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View Full Version : Salt - How much should be stored?



skid
25th November 2010, 10:48 PM
I was at Costco the other day and they had 44lb bags of table salt for what i thought was the rediculously low price of $4.59/bag. I bought 4 bags. Beyond seasoning of foods, I know it is useful for many things such as salting/brining of meats, etc. Depending on your garden soil, salt sometimes is good for plant growth. It may have uses in bartering.

How much should a family have on hand? What other prep uses does it have? At such a cheap price I am thinking of buying more...

mightymanx
25th November 2010, 11:15 PM
I stock 100 pounds in reserve for a family of three

I figure that is about 1 year for me if I was preserving meat canning more etc.

My normal house supply stock is about 20 pounds sea salt table salt etc.

Neuro
26th November 2010, 06:50 AM
In some areas of the world it is rumored it may have approached 1:1 to gold centuries ago.


I doubt that is true, but salt could become quite valuable in SHTF situation...

skid
26th November 2010, 09:37 AM
Neuro,

That's what I figured. I just couldn't believe how inexpensive it is currently in bulk. I may just go out and buy another 5 bags or so...

Neuro
26th November 2010, 09:59 AM
Neuro,

That's what I figured. I just couldn't believe how inexpensive it is currently in bulk. I may just go out and buy another 5 bags or so...
If you need to preserve food without refrigeration, you pretty much has to have salt. Probably 98% of salt sold today is industrially manufactured/processed. Something that will increase in demand at the same time as the supply is diminished will gain enormously in value. Especially if the need for it is a matter of survival...

Thanks for starting the thread! I will go and buy more salt tomorrow!

chad
26th November 2010, 05:45 PM
you should prep enough so that if they have to run you off the farm, you can salt the fields on your way out and have the last laugh.

madfranks
26th November 2010, 06:46 PM
How do you store salt long term? Buckets with oxygen absorbers?

By the way, I love salted meat and fish. Funny to think that for most of mankind's history, salting was the only way to preserve meat long term.

skid
26th November 2010, 07:10 PM
How do you store salt long term? Buckets with oxygen absorbers?

By the way, I love salted meat and fish. Funny to think that for most of mankind's history, salting was the only way to preserve meat long term.


I would just leave it in the bag. As long as it doesn't get wet (which will turn it into a large rock) it should be ok. Insects/rodents/etc. should not bother it. The bags I got were heavy plastic that should exclude moisture/water.

madfranks
26th November 2010, 08:46 PM
How do you store salt long term? Buckets with oxygen absorbers?

By the way, I love salted meat and fish. Funny to think that for most of mankind's history, salting was the only way to preserve meat long term.


I would just leave it in the bag. As long as it doesn't get wet (which will turn it into a large rock) it should be ok. Insects/rodents/etc. should not bother it. The bags I got were heavy plastic that should exclude moisture/water.


Moisture is what I'd be worried about. Even humidity in the air will eventually start to cake the salt together. For long term storage, talking years of time, I think I would feel safer if the salt was in sealed buckets w/ oxygen absorbers. My only concern would be the effectiveness of the oxygen absorbers; salt basically is an oxygen absorber itself and I wonder if those little packets would be enough to keep the salt from caking up.

mightymanx
27th November 2010, 12:09 AM
I store mine in a 5 gallon bucket and a gamma seal lid so it is easy to access later and it keeps water out.

cheap and easy

chad
27th November 2010, 02:44 PM
i've prepped it for years. oxy absorbers are a waste of time. if it cakes up and turns in to a rock, you can just smash it up with a rolling pin or whatever in a bout 3 minutes and it's back to normal.

Shorty Harris
28th November 2010, 02:02 PM
5 gal buckets, with Gamma lids. and Mylar bags. Mylar is probably for my own mental Benefit tho. ;D

horseshoe3
29th November 2010, 01:24 PM
I would just leave it in the bag. As long as it doesn't get wet (which will turn it into a large rock) it should be ok. Insects/rodents/etc. should not bother it. The bags I got were heavy plastic that should exclude moisture/water.


You would think the plastic bags would keep moisture out, but they don't. Nothing wrong with it turning into a rock though. Just a little inconvenient. It can usually be smashed by hand into the original grind size. If it's too hard for that, just use it for brine when you need it.

BTW, we usually have 1-2 tons lying around. It's not intended for human consumption, but there's no reason it can't be.