SALT

Salt Is Essential

Ye art the salt of the earth:  but if the salt has lost its savour  wherewith will it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men.

Matthew 5:13

Salt is ancient, to say the least.  Salt is essential to life.  It is found all over the world in different forms.  Salt  found in oceans is the main mineral, thus the term “sea salt.” In its natural form it is called rock salt or halite which is a crystalline mineral.  

Common table salt is composed of sodium chloride. The taste for salt is basic to the human taste buds.  However, only 6% is used for human consumption.  Sodium is essential to human health because it is an electrolyte.  With this being a fact, consuming too much salt can be harmful to the human body. 

A fact to note: ancient people who raised animals and ate animals from their herds did not use salt in their food, because there is more salt in animal tissue than in plant tissue.  

Because salting is probably the oldest method of preserving and seasoning food, salt was highly valued by the ancient Hebrews, Romanians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans, Hittites, Egyptians, and Indians.  In other words the world, as it existed at that time, valued salt as a precious commodity for trade.

The ancient Hebrews used salt in making a Covenant with God.  They sprinkled salt on their offerings to show their trust in Him.

  Wars were fought over salt as the need increased for preserving and salting food.  In fact, Roman soldiers were paid a “salary” in salt; thus, the word “salary” comes from the Latin word salarium.  

Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French salarie, from Latin salarium, originally denoting a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt, from sal ‘salt' (dictionary definition).

This mineral, salt, has many uses aside from seasoning and preserving:

• manufacturing: polyvinyl chloride, plastics, paper pulp
• water conditioning processes
• de-icing roads
• agricultural use
• soaps
• glycerine

These are some of the uses in manufacturing.

Other Uses:

• Clean oil stains on garage floor by using a paste of salt and water

• Epsom Salt for the garden (must be Epsom salt, not table salt)  Epsom Salt is a mineral containing magnesium, sulphur, and oxygen. It is an inorganic salt.

• 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt 
• 1 gallon water
• Dissolve the Epsom salt in water, then water the vegetable garden once a month.  
• For tomatoes mix a tablespoon of the Epsom salt into the soil before planting. The magnesium in the Epsom salt will help the tomatoes grow.  

Every 2-3 weeks water with the water/salt solution.

Here is a new tip that I just discovered:

• If you have a swimming pool and you are thinking of updating it, consider making it a saltwater pool.
•  Building a new pool?  Make it a saltwater pool.  You will be exposed to less chlorine, as the salt dissolves it can cleanse and sanitize the water.  Just a thought, 

        goodtips