regular old table salt, plain salt and kosher salt stocked.
It'll have to do

writer of the article getting free salt from the company mentioned I wonder?

and why is it always the most expensive stuff writers always try to push on people. expensive doesn't equal better all the time

Us too VWdragonL. We use it for eating at times but no way for preserving. We also use Kosher salt and canning salt too.And always keep regular salt stored.

 

[SheepDog]

The reason salt is processed is to remove the 52 contaminants and toxic trace elements.
Himalayan sea salt is said to contain 84 trace elements. OK, but the body only needs 15 of those trace elements and the salt doesn't contain enough of those elements to constitute even a minimum clinical dose.
What they don't tell you is that some of those 84 elements are toxic. The salt does not contain large enough quantities of toxins to do much harm except that some have no tolerable minimum dose.
Just for informational disclosure here are some of the contaminants found in Himalayan Sea Salt:
Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium, Radium, Uranium, Polonium, Plutonium, Technetium, and Promethium. - yummy!

All salt is sea salt and most for human consumption is processed to remove most of the harmful trace minerals. Rock salt is unprocessed salt and includes sand, clay and surface contaminants from nuclear testing the world over. It should be noted that rock salt is labeled as unsuitable for consumption. It has more contaminants in it than salt blocks for use by animals.

Enjoy your Himalayan Sea Salt but keep your use of it moderate - just as you should with any natural supplements. I store salt in bulk but I store the white, fully processed salt. I also store vitamins and mineral supplements in case my diet may need them. Fresh fruit and veggies do a good job of supplying those nutrients but if you have to live on canned foods then a supplement might be needed.

 

[Meerkat]

The reason salt is processed is to remove the 52 contaminants and toxic trace elements.
Himalayan sea salt is said to contain 84 trace elements. OK, but the body only needs 15 of those trace elements and the salt doesn't contain enough of those elements to constitute even a minimum clinical dose.
What they don't tell you is that some of those 84 elements are toxic. The salt does not contain large enough quantities of toxins to do much harm except that some have no tolerable minimum dose.
Just for informational disclosure here are some of the contaminants found in Himalayan Sea Salt:
Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium, Radium, Uranium, Polonium, Plutonium, Technetium, and Promethium. - yummy!

All salt is sea salt and most for human consumption is processed to remove most of the harmful trace minerals. Rock salt is unprocessed salt and includes sand, clay and surface contaminants from nuclear testing the world over. It should be noted that rock salt is labeled as unsuitable for consumption. It has more contaminants in it than salt blocks for use by animals.

Enjoy your Himalayan Sea Salt but keep your use of it moderate - just as you should with any natural supplements. I store salt in bulk but I store the white, fully processed salt. I also store vitamins and mineral supplements in case my diet may need them. Fresh fruit and veggies do a good job of supplying those nutrients but if you have to live on canned foods then a supplement might be needed.

Thanks SheepD we all learn from each other here thats what makes this place so great.

 

[Morgan101]

The reason salt is processed is to remove the 52 contaminants and toxic trace elements.
Himalayan sea salt is said to contain 84 trace elements. OK, but the body only needs 15 of those trace elements and the salt doesn't contain enough of those elements to constitute even a minimum clinical dose.
What they don't tell you is that some of those 84 elements are toxic. The salt does not contain large enough quantities of toxins to do much harm except that some have no tolerable minimum dose.
Just for informational disclosure here are some of the contaminants found in Himalayan Sea Salt:
Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium, Radium, Uranium, Polonium, Plutonium, Technetium, and Promethium. - yummy!

All salt is sea salt and most for human consumption is processed to remove most of the harmful trace minerals. Rock salt is unprocessed salt and includes sand, clay and surface contaminants from nuclear testing the world over. It should be noted that rock salt is labeled as unsuitable for consumption. It has more contaminants in it than salt blocks for use by animals.

Enjoy your Himalayan Sea Salt but keep your use of it moderate - just as you should with any natural supplements. I store salt in bulk but I store the white, fully processed salt. I also store vitamins and mineral supplements in case my diet may need them. Fresh fruit and veggies do a good job of supplying those nutrients but if you have to live on canned foods then a supplement might be needed.

Thanks, Sheepdog. Good info.

 

[SheepDog]

I suppose for the sake of full disclosure I should have included that one molecule of plutonium ingested is considered lethal. The key word there is "considered" and it would take a very long time to cause any significant physical damage. There is also the possibility that your body would reject it and it would be expelled causing little damage as it was processed.

