Which shaker DOES the salt go in? Does it matter? There is an actual salt and pepper rule. To identify the salt and pepper shakers, it all has to do with the number and size of the holes and your level of commitment to insanity.
People are creatures of habit and of doing things just because that's the way they're done. This is the only explanation for why we leave pie to the end of the meal instead of the more obvious choice of EATING IT FIRST. It's just the way it's done.
Unless it's Blueberry pie because blueberry pie as you probably know is one of The 4 True Pies all of which can be eaten before, during or after meals.
The other thing most of us do is put the salt in the shaker with the most amount of holes. The pepper goes in the shaker with the fewer amount of holes. That is the "rule".
The Salt & Pepper Shaker Rule
Because we're law abiding citizens and we like to follow rules to help maintain a balanced life and orderly society, we do this. We follow the salt and pepper rule.
Well I am here to tell you right now that society is about to become unhinged. It might make more sense to break the salt and pepper rule. I know. Everybody calm down.
I broke all the rules when I went on record declaring I didn't like the Instant Pot after testing it for a month.
Here's the reasoning behind my thumbing my nose at social norms for salt and pepper. Pepper is bigger and lighter. It has a harder time flowing out of the holes. Salt is finer and heavier. It has an easier time flowing out of holes. So doesn't it make sense to put the pepper in the shaker with more holes, and the salt in the shaker with fewer holes?
Yes. I think it does. It does make sense.
And before you start running for the bomb shelter and screaming through the streets, consider this. I actually changed my salt and pepper shakers over 9 years ago. And since then society has stayed pretty much the same. Aside from ... you know.
Of course I don't really use my salt and pepper shakers. I have the pepper grinder I turned myself for all my pepper needs.
And for salt I keep it in a wood bowl and usually just use my fingers to grab some. Why yes, I *do* get salt under my nails every time I do this.
I know about now you're thinking about switching around your salt and pepper shakers but you're worried. What will people think of you? What will happen at the next family dinner when people shake the salt and pepper comes flying out? Nothing. Nothing will happen. Frankly their eyebrows will be so long they won't be able to see which is which anyway.
Fun Facts About Salt
1. Until 100 years ago or so, pound bars of salt were the basic currency in Abyssinia (now called Ethiopia). Some say in very small regions it is still treated as currency.
2. In the early 1800s salt was 4 times as expensive as beef on the frontier – it was essential in keeping people and livestock alive.
3. Kosher salt is indeed, not kosher. It gets its name because the larger salt you know as kosher salt, is what was used when koshering (removing blood from) meat. Larger, salt crystals allowed the surface blood to be removed without absorbing into the meat. So kosher salt could be washed off without affecting the taste of the meat unlike a fine salt.
4. There are 32 references to salt in the bible, the first one being in The Book of Job.
5. Salt is poisonous. But only when consumed in large quantities. That's why in China it used to be a way of committing suicide. And quite a reputable one at that. All the upper crust chose to commit suicide by salt because it was so expensive. Even in a suicidal state there's time for elitism.
6. One of the first known taxes in the world was issued in the year 2200 BC by the Chinese emperor Hsia Yu. He taxed salt. Perhaps it was a way to cut down on suicides.
7. Throughout time, salt has typically been used as money. At one point it was known to trade at the same value as gold. So one ounce of salt was worth the same as an ounce of gold.
Fun Facts About Pepper
1. Historically, pepper was also worth a lot of money, but my sense is that the pepper people are just trying to keep up with all the good salt stories.
2. Andddd that about concludes the "interesting pepper facts".
Not convinced by the salt and pepper rules? You can drill bigger holes into your shakers. Read my tutorial about it here.
kddomingue
Trashcan under the sink? Nope. Not for decades now have I had a trashcan under the sink. Not since the day back in the summer of 1982 ( a hot, sweltering summer down here in coastal Louisiana) when I bent down to wipe up what I thought was rice that had missed the very full trashcan under the sink and had landed on the floor. Imagine my surprise when the rice MOVED. Maggots! I had MAGGOTS under my kitchen sink! Well, I proceeded to have myself a good old case of the screaming meemies interspersed with much gagging and retching as I tried not to throw up on top of the maggots thus taking the maggot mess to a whole 'nother level of awfulness. God almighty! I still have the occasional nightmare about that day! So. My trashcan lives out in the great wide open so there can be NO EXCUSE for not noticing that it's full and starting to ferment! (shudders) (shudders some more)
Lisa
Sounds like you were having a Queensland summer....hate the moving rice episodes... "shudder".
kddomingue
Ah! Bless you! Someone who can ABSOLUTELY relate to my little horror story! (shudders)
Lisa
One of the reasons I dread our summers. Can totally relate.
KiwiKat
I'm wondering if it's a North American thing, as in New Zealand, I was always taught that salt goes in the shaker with the lower number of holes (because it pours quickly) and pepper goes in the other...I have 2 clear grinders that I use for my salt and pepper, so it doesn't apply in my kitchen, but in restaurants here, it does.
(Oh, and my rubbish bag hangs from my pantry door, as there isn't room for a rubbish bag or bin under my sink.)
Jane Baker
Well doesn't that just frost my pumpernickel??!!
Here all these years I've been putting my salt in the shaker with the least number or the smallest holes and my pepper in the shaker with the larger or more holes and I've been doing it wrong? I could have been a REBEL and worn a snappy beret like Che Guevara, or white shoes after Labor Day, and I didn't know it???
I've just joined your remarkable club, Karen and received this lovely email indicating you might actually have a parade for me and now I believe you have ruined my life! The life I've only just found out I've missed out on.... I shall go buy a Harley Davidson and leather thigh high boots right away!
On another note, I've just finished gutting and rebuilding my kitchen, (although admittedly it's not quite done. I'm trying to get the damned counter tops in but they're fighting back and I still have some custom cabinets to build) and was forced to have the garbage on the floor in the kitchen. While hard to get used to I wouldn't have minded that too much except I kept finding my used floss on the floor and one day after finding what had been a full bean can of congealed bacon fat emptied of its contents, I finally realized WHY the doggy bag contents had been so unattractive every time I took the teen-aged dog for a walk. I've recently installed one of those handy dandy pull out recycling thingies containing my garbage can under the sink and I must admit, my world is much more comfortable for it. Especially the walking the dog and cleaning up after him part.....
Karen
Parade has been postponed due to springtime snow. Stay tuned. ~ karen!
Mindy Northrop
We had company for dinner last night. The husband banged on the bottom of the pepper shaker, more times than I could count, over his plate. It's time.
P.S. My garbage can is NOT under the sink in the new house, much to my dismay.
Karen
I could not live that way. Under the sink is where the garbage goes. You are made of steel Mindy. Made of steel. ~ karen!
Cyg
All this talk of Salt-N-Pepa, but not a word about Spinderella. That girl's going to develop a complex.
Cyd
Cyd, not CYG
Karen
LOL! ~ karen
Wendi
I’ve always put the pepper in the one with more holes, and for the same reasons that you stated here. I didn’t even know I was breaking the salt & pepper law until just now when I read your blog! Whoa...what else am I doing wrong???
Paula
Makes sense to me. I have always had the salt in the one with the least amount of holes, now I know why everyone always gets it backwards!
I don't really use them anymore either, as I have one of those push button pepper grinders and I love it! Who doesn't prefer freshly ground pepper?
Katie Schneider
Vaguely related question. Where can i get new toppers for my vintage/antique s & p shakers? I have a pair of fostoria shakers from my grandmother that are completrly missing them and a pair of milk glass shakers that have flaking tops... i've done some basic googling and am SOL.
Karen
I'd go to flea markets Katie. Or thrift stores. Then you'll probably have to buy a set of S & Ps, and just use the tops from them. You can get vintage salt and pepper shakers for as little as $5. ~ karen!
Katherine Canon
Easy. My salt one or two holes and pepper has very least three holes. I like more pepper than salt and my husband likes lots of salt at little pepper. Since I'm the one cooking he will just have to deal with it.
Susan Larussi
How did I manage to get to age 65 without knowing there was a rule for salt and pepper shakers. It was only today I wanted to know because I began to collecting vintage salt and pepper sets this past year. As for my trash I have never stored it under the sink, and it sits in the corner of my kitchen for all to admire. Thus, the reason I buy attractive brightly colored ones. My current container is a bright red which I hope influences the kids to use it. Despite the passage of time my slutty gene remains as I never gave up wearing my slutty garments as it was practical to do so. When you are short you will buy the mini's because anything else will be too long. As for whistling I am inept for try as I might I have never managed the skill and couldn't begin to explain why. Same thing for typing which I never managed past the hunt and peck stage. I was forever grateful for the emergence of computers and word processing software as my letters were always messy looking with more whiteout than one could imagine. I don't have cats, but I have always wondered why we can't teach dogs to use a litter box.
Karen
Well clearly you've been leading a sheltered life! Not knowing your salt from your pepper. Sheesh. And mini skirts! What must your neighbours think. ;) ~ karen!
Rachel
I would venture to guess that the standard came about when salt was not ground so fine. I personally want my salt to come out faster than the pepper so I stick to tradition. :)
Nola
So, I just bought some new salt and pepper shakers and since my old shakers had the same amount of holes, I thought I would google it to see if there was any hard and fast rule to follow. Thus, I found your blog!
My husband, who LOVES pepper, always complains about the way pepper shakes out, so I found a fine-ground pepper. But, he would probably love it if I put the lid with the most holes on the pepper. I think I will try this. Thanks!
(And, I do keep my garbage can under the sink. But the next big question is - left side or right side? - I keep mine under the right, but I wonder which side is the prevalent or proper side to use - Is there a rule for that? lol)
Karen
Welcome to The Art of Doing Stuff Nola! My sister renovated her kitchen a couple of years ago and now her garbage can is NOT under her sink where it should be. Every time I go there I open up the cupboