PDA

View Full Version : Is there an expiration date for salt?


spawn
09-16-2011, 02:35 PM
As the title says, i'm wondering if there is an expiration date for salt?

Delphinus
09-16-2011, 03:25 PM
I would say "ordinarily no" but with that said, if just a tiny bit of wetness gets into the bucket or bag, it will begin to crust up, and this can affect things a bit. When you mix salt, you want to always add salt to water, and not water to salt, because then you are taking a dilute solution and making it less dilute - whereas in the opposite direction you start with a supersaturated solution and make it "more dilute". In a supersaturated solution, sometimes things precipitate out that cannot redissolve easily so you end up with a liquid component that is not the same as if you had started by adding water to salt.

So, my guess on this is, if stored properly and sheilded from humidity, salt likely has a very long shelf life. If exposed to wetness though, likely not as long.

Hope this helps.

sphelps
09-16-2011, 04:32 PM
If it did it would be marked on the package like anything else. Provided it's not contaminated it should last forever.