Meagan Camp's Stream of Consciousness

splendidtable:

On this weekend’s show, reporter Lisa Morehouse observes the salt harvest of Bob La Mar, whose seasonings have an ocean flavor (or merroir) unique to California’s Mendocino Coast.

La Mar says the currents push highly saline water from the canyon up to the surface, where he uses a pump to fill his boat’s 200-gallon tank. He makes nine trips a day and stores those 1,800 gallons in holding tanks at his house.

In a shed, La Mar boils the seawater down to a concentrated brine. Then it bakes in a special oven for more than 20 hours. Salt crystals form on the surface and fall to the bottom of the baking pan.

Listen:

(via npr)