How to prevent salt from hardening?

[swensosk]

I recently thought it would be great to keep a container of sea salt near the stove for easy seasoning, but the moisture from the air and cooking has it getting brick hard in the container. Short of buying a new container with a tighter fitting lid, any one have ideas?

[alwayscooking]

I keep my salts in corked glass jars or in a grinder for a finer grain. They are all near the stove (everything is near the stove in my tiny kitchen!) and none of caked. I'm not sure that the beans/rice will work for large grains or flakes - you might want to try something covered instead (you're using a salt pig now?).

[EWSflash]

In Mexico they put a handful of dry beans in the salt shakers. Works well and helps pound out any lumps if it's REALLY humid out. Beans also stay in the shaker better than rice if the holes at the top are big.

[todao]

You could probably break it up and put it in a slow oven but I suspect it would cost you as much in gas/electric power as a new container of salt would cost.
I keep my salt near the stove, right above the stove, but it's in a cupboard in a sealed container. I haven't experienced any problems with caking at all. Perhaps a better sealed container would work better for you. I don't use the "shaker" feature on any commercial salt box so putting it into a sealed plastic container isn't an inconvenience for me.
It's also important not to hold your salt container directly over or very near the hot stove because the steam generated in that environment will be quickly absorved by any exposed salt surfaces and will, over time, bind up the salt crystals.
Thinking of trying rice to prevent caking? Here's some good info on that subject:
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/cont...

[JRCann]

After living on a sailboat for nearly 30 years of my life, I use my Grandma's solution (she lived 500' from a river too) simply add some ordinary white rice to the container (I assume you have a shaker top). Keeps salt from clumping and if it does, a quick shake makes sure it runs.

Anyone remember the little girl with the umbrella "when it rains it pours"

[todao]

Yes, the image of that little lady changed a couple of times through the years. But keep in mind that "when it rains, it pours" meant there was an anti-caking agent added to the salt.

[Caralien]

Rice is what I've usually seen, although popcorn has also worked.