Does Salt Ever Expire?

Salt has been used as a preservative for thousands of years, helping keep things like meat and fish from spoiling before the invention of refrigeration. However, while salt can preserve and flavor food, does it ever go bad on its own?

On its own, pure salt is a food that never actually expires because it's toxic to most microbes and contains no moisture for them to grow. However, many types of salt you find at your local supermarket will still have a best-by date due to the presence of additives. Iodized salt, for example, has a designated shelf life of around five years, after which the iodine can dissipate due to a lack of stability. Similarly, salts can start losing their flavor and experience a change in texture after a few years. Flavored salts, like garlic salt, can last up to three years, while table salt, with anti-caking agents, can last up to five before clumping starts to occur. Similarly, salts without anti-caking agents are recommended to be used within three years for the best quality. 

Speaking of quality, despite some of the most prevailing myths about salt, how you store it can significantly impact its quality over time, especially if you live in a humid environment. Likewise, salt can become contaminated from dirty hands or utensils, with salmonella and listeria bacteria capable of surviving on salt for weeks. Fortunately, preserving the quality of salt is pretty easy if you're careful and mindful of keeping it dry and clean. 

If you've stocked your pantry with all the best types of salt, the last thing you want is for them to lose their quality too soon. Sure, they won't expire and might not make you ill, but they certainly will lack the texture and flavor you want if you store them wrong for a long time. One of the key things to watch out for is moisture. Even salts with anti-caking agents can get clumpy if exposed to moisture, including when you shake them over a boiling pot of food.

To prevent clumping or a decline in quality, you might want to consider investing in a salt cellar, like Totally Bamboo's Magnetic Salt Cellar. Containers like this help keep moisture away from your salt and give you easy access when you need a pinch while cooking. However, if you're using your fingers in the dish, they must be thoroughly cleaned and dried to prevent cross-contamination. Better yet, use a small spoon to scoop out what you need. Some salt cellars even come with a spoon for this purpose.

Now, if you're a fan of salt shakers or grinders, these can keep salt fresh for a long time; you just have to be careful not to get them wet. Shaking salt directly over what you're cooking, for instance, can cause steam to accumulate in the shaker's head and cause clumping. The same applies to grinders, which can suffer from a gunky build-up of caked-on salt if they get too damp. So long as you keep your salt dry and uncontaminated, its quality can be preserved for years!