What is a Salt Pig Pot?

Quick Tip!
Despite the common belief, that one should choose a salt pig with an unglazed interior, fully glazed salt pigs work just as well in keeping the salt dry, especially if the salt contains anti-caking agents.

The simple but clever design of a salt pig ensures that your salt will stay dry and loose for a very long time, and it is also very easy to use. Let us now learn more about salt pigs, such as their origin, types, how do they work, etc.

The classic design of a salt pig is either cylindrical or egg-shaped and looks like an olden-days diver's helmet. The pot will have a round, flat base, a knob on the top, and a wide circular opening on the side.

More modern designs, will come in a wide variety of shapes, and they may or may not have knobs. Some manufacturers, create salt pigs which are shaped like actual pigs.

Ordinarily, people think that salt pigs get their names from their wide round openings, which resemble pig snouts. However, to learn the true origin of the name, you have to go through Scottish dialects, where you will learn that earthenware pots and jars were often called pigs.

This is why this container is actually called a salt pig if it carries salt. These containers were very popular in the early 19th century, and they were used for a wide variety of kitchen ingredients, and not just salt. These pots used to have knobs and handles as well. With the advancements in technology, new storage options overtook the pigs.

Nowadays, salt pigs have started to regain their popularity, due to the ease of usage, and with famous celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson using them regularly on their television shows.

If you have an earthenware, unglazed salt pig, the pot will absorb most of the moisture from the surrounding air keeping the salt dry and loose. This keeps the salt dry even in humid weather conditions and kitchens that produce a lot of steam. 

However, if your salt pig pot is made of another material or is just glazed, it works almost as efficiently, due to its rounded design. If you find your salt getting clumpy, adding some uncooked rice at the base of the pot will keep the salt dry.

Often cooking in the kitchen will produce splatters of oil or grease, or drips of water that can enter open or flat containers of salt. The chances of such an occurrence happening with a salt pig pot is considerably lesser. This is because of the curved top of the pot which prevents most drips, dirt, and debris, from getting into your salt.

The large openings of salt pigs enables the user to reach into it and take out salt very easily. Moreover, most of the models are sold with scoops, which makes the task cleaner and easier. So there is no need to struggle with badly functioning shakers or tight lids any more.

It is a known fact that eating high amounts of salt is bad for health. However, because people are able to pinch or spoon out accurate amounts of salt from the pig, rather than using a salt shaker, one can control the amount of salt that goes into the food and eat healthier diets.

Salt pig pots are available in a wide variety of materials such as terracotta, wood, and ceramic. They come in many shapes and colors. Salt pigs are not very common in most kitchens. Hence, having one in your kitchen will give it a unique look that not everyone is familiar with, keeping your salt safe, but also increasing the beauty of the area.

So, if you are one of those cooks who regularly face the problem of clumped salt, buying and using this great piece of pottery will surely save the day.