Need Wood Recommendation

Most salt cellars have holes in them, so all woods will be equal, I should think. What she likes or you have, or both.

Have a look at these inserts.

A bit of rice in the salt keeps it flowing...

----

Will

Bernie,

Not sure of the wisdom of putting it in a wooden container. I keep mine in a small glass bowl with an airtight, plastic lid and even at that it starts to get cakey in humid weather. I would bet that loose salt kept in a container of pretty much any wood might be prone to solidify in humid weather.

I would stick to hard woods, like maple, ash, beech or maybe one or other variety of wood that carry leaves. These woods do not normally set too much taste on the foodcontents (does salt take flavor from wood?). In any case, stay away from soft woods like fir, pine or other kinds of wood that carry needles. These are normally full of resins and all kinds of oils that will flavor most kinds of foodstuffs in an unwanted way.

Birch is my best tip for nonflavoring wood.

Bjarte

Hi Chuck

I'm with you on that Chuck, we had a set of pepper and salt shakers, they where made from beech wood and lacquered, turned and carved in a piggy shape, looked good but lasted less than a year before the lacquer from the salt shaker disintegrated and the wood began to show black stain on the outside, also the shaker kept plugging up as the salt would get damp en so the salt and rice had to be replaced often, we kept them that long for their looks, they where cute.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Chuck wrote:

I would agree that salt absorbs moisture, its in its nature to do so. I'm amazed that here on the west coast, or wet coast as many call it, salt does not seem to cake even at high humidity levels. Even so, I would think that salt would cause some instabilty in whatever wood you choose. I'd go for an insert of some description to keep the salt from being in direct contact with the wood. Or, you could seal the inside with epoxy, use a water-thin variety and make sure that it is well sealed then you effectively have a plastic insert in the shaker.

John

I would be sure to use a food safe wood. The best that comes to mind for 'treen' (turnings for the kitchen) is rock maple (aka hard or eastern maple) , how about a nice bit of fiddleback or quilted rock maple?.........(beech is a good choice as well)

on a more serious note, I would avoid woods iwth a lot of extractives, such as black walnut, cocobolo etc.

radio_ranch "it's a scientific lifestyle"

Salt in Europe is often kept in wooden containers on the table rather than in "shakers," and is dispensed with a spoon, usually of wood. Impurities in the form of calcium chloride used to make some salt highly hygroscopic, but the modern table stuff has little or none, and some silicate added so that "when it rains, it pours."

Wood is hygroscopic, as is sugar, and for the same reason. Hygroscopicity of NaCl would not figure prominently in my choice of container. Comes in wood, after all, though both are highly processed.

Hi George

When was the last time you were in Europe, and where ??

I only was borne and raised there, (Still make yearly or more frequent visits) and traveled and visited in the NW of Europe, like France , Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy, I don't remember wooden salt containers on tables.

Over here in Canada they spread salt on some parts of the gravel roads, to keep the dust down, seems to keeps the road damp.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

George wrote:

Live in southern Ontario, eh?

Hi Dave

Yes, in London Ontario, thats the deep south of Canada, Ha !!

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Dave Balderst> >

It certainly is a custom in some parts of Mexico...

A bowl of salt on the table -- good for dipping the jalepenos...

What an insult. I don't challenge your bona fides.

Nonetheless, Scandinavia, Baltic and Russia.

Hi George

That's NOT an insult, I named the countries that I visited, as you can see there are a lot of countries I did not visit or stay in Europe, so that's why I asked, as someone else said it is common in Mexico to have salt in a wooden bowl on the table, also habits do change over time, so something that was done in the 40th or 50th might very well be out now, specially in the eastern part of Europe that have seen a big change in living conditionings and habits. No challenge, just like to know.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

George wrote:

: Salt in Europe is often kept in wooden containers on the table rather than : in "shakers," and is dispensed with a spoon, usually of wood.

My grandparents did the same thing, although it was a metal bowl, and a very small metal spoon. Grandfather was first-generation (Irish), and grandmother was from a wealthy family in either Pittsberg or Baltimore.

-- Andy Barss

Probably some deadly alloy to resist the salt. Pewter, perhaps?

My In-Laws did the same, but in a smass glass bowl - approx 1"diax1/2"h. They were both from Europe, Denmark and Ireland.

mike