# Why are table salt crystals all the same size?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992 "2003-06-24T11:15:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992/1 "2003-06-24T11:15:51Z")

</div>

Seems like table salt crystals all all pretty near the same size. Why? Are they “grown” that way (and if so, how)? Or are they ground? Or sieved? Or what? Why don’t I find an occasional rock-salt-sized chunk in my Morton’s?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992/2 "2003-06-24T12:50:42Z")

</div>

They are made that size and have anti-caking agents added so thay you will have free flowing salt that is east to measure or sprinkle evenly.

If you want lumpy stuff, get Sea Salt, or save up the grains that you find in the bottom of packs of Pretzels.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm Pretzel bits

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BellaVoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@BellaVoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellaVoce)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992/3 "2003-06-24T12:56:57Z")

</div>

Or buy some Coarse Kosher Salt.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-table-salt-crystals-all-the-same-size/183992/4 "2003-06-25T04:02:58Z")

</div>

If it’s not “sea salt”, then it came from a salt mine. But some mines are based on pumping hot water underground then vacuum-boiling the brine, rather than using tunneling equipment.

Web sites about table salt say “Food grade, evaporated type”, so I don’t think the stuff is just ground up halite from a mine. And wouldn’t halite be full of other minerals besides NaCl?

Yet salt fractures into little cubes, so if they did grind it up and classified it with seives, it would look just like table salt.

SALT FAQS [http://www.saltinstitute.org/4.html](http://www.saltinstitute.org/4.html)