When I first moved to Houston in the early 80s, I learned about Houston's legendary humidity. I also learned that what it said on the Morton's salt box about "When it rains it pours" wasn't true. Raining or not, salt doesn't pour easily in Houston.
I took an empty Smucker's grape jelly jar and poured it full of salt, then cut off the portion of the label which read "iodized salt" and scotch taped it in place. The purple gingham checked lid makes it look nice and my salt never gets clumpy and hard. All this happened in 1982 and my salt jar is still sitting on my counter. At the time I did this, Smucker's only put the company name on the jar label and the lid was solid gingham checks making it more attractive to reuse their jars.
By Marty Dick from Houston, TX
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I have always used the old solution of keeping rice in my salt shakers. Even with 50-80+% humidity it's never failed me yet and I've been doing it for 40 years!
Great tip! Not only do I live in a humid area, I live on the edge of a small town. Which means mice occasionally come to call. I have learned to keep all my pantry staples in glass jars.
I do the same thing with black pepper if I buy any that is already ground. Also, mix sugar and cinnamon for those who want it on their morning toast or bedtime treat.
My hubby drilled holes in the lid of one to make me a "flour-shaker" for adding flour when making gravy, pie crust, breads, cookies etc. It actually works better than those little bitty cans that's sold for the same purpose which do not hold nearly enough flour.
This is not a new idea, but one which all cooks and bakers just starting out will benefit from knowing.
Thumbs Up!
Pookarina
Several good ideas here. I like the one using salt in a jar to keep it from clumping, and someone else mentioned using a jar with holes in the lid for flour. I should have done that long ago as I'm always needing just a little flour for thickening gravy. Being able to shake it into the skillet will save having to get down the big canister.
Thank you for sharing this tip about salt jars.
MisMachado
To keep sugar from clumping put a saltine cracker in the sugar bowl.
Doesn't really tell us how to keep it from clumping though... Only how you prefer to store it... Nice.
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