About Us
- how natural sea salt is made
Solar greenhouses at Maine Sea Salt
- how natural sea salt is made
Ocean water is pumped into the greenhouses
- how natural sea salt is made
The solar evaporation process begins
- how natural sea salt is made
Salt crystals begin to appear
- how natural sea salt is made
Salt crystals remain after the water has evaporated
- how natural sea salt is made
Natural Maine Sea Salt is now ready for packaging
Maine Sea Salt Company was started in 1998 by owner Stephen C. Cook. Stephen's family has been in the lobstering businesses on Bailey Island, Maine all of his life. In the 1950's the family opened Cook's Restaurant and Pound, located in Garrison Cove by the largest crib stone bridge in the world. Restaurant patrons would often comment on how the Cook's lobsters, prepared with sea water, tasted so much better than other lobsters.
Forty plus years later, Stephen began his quest to "bring the ocean to everyone". After thorough research and experimentation, he came up with Maine Sea Salt's original product, a 1-oz package of salt for cooking lobster. At that time, the health benefits of sea salt compared to refined table salt was not widely known. The success of the lobster bags led to Stephen's packaging of salt for cooking and table use.
Owner and Maine Sea Salt founder, Stephen Cook, "The Salt Man".
Today, the Maine Sea Salt Company continues to expand their product line as well as their salt processing facilities. A recent move to Marshfield, Maine (near Machias), has offered the Stephen and his wife Sharon space in which to install additional solar salt houses, which will increase their salt production capacity. A commitment to providing only the best quality sea salt continues to be a crucial part of the development of each product.
Tours of Our Salt Making Process
Sharon Cook answers a customer inquiry at the Maine Sea Salt sales office.
From spring to autumn, we invite you to visit us for a tour of our salt-making facility. See how the solar evaporation process works and sample some of our fresh, natural sea salt products. Our farmstand-style shop offers our complete line of natural, seasoned, or smoked salts. Please phone ahead to make sure we are open on the day you plan to visit us.