Kosher salt is a mineral that is a necessary addition to most foods, and you probably want to be sure that it is the best quality. You may be wondering if that salt you’ve had on your counter for months is still at its best.
Does Kosher Salt Expire? As long as you are sure to store it properly, kosher salt will not expire. It may lose its flavor overtime, becoming more dull, but it is still completely fine to consume after long periods of time.
Let’s learn more about kosher salt and how to make sure it’s as fresh as possible when you add it to your meals.
How Long Does Kosher Salt Last?
Kosher salt will last for about 5 years after being opened before it starts to lose its quality. Despite this, the salt will last pretty much forever without going bad completely. Unless something happens where you are storing it incorrectly and it gets contaminated, it will not go bad.
If your kosher salt has an expiration or “best by” date printed on the label, it will generally last until this point before it starts to lose its quality. But it’s completely safe to eat after this point as long as it’s been stored correctly, it just may not taste as fresh.
Some people may think that their kosher salt has gone bad because it’s changed color. However, if this is the only thing that’s happened to your salt, it’s still completely fine to eat. Kosher salt will naturally change color overtime, and it’s nothing to worry about.
How Can You Store Kosher Salt to Make It Last Longer?
Kosher salt should be kept in a cool and dry place, away from any extreme temperatures. It’s important to make sure it is in a tightly sealed container so that no contaminants will get in. Making sure you do all of these things will result in your salt staying fresh for a lot longer.
Even if salt is in a sealed container, it tends to absorb moisture from the air. This means that you should be very diligent about storing it somewhere dry that has low humidity. If too much moisture gets into your salt, it will start to clump up, which could result in it “going bad” or losing its quality quicker.
The best place to store your salt would be in a pantry or cabinet that is away from the kitchen. Kitchens often have a lot of food odors and can get pretty humid, so keeping your salt away from them (though it may not seem like it makes a ton of sense) will actually help keep your salt fresh for longer.
How Do You Tell If Kosher Salt Has Gone Bad?
Though kosher salt doesn’t really expire, there are instances where it’s not good to eat anymore. If it’s clumped together, has a strange smell, or has bugs in it, it’s not going to be very enjoyable and it’s best to just throw it out.
Salt often gets hard clumps in it when exposed to moisture in the air. Sometimes you can just break these clumps apart with your fingers, but if they are really hard to break apart, you should just throw away the clumps. You could also toss the whole thing of salt if it’s too hard to separate the clumps from the salt that’s still good.
Since salt absorbs the smells from its environment, it is possible that it will have a strange odor. Most likely, this is from keeping it in your kitchen and having food smells constantly wafting into the container. If the odor really bothers you, you can throw out the salt.
Lastly, people who have problems with bugs in their house may find that they sneak into the salt. If this is the case, you won’t want to eat a bunch of bugs with your salt. Getting rid of it is going to make a lot of sense in this situation.
Can Eating Kosher Salt That’s Gone Bad Make You Sick?
Since it’s already a natural preservative, it’s almost impossible for you to get sick from eating old kosher salt that has gone bad. This is because bacteria won’t really be able to grow in the salt, so the worst thing that you will experience is salt that doesn’t quite taste right.
If your salt is clumped together or has a strange odor, you may be concerned that it will make you sick. But salt just absorbs what is in its environment, and this is the reason that it can smell strange or have hardened clumps. Rest assured, it will not make you sick if it’s in this condition, so there is nothing to worry about.
If there are bugs in your salt, it is possible that they have brought in bacteria that could make you sick, though very unlikely. Either way, you probably won’t be eating salt if there are bugs in it, so you will be good there.
Some people may worry about mold, but rest assured that mold cannot grow in salt. In fact, salt is used in a lot of foods to deter mold growth because it’s a natural preservative. It’s basically impossible for mold to grow in salt, so you really don’t have to fret about this when wondering if it’s still good to eat.
Final Thoughts
Kosher Salt is a very tasty seasoning that’s used in a variety of ways, and it stays good for a very long time. In fact, most people will use their salt long before it starts to show any signs of losing its quality. It will basically last forever as long as it’s stored in a tightly sealed jar away from moisture and extreme temperatures, and it’s a very reliable food.
We hope that this article has helped you understand more about salt and how to keep it fresh for as long as possible. Next time you’re wondering if the salt you have is good, just remember that it’s basically impossible for it to go bad, and trust your senses.