 

[Weedygarden]

The reason salt is processed is to remove the 52 contaminants and toxic trace elements.
Himalayan sea salt is said to contain 84 trace elements. OK, but the body only needs 15 of those trace elements and the salt doesn't contain enough of those elements to constitute even a minimum clinical dose.
What they don't tell you is that some of those 84 elements are toxic. The salt does not contain large enough quantities of toxins to do much harm except that some have no tolerable minimum dose.
Just for informational disclosure here are some of the contaminants found in Himalayan Sea Salt:
Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium, Radium, Uranium, Polonium, Plutonium, Technetium, and Promethium. - yummy!

All salt is sea salt and most for human consumption is processed to remove most of the harmful trace minerals. Rock salt is unprocessed salt and includes sand, clay and surface contaminants from nuclear testing the world over. It should be noted that rock salt is labeled as unsuitable for consumption. It has more contaminants in it than salt blocks for use by animals.

Enjoy your Himalayan Sea Salt but keep your use of it moderate - just as you should with any natural supplements. I store salt in bulk but I store the white, fully processed salt. I also store vitamins and mineral supplements in case my diet may need them. Fresh fruit and veggies do a good job of supplying those nutrients but if you have to live on canned foods then a supplement might be needed.

Good information. Thank you! I always wonder how they remove those elements that are undesirable.

 

[Meerkat]

I've found good size containers of pink sea salt at Sams for a decent price. Not sure of the purity, but the flavor is good.

Hubby likes the pink salt.

 

[SheepDog]

Add a drop of red #3 to his salt. That will make it pink and be better for him than all those radioactive trace elements.

 

[Meerkat]

Add a drop of red #3 to his salt. That will make it pink and be better for him than all those radioactive trace elements.

SheepD will do or at leasr barter about the salt thing. eat pink no drink ,he likse 7 ups which are nto that good either,he has one a day.

 

[Supervisor42]

...Just for informational disclosure here are some of the contaminants found in Himalayan Sea Salt:
Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium, Radium, Uranium, Polonium, Plutonium, Technetium, and Promethium. - yummy!

All salt is sea salt and most for human consumption is processed to remove most of the harmful trace minerals. Rock salt is unprocessed salt and includes sand, clay and surface contaminants from nuclear testing the world over. It should be noted that rock salt is labeled as unsuitable for consumption. It has more contaminants in it than salt blocks for use by animals.

Enjoy your Himalayan Sea Salt but keep your use of it moderate - just as you should with any natural supplement.

Yes, this is one of the times you want to dodge the "100% All Natural" label.
In addition to what @SheepDog mentioned, there is the chloride of every other metal in it too, in unknown quantity.
Sea salt also has dried fish urine in it.
But it's 'all natural'!!!

 

[LadyLocust]

Good job @SheepDog - you got here before me (though I sure couldn't have quoted the numbers accurately.) I do use sea salt though as I figure the chemicals used to process it are as bad as it might already have. That said, I don't OD on the stuff. When we moved, some friends helped us (have to be cautious as to who knows your preps.) The fella kept asking what this was or that was. Salt, salt, salt I keep rock salt, Epsom salts, food/sea salt, pickling salt - heehee. But I also use it so just buy in bulk so stock is rotated.

 

[SheepDog]

Sounds like together, we've got it covered. I use calcium chloride for ice, The salt damages the concrete. It also takes the urethane off the wood. I don't like having to refinish it every year.

 

[Bacpacker]

We do use the sea salt for cooking, but just store regular iodized salt to storage and for perservatie use if needed. I actually need to store a larger amount of that. I also store a few salt/mineral blocks for animals should hard times come..

 

[LadyLocust]

Sounds like together, we've got it covered. I use calcium chloride for ice, The salt damages the concrete. It also takes the urethane off the wood. I don't like having to refinish it every year.

Oh, I don't use rock salt on the walk - just shovel that. But I pretty much keep hubby supplied with homemade ice cream. We don't eat much pre made food - including ice cream.

 

[Sentry18]

All I know is that a pink salt slab on the grill makes for a very delicious steak.

 

[SheepDog]

Yes! and the heat helps transfer the lead, mercury and nuclear isotopes to your steaks!
That is actually a great way to use that salt! All the contaminants are drawn to the heat and the moisture of the food draws the salt to it. The slab is self cleaning, or at least self sterilizing and it will last a long time.
Good job Sentry! Uh, when will the steaks be ready? I'm in the SE corner of Washington state so I need a little notice.