SALT IN THE HOME

Without salt, the most nourishing food might easily seem tasteless. Bread baked without salt has almost no taste. Even strawberry shortcake needs salt to make it taste sweet. Every good cook knows that a pinch or two of salt added in cooking brings out the natural flavour of any dish, from steak to soufflés.

Sprinkle a little salt over boiled potatoes just after they are drained, give them a vigorous shake over a hot burner to draw off excess water, and your potatoes will be light and flaky. A dash of salt in whipping cream or eggs makes them whip faster.

A little salt in the frying pan will prevent splashing grease, salt in the water of poaching eggs makes the whites "set", and salted water keeps boiling eggs from cracking. For a really good cup of coffee, add a pinch of salt to the ground coffee before perking.

In your kitchen, salt removes stains from porcelain, enamel, copper, or stainless steel. Throughout the household, salt is a reliable cleaning aid for clothes, carpets, or furniture. Salt is used as a mouthwash, eyewash, dentifrice, or antiseptic. And a handful of salt in your hot bath will help soothe strained nerves and relax tired muscles.