Uncommon Ways of Using Common Salt

Salt is one of the most essential condiments in the kitchen ever since time itself. It preserves food, also makes them tastier.

Salt has many other uses eg. a salt soak relieves tired feet, and can also be used in body and facial scrub lotions.

It is said that local medicine-men use coarse salt  among other things, to drive away evil spirits but I myself have never seen this being practised.

And  it seems that to keep rain at bay when holding wedding feasts or gatherings outside, some people swear by  placing a bowl containing some salt and onions in a corner of the house somewhere high like on the roof. You'll see clouds gathering but no rain falls until the event is over.

Maybe faith has a lot to do with that.

On the practical side, here are some uncommon ways you might make better use of our common salt other than the standard pinch or two in your cooking.

1. If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come right up, without all that mess.
2.  Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.
3. Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.
4. Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.
5. Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
6. Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.
7. Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour
8. Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life.
9. Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.
10. To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make stiff putty.
11. Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.
12. A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.
13. A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.
14. Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.
15. Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.
16. A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.
17. Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.
18. A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.

Hmmm... I have not tried drinking  tea, coffee or cocoa with a dash of salt before and am not sure if I dare try but right now I do  feel like whipping up some steamy hot creamy sumptuous oatmeal.  I cook it with milk and add a tiny  pinch of salt while it's gently boiling. Squirt some honey over before eating. I can attest the salt gives body to the taste and takes plain oatmeal up to the next level.

It's the only way I will eat oatmeal now. Try it, you'll not regret it.

Just don't take this post with a pinch of salt.