Why does salt shaker have one hole?

Q: How many holes should a salt shaker have?

A: There isnt a definitive answer. Some sources say the salt goes in the one with the most number of holes because you use more of it. But others say since salt was so valuable, it went in the shaker with one hole.

This is how I remember which shaker to use for salt and pepper, by using this mnemonic: "I remember it because there's three P's in PePPer, so it has three holes." The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum (I know what you're thinking, but really, would I lie to you?) says that this is their most-asked question, so you're not alone.

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George Mahe
Does salt shaker have 1 or 3 holes?
How many holes should a salt shaker have?
Is salt supposed to have 2 holes or 3?
Are the holes in salt and pepper shakers the same size?

The short answer is that it varies by culture and also current health trends. Those wishing to limit their sodium intake (aka, those in the United States) use the top with the fewest holes in it for the salt.

Practically speaking though, the real answer is to use whichever top gives you the result you want. It all depends on the kind of salt and pepper you are using.

Have you ever been to a restaurant that puts cracked pepper into their regular shakers? Shake as hard as you can, you'll only get peppercorn dust! Same with salt. Some places get fancy and use coarse sea salt, but put it in salt shakers with holes too small.

Avoid this needless frustration by matching the size of your salt and pepper to your shakers. If you still insist on coarse salt and pepper, you can always take a Dremel to your shakers and widen the holes! Lol…

Q--My mother and my home economics teachers taught me that salt should be put into shakers with small holes, and finely ground pepper into shakers with larger holes. At a friend`s house recently I picked up the shaker with the larger holes and ended up with a lot of salt on my food. Apparently my friend puts salt into the shaker with the larger holes. Have I been doing this wrong for the last 40 years?

Betty Szasz, Munster, Ind.

A--''Many salt and pepper shakers have the same size holes,'' says Mike Perrone, a spokesman for PM Foods Inc., a distributing company for salt, pepper and other groceries.

''But in cases where there is a difference, put your salt in the shaker with the smaller holes, and your pepper in the shaker with larger holes.''

It`s true, he says, that finely ground pepper has smaller particles than salt. But salt is heavier than pepper, and it contains a flow-conditioning agent, sodium silicoaluminate; so it flows more freely than pepper, despite its larger size. Perrone says if salt is put into a shaker with large holes it is difficult to control the flow.

Q--What is alum? And why is it used in making pickles?

A faithful reader

A--''Alum is a chemical, aluminum ammonium sulphate, which acts as an astringent and an emetic,'' says Joan Randle, a spokeswoman for Ball Corp., a manufacturer of home canning jars and lids.

''When used in making pickles, as it used to be in years past, it produced a very crispy, crunchy pickle. But today, because of its astringent/ emetic properties, we recommend that it not be used in pickle making, even though it would take a very large amount, much more than is used in normal recipes, to cause any distress.''

Instead, Randle suggests using up-to-date pickle recipes from reliable sources. Use high-quality ingredients, including cucumbers grown especially for pickling and used as soon as they are picked, and the correct proportions of water, vinegar and salt. And follow processing times religiously.

Q--How much safflower or corn oil should I substitute for butter or margarine in cake or cookie recipes?

Mrs. Harry Fries, Mundelein

A--These ingredients may be substituted for 1 cup of butter or margarine called for in a cookie or cake recipe: 7/8 cup corn oil, nut oil or cotton seed oil, solid or liquid, according to ''The Joy of Cooking'' (Simon & Schuster, $16.95).

For decades, this discussion has been the subject of many impassioned mealtime debates, along the lines of “Coke or Pepsi?” or “Should chili contain beans?” In this case, both camps can present a logical (rather than merely preferential) argument.

Salt has been part of the proverbial dinner table for millennia. Salt was one of the world's main trading commodities. Wars were fought over it. Books have been written about it. Its ability as a flavor enhancer was universally recognized. Salt was even used as currency. Over the years, countries, culture, medical theories, and health all factored into the shaker debate.

Fifty years ago, when high schoolers attended football camps for 10 days in mid-August, they were given salt tablets to replenish what was lost during the workouts, similar to those who worked outdoors in the extreme heat. This led to one theory on the shaker holes argument: Salt was necessary to sustain human life; therefore, people tended to use more of it—hence it went in the shaker with the most holes.

In the past few years, however, in this country especially, that tide has turned: Excessive salt was deemed unhealthy, so it was relegated to the shaker with the fewest holes.

One argument says, “There are more holes for pepper, because pepper is a longer word than salt.” Another says that since people are more sparing with pepper (recipes and personal tastes generally call for more salt than pepper), it should go in the shaker with fewer holes.

Because oversalting food can be problematic, fewer holes can be helpful. Or because salt pours more quickly than pepper, fewer holes makes sense.

Others say it's not the number of holes that makes a difference but the size that matters. Since salt crystals are larger (and tend to clump in humid conditions), their holes should be bigger. (However, after having shaken the dickens out of many a pepper shaker to yield only a dusting of product, I think it makes sense to put pepper in the shaker with the largest holes, so it flows at an acceptable rate.)

Many avoid the argument entirely by using glass or clear plastic shakers with an equal number of holes.

When people realized the flavor of ground pepper dissipates considerably over time, pepper mills came into vogue, first as an add-on by servers in fancy restaurants. Pepper mills are now standard issue on many restaurant tables, but the fate of salt is still being decided.

Traditional salt shakers are still common on restaurant tables, but salt mills (filled with sea salt) are on the rise, as are salt cellars/salt “pigs” (from “pigge,” the old English word for earthenware), with tiny spoons for sprinkling purposes.

Since pepper mills look out of place without a mate and salt cellars/pigs require a deft touch, I contend that the most logical solution is using a matched set of mills that control the flow and the grind. Fans of salt and pepper mills (like me) find themselves constantly changing the size of the grind of both condiments, thereby controlling the complexion of a dish.

And, as a side benefit, the answer to the shaker debate becomes, “Who cares?”

Follow George on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at [email protected]. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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George Mahe

Mahe is St. Louis Magazine's dining editor. Like this story? Want to share other feedback? Send Mahe an email at [email protected].

Does salt shaker have 1 or 3 holes?

It depends! The number of holes in salt and pepper shakers varies by culture, health and taste. Here in the US excessive salt is considered bad for you, so the salt shaker is the one with the fewer holes, but in parts of Europe it's the other way around.

How many holes should a salt shaker have?

A: There isn't a definitive answer. Some sources say the salt goes in the one with the most number of holes because you use more of it. But others say since salt was so valuable, it went in the shaker with one hole.

Is salt supposed to have 2 holes or 3?

Salt goes in the two-hole shaker, not because it is used more often, but because more of it is used.

Are the holes in salt and pepper shakers the same size?

Salt grains are thought to be larger than equivalent ground pepper flakes, so they should be put in a shaker with fewer, but larger, holes. Since ground pepper is lighter and dustier than salt, it requires more holes in order to flow out at a comparable rate.