Questions/Answers:

 How is Maine Sea Salt different from other salts?

Salt Facts:

The Best Natural Sea Salt, Harvested at the point at slack tide, Solar Evaporated, Not Processed, No Additives, Hand-Harvested. Fresh Atlantic Sea Salt!

 

What is the Description of Each Grade?

 

 Coarse: My coarse salt is irregular, crunchy to the touch, the right size to use by the pinch, and to use as a finishing salt. Use  by the pinch, good for cooking, or use at the table. Not fine enough or dry enough for a salt shaker, not suitable for a salt grinder or salt mill. This is my favorite grind. Kosher Certified.

 Crystals: Maine Sea Salt, medium size crystals are more uniform, is the size of a grape seed, my choice for a grinder or salt mill.  Kosher Certified.

 

 

How does the Solar Salt House Evaporate Sea Water?

The Solar Green Houses closed, not allowing the humidity to escape. The Solar Green Houses are solar stills. During the day, temperature of the green houses rise and on many days reach a temperature of 140 degrees. Causing the pool to evaporate. The humidity does not condense until evening, cooling the sides of the GH. This causing the interior dense air to condense on the wall of the green house. Once condensed, the water runs down the GH sides and out of the house. This daily heating and cooling evaporates the pool, until a salinity of 70% reached. The saline water is then moved to the finishing green house. Making Maine Sea Salt is seasonal, only during the warmer months do we make Maine Sea Salt. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year.

 

Where does the Sea Water come from?

We are not located directly on the ocean unfortunately. We contract a water hauler, a stainless steel tanker  that holds 7,000 gallon of sea water. The Sea Water is pumped from the bay at the slack tide*, and trucked the 10 miles to the salt works, and pumped into the green houses. 

* Slack Tide, is the point of rising tide and reversing to low tide and Slack tide also occurs at low tide when about to reverse to high tide.

 

How is the Sea Water Cleaned?

There is a three step process in removing anything that is pumped in from the bay. The Pools are shallow and have a surface area that is not disturbed, causing anything in the sea water to sink too the bottom of the pool. This settling leaves anything, like, seaweed, sand, sediment behind, the pool is moved to a second house repeating the transfer and settling step, then finally filtered into the finishing house for evaporation to make salt. 

 

What is the Sea Water Pool Lined With, How is the Sea Water Confined?

The sea water containment pool is supported by a high grade black plastic material, that is normally used for ponds, potable holding tanks, raceways and other aquaculture facilities where safety for food contact is a concern. The material is 20 ml thick; is UV resistant, and is the ideal material for solar applications like evaporating ocean water for salt . 

 

Do You Test the Salt for Heavy Metals?

Yes we do test for concentrations of heavy metals, Mercury, Lead, Arsenic and the tests support low levels, or normal amounts found in food. The Analysis is available on request. With that said, Maine Sea Salt supports our oceans and work to protect from pollution, which continues to be a growing concern along with Global Warming. In edition, the salt harvests are recorded and kept for tracking, the lot number looks like, 0730192, 07 is July, 30 is the day, 19 is the year, and 2 or 1 is the solar house harvested from. Each Maine Sea Salt item also has a Best Buy Date for freshness of any Organic ingredient in the salt. Sea Salt is a mineral and does not expire.

 

How is the Sea Salt Harvested.

Once the dense saline sea water is moved to the finishing houses, the pools are left to evaporate leaving salt. Early in the morning, when the GH are cool we enter and shovel the salt into piles to drain. We then carry the salt out, using five gallons plastic buckets and put in another holding container to drain more. 

 

Is Maine Sea Salt Natural, and Organic?

 Maine Sea Salt is Natural, is solar evaporated. The sea salt is not washed, is not heated or dried in a oven or kiln, does not have anti-caking agents or whitening chemicals. Salt or Maine Sea Salt is not deemed Organic, by the FDA or any regulating body. Salt can be named Organic if the ingredients are organic. Example: Garlic Salt, Herbs and Salt, Pepper salt.

 

 

Is Maine Sea Salt Kosher?

Kosher Literally Means "Fit" OR APPROPRIATE"

Koshering salt is used to draw the blood from meat. Blood is not Kosher. G-d commands us in the Torah: "you shall not eat any blood, whether that of fowl or of beast in any of your dwellings." Koshering is salting the meat, too draw the blood.

Kosher salt can be of any size grain, blessed by a Rabbi prepared in a facility separate from all dairy, meat, non-Kosher foods. Traditionally, a crystal just the right size, not to roll off the meat during Koshering. Kosher salt because of the grain size may vary to the measuring of salt in recipes. Other recipes call specifically for Kosher salt.

Maine Sea Salt is Certified Kosher by Vaad HaKashrus of Eastern Canada and Maine, Cert.# KP-133. If  you would like a copy of the Kosher certification, email me from the contact page.

 

 How are your Seasonings Made?

My Seasoning salts are made following a recipe I have made and decided upon after many tries to get them right. In the beginning of the company we had to make the decision that our seasonings would be based on Maine Sea Salt. I am beginning to introduce salt shakers with recipes based on more seasoning and less salt. The shakers and seasoning are intended for everyday use.

 How Do You Smoke Salt? 

The Smoked salts smoked over a real wood fire in small batches. Smoke flavor the salt. The different woods I use are: Apple, Hickory, Maple and Mesquite. The smoking of the salt can take 8-24 hours of smoking, depending on weather conditions. The Smoked flavors are the real deal. Your recipes get a mild smoked flavor when seasoned or marinated. 



 

What Is Sea Salt MouthWash?

According to a study published in the Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, rinsing with a salt water solution reduces the amount of plaque in the mouth and helps eliminate microbes that can cause gum disease. Swishing with salt water helps protect the teeth and gums and prevent tooth decay. Like other mouthwashes, it helps reach areas between the teeth that your toothbrush misses, ensuring your whole mouth is clean. www.tomsofmaine.com

 

How To Make A Salt Water Rinse?

You can easily make a good saline solution at home since it only requires two to three ingredients that almost everyone has in their kitchen. A fresh batch should be made every time you use this rinse.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces warm water
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda (optional)

Salt water mouth rinse is easy to make and takes only about 10 minutes to prepare: 

1. Turn off the heat.
2. Let water stand until it's cool enough to rinse with but still warm (this will better allow the salt an optional baking soda to dissolve in the next steps).
3. When cooled accordingly, place the salt in the water while gently stirring until the salt has been completely dissolved.
4. As an option, dissolve the 2 teaspoons baking soda in the water along with the salt.
5. Use the saline solution as directed and discard any leftover solution.

 

Where can I Buy Maine Sea Salt? 

You can buy Maine Sea Salt on this website, maineseasalt.com or in stores. To locate a store, click on the Store Locator button. Enter your zip code or address, and the Store locator will list the stores carrying Maine Sea Salt near you. Also we conduct tours in the summer, June through September 9am to 4pm, Monday through Fridays, weekends by chance. At the end of the fun and entertaining tour, we have salt tasting and Maine Sea Salt to purchase!

 

 

 

The Salt Of Maine