The most surprising revelation from NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover — that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater — has scientists scratching their heads.
"Here in Oregon two groups on the coast are trying to unlock the secret of making pure, clean, edible salt from sea water. One is a modern company that has gained a reputation with foodies for its delicate sea salt flakes. The other group is dressed in buckskin and wool, tending a copper-lined kettle over a campfire, making a concerted effort to time travel back to the winter of 1805"
The House passed a $78 billion tax bill on Wednesday that boosts the child tax credit and reinstates business deductions that were rescinded during the Trump administration, sending the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the Senate for consideration.
this is me showing my nibling how to harvest salt from the shoreline rocks. it hasn't rained for 3 weeks (very unusual for east hawai'i! it's because of El Niño.), so the salt nooks were in peak shape!
every patch tasted just a bit differently!
the story i had heard was: to gather salt at the shoreline, wait for a big storm with big waves. then, wait for everything to completely dry out. then go look for white salt deposits in the depressions in the rocks.
i figured that even though i hadn't remembered a big storm, 3 weeks of zero rain would certainly result in some good salt buildup. i was right!
cliff salt isn't just salty, it tastes like the sea. a friend told me: "it's concentrated mana from the ocean." it's not like eating table salt.
plus, we were just using the tips of our fingers to get a little out of the caves, so we weren't eating it by the tablespoon. we didn't harvest any to take home, we just did taste tests. by the time we'd tried a bunch, we didn't want any more salt.
it's good to know that should the boats ever stop coming to the island, i know where my nearest salt is: a mere 5 miles away, completely downhill. 🌊 🌋
The US Embassy in Brexitania weighs in on Teagate…
“We want to ensure the good people of the UK that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy. And never will be.”
“The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.”
I'm not sure why it's pink. Wikipedia says it's mineral content including iron, so I guess it's rusty salt or something.
But I literally use half the amount of this than when I use generic table salt. I mean, I used pure salt/kosher salt in the past and I might have had the same result but I don't remember.
But the Himalayan stuff seems to add real flavour.
The ponds in Salinas de Maras have been used for salt extraction since the pre-Inca period, and have been in continuous operation since then. Located in the Sacred Valley, the Salinas consist of approximately 4,500 salt pans, set in stepped terraces of irregular stone walls that follow the Qaqahuiñay hill. These traditional salt mining practices have a lower environmental impact than industrial methods.
Scientists have found a ‘sleeping giant’ of environmental problems: Earth is getting saltier
#Salt used to de-ice roads is the single biggest source of salt in the U.S.
By Kasha Patel
October 31, 2023
"Human activities are making the globe saltier, specifically in our soils, fresh water and air, according to a study released Tuesday in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
"The excess salt has already caused serious issues in freshwater supplies in recent decades. Saltier water led to brown tap water for months in Montgomery County, #Maryland. It also played a part in creating the #toxic lead-laden water in #FlintMichigan.
"Salt pollution isn’t some flashy threat to our existence — like, say, a meteor hitting Earth — but the issue is gravely overlooked and is a 'sleeping giant,' said Sujay Kaushal, lead author of the study. He said it might be the 'most boring but contemporary problem that we have.'
"Most people think of salt as the white specks we put in our food or the salt in oceans, chemically known as sodium chloride (NaCl). That sodium salt can also be found in detergents, other household products and more, but there are many different salts, including calcium, magnesium and other ions used in additional products — and they’re all increasing in places where they don’t normally occur.
"Over the past 50 years, salt ions have increased in #streams and #rivers as people have begun using and producing more salts, the study says. The team found that across the globe, about 2.5 billion acres of soil — an area about the size of the United States — have become saltier. Salt lakes are also drying up and sending saline dust into the air.
“'We use water for everything from growing crops to drinking to industrial processes to heating and cooling,' said Kaushal, a geologist at the University of Maryland. 'But when you have salt in the water, it affects all of those things … and it’s increasing.'"
Ever try a true Montreal style #bagel? They really stand out. They're nothing like "bagels" from other places like Tim's that are basically just regular bread dough shaped in a circle. Bagel Time on Danforth offers true hand-made, Montreal style boiled then wood-oven baked bagels. The owner moved from Montreal a number of years ago to open a shop here.
When I went in today, the place wasn't very busy. I asked why.
Turns out business slowed a LOT since the pandemic. Pre-pandemic it was so busy, the places was supplying bagels to a few Loblaws stores, catering, and the owner was going to open a second shop. Now, I'm worried about their survival.
Go there, get some bagels. #Gluten free. Salt free. You can even watch them make the bagels. Help keep my fave bagel supply around!
I just made this: rose petal pink dried peppercorn salt - which took all of three or four minutes, so I may need to dream up more fun kitchen-y tasks.
Heat rose petals in a dry pan, to release the flavours, but watch they don't burn.
Put peppercorns & petals, with sea salt, in a spice grinder.
Grind.
Don't worry about amounts. Start with the petals & pepper, and a bit of salt, and keep adding salt till you're happy with the colour & taste of the mix.
House passes $78 billion tax bill in bipartisan vote (thehill.com)
The House passed a $78 billion tax bill on Wednesday that boosts the child tax credit and reinstates business deductions that were rescinded during the Trump administration, sending the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the Senate for consideration.