Harvesting Salt

Salt is either mined or harvested by evaporation. In Alexandria, salt is made from the evaporation of weakly saline seawater from ponds made at the edge of the Mediterranean, but salt ponds are found all over the world, including off San Francisco Bay. In the most natural version of a salt pond, sea water gets trapped in shallow pools and is left to evaporate in the sun. In response to the salinity of the water, algae and bacteria turn the evaporation ponds vivid colors. With low- to mid-salinity, green predominates, whereas in mid- to high-salinity ponds, the color shifts to pink, red, or orange.

Miriam knew how vital salt is as a nutrient. For one thing, it’s a significant constituent of our blood, sweat, and tears. And so, in THE DEADLIEST LIE, she recognizes the salt in her tears: “Throughout that afternoon, whenever I’d relive the morning’s calamity, fresh tears would burn a salty trail down my face and spill onto my tunic. Others would cling to my cheeks and sting like beads of acid.”

Save your salt! You don’t have to cry for a copy of THE DEADLIEST LIE or any of the other Miriam bat Isaac mysteries. They are available in paperback or e-book format from Amazon, some for as little as $2.99. Just click here.