What type of salt should I stock up on?

[HikerDad]

Looking at bags/boxes of salt I'm trying to find what type will be best for prepping.

I've always used non iodine salt for canning but would that also be good for preserving fish/meat?
Could I use rock salt for meat?

I'm hoping I can buy a few bags of water treatment rock salt to stash away but I don't want to be stuck with something that I have to pound down just to use.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
HikerDad

[Skeptical]

Your body will need the iodide,...

we stock the regular boxed kind. Mortons,..whatever's on sale,...but Iodized.

I wanna say it's like 50 cents most days. We don't even put it in buckets or anythin,....I've had some at our hunting camp thats been just out in the cubbard for prolly 2 years,...and we still use it,...no problems.

[PanicFire]

Originally Posted by Skeptical

Your body will need the iodide,...

we stock the regular boxed kind. Mortons,..whatever's on sale,...but Iodized.

Yup what he said.

[Bulldog 6]

Iodized, canning salt, stock salt in bulk [will be cheaper per pound than the first two].

[Skeptical]

jeese how much do ya need,..a box of salt lasts about 2 months around my house,...I gotta think 8-10 boxes would be at least a years supply,..your only talkin $5.

[Texas Gal]

You can get 25 lbs. bags at Sam's for less than $5.00

[rugster]

if you plan on preserving food..cannning & meat you need lots of salt and sodium nitrate Iodized salt is not recommended for this.


Morton has a handy chart for types of salt and uses

http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt_guide/index.html


I stock regular iodized salt, Kosher, sea and other mineral heavy salts. For cooking, canning, baking

[Kathysvideos13]

Regarding the Morton's Salt, if I bought several for long term storage, is there a chance it could get buggy in the original round container it comes in? Or is it bug proof?

I've never had a pest in my salt, but we usually go thru one in 6 months or so.

Kathy

[Skeptical]

Originally Posted by Kathysvideos13

Regarding the Morton's Salt, if I bought several for long term storage, is there a chance it could get buggy in the original round container it comes in? Or is it bug proof?

I've never had a pest in my salt, but we usually go thru one in 6 months or so.

Kathy

I've NEVER seen a bug get into salt. Like I say we have some in the pantry of our hunting camp. If there was anything that wanted to get it ,..it would have happened there.

[Dirty Bill]

Salted bugs are tasty.... I don't think anything can live in salt.

[MikeK]

I'd stock regular iodized salt for cooking and table use. Iodine is an important element for the thyroid gland. Stock kosher or canning salt for your canning and meat preserving.

I would avoid water softener salt. Salt is cheap. Might as well get the right stuff to start with. I put a huge amount of it away, even though I don't normally use a lot right now. I'll be using more when I'm out sweating in the garden. And it makes a great barter item.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Kathysvideos13

Regarding the Morton's Salt, if I bought several for long term storage, is there a chance it could get buggy in the original round container it comes in? Or is it bug proof?

I've never had a pest in my salt, but we usually go thru one in 6 months or so.

Kathy

Bugs don't eat salt. In fact it dehydrates and kills them. Part of salting foods was to keep bugs off.

[MadPrepper]

I have 5 kinds of salt in the store:

Iodized table

Non-iodized table

Canning

Sea

Pink curing

Edit: Make that 6. I forgot about the rock salt for ice cream.

[Bad Hand]

I have idolized (100 lbs) and regular salt. the regular salt is what is called mixing salt for live stock feed. It comes in 50 lbs bags and I usually have couple hundred pounds on hand. I use this salt for the hides I am storing for tanning but it can be used for other things.

[Roslyn]

Kosher salt is what I use for cooking. A 3# box JUST used for cooking is going to last me about 4-6 months.

Canning salt is used for all your canning. Like pickles etc. I also use this in baking because of the fine texture. I tend to use more in the summer and fall than Kosher. I would use this for meat as well. (not something I do regularly right now)

You need salt for pickles and sauerkraut, and for meat, so having a lot on hand would be important. I personally have about 3 pounds of canning salt for every pound of Kosher. If you think you need to then also stock the Iodine added salt for fresh food use for the extra iodine. Cow milk, yogurt, eggs and strawberries are listed as good sources of iodine. I have eggs all the time, strawberries in the garden and I live in a dairy area, so I'm not concerned about the iodine salt. It depends on your circumstances.

You can keep the salt in the container it comes in, but I don't recommend it. I had a box absorb moisture when I had a drainage issue and ended up with some water in my basement. It made a mess and the salty moisture dripped onto metal lids on the shelf below and ruined the jars and made the lids seal to the jar. So. All my salt now goes in glass jars and I mark each one as to what kind of salt.

If you vacuum seal in plastic you can just vacuum seal the boxes to keep out moisture and then store them in a tub or something.

I would guess that I have 25-30 pounds of salt total on hand at any given time. I've used more this year with canning etc, so I'm replacing my stores. However I did notice that I haven't seen it in all the stores. I would check and check and the store I usually shop in never seemed to have the boxes in stock. I was in a market that I don't usually shop in this morning and they had full stocks, so I bought 5 boxes. They were a whole 50-cents cheaper per box too. go figure.

I would also think that salt would be a barter item "just in case". Hey it used to be used for money!!

[Bulldog 6]

As to a response by one person here...regarding how much do you need. It will be needed for many things, not the least of which will be canning, curing meats, some pickling, livestock, cooking/table. It will probably be needed for a few things I have not even thought here...but you get what you want...I get more because I know better. If the situation is that you can't get more...ya didn't have enough.

[Bulldog 6]

Yes Roslyn, I am now vacuum sealing all table or canning salt. The livestock bulk stock is in large heavy plastic containers. If it draws moisture it won't matter, you just break it up and use it. Most people will not consider salt, and such is will become a commodity.

[felicia]

Originally Posted by Skeptical

jeese how much do ya need,..a box of salt lasts about 2 months around my house,...I gotta think 8-10 boxes would be at least a years supply,..your only talkin $5.

When you start preserving meat & canning food you use a lot more salt.

[Icemancometh]

Originally Posted by Texas Gal

You can get 25 lbs. bags at Sam's for less than $5.00

This is what I use. I emptied the bag into a 3 gallon food grade bucket and put the lid on. No mylar or O2 absorber. I do the same with my sugar.

[The GummiBaron]

It could be a great bartering tool as well.