Salt should be stored in a cool and dry place with few temperature changes.
If you plan to store salt in bulk, stack the bags or buckets of salt in a closet, garage, or other storage space that includes climate control. High levels of humidity can cause salt to solidify into an unusable brick. Be sure you keep the storage space cool and dry, with very low humidity.
Store away from moisture and air. If the bag of salt is unopened, you should be okay until next season. If the package or bag is opened it is best to move the salt into an air-tight container to avoid the product hardening or clumping by next season. Store away from sunlight.
The best way to store salt is to keep it away from moisture. So, the salt storage container should not permit water or damp in. The container should be able to stay sealed for a long time without contaminating the salt or allowing moisture in.
Ceramic or clay container – You can store salt in a ceramic and clay container as long as it is sealed. You will have no choice but to seal it with a plastic lid. Glass jars, glass container or mason jars with a lid – This is one of the best ways for long term storage of salt.
Salt Should Not be Stored in Plastic or Metal Containers
Salt has corrosive properties, so it can eat away at the container it is stored in. If using a plastic container, this can allow chemicals from the plastic to contaminate your prized sea salt.
In areas where there is high humidity, Facklam suggests putting the salt in plastic containers and adding rice to prevent or reduce clumping. "You don't get osmosis the way you would in other containers," he said.
A dome design allows for a large, tall indoor space without support beams, so the trucks that transport the salt can move freely inside it. The materials these domes are made of also serve a purpose. Because salt is corrosive, the storage sites consist of concrete, wooden beams, and roof shingles instead of metal.
Salt is sensitive to a variety of environmental factors, so it's important to store it in an airtight container. Salt absorbs water molecules from the environment, which means you'll want to avoid storing your salt in humid areas.
Plain salt does not expire, but iodized salt has a shelf life of about five years because the stability of the iodized salt decreases over time with exposure, especially in the presence of moisture or metal ions.
Moisture that is absorbed will later evaporate, but there may be a thin crusting on the surface of the stockpile that is easily broken up. Salt, however, can be lost to precipitation. Stockpiles, whether large or small, should not be left exposed to the elements.
If you keep salt in direct light, you can trigger reactions because of the heat that comes with sunlight. So even if your salt is outside, it should be in a dark and cool place where this is no risk of the salt going bad.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, salt lasts indefinitely, as long as you keep it in cool, dry conditions in the pantry.
You should NOT use salt on a concrete driveway.
Salt can and will eat away at the surface of your concrete and asphalt.
Rock salt is not only poisonous for your pets and plants but also highly corrosive. Its harmful chlorides cause health risks to children and pets—salt damages concrete driveways, patios, and sidewalks indirectly. Salt corrodes concrete beneath the surface, resulting in discolored, cracked, and crumbling concrete.
It's always better to store salt in airtight glass jar or use salt boxes or pigs made with wood or ceramic. These allow better air flow and keep the moisture out.
The plastic does a great job of protecting the salt from moisture and the salt will store indefinitely when stored in an airtight plastic container.
Conversely, plastics are inert to salts, which means floating ions pass right over the material without any negative effects. All plastics are inherently resistant to all salts.
Permanent covered storage is a good method. Unprotected piles waste salt and could be harmful to the environment.
Clay, ceramic, and glass are the best materials to store salt. They won't react with the salt and they can effectively keep moisture and air out. However, the opposite will happen in the case of cardboard containers. Also, metal and plastic are unsafe due to the presence of harmful chemicals.
When common salt is kept open, it absorbs moisture from the air.
The most common reason that people put salt outside their restaurants or shops is to attract customers, a practice that is generally linked to a legend about an emperor in China.
Salt also does not need an O2 absorber when stored and could possibly clump together with an absorber. Once you open your O2 absorbers, they need to be used within 2 hours because they immediately begin to absorb oxygen. But once placed in your container and sealed properly, your dry food can last for up to 25 years.
The critical water content of sodium chloride (NaCl) is 0.5% at 74% relative humidity, which is the flow moisture point at which salt begins readily to absorb water vapor, and increases such that, at 75% relative humidity, the salt dissolves. See this graph for better understanding.
Mix some uncooked rice grains into the salt.
This is the most common trick for keeping salt dry, and you've probably seen it at restaurants. The rice absorbs moisture and prevents the salt from getting wet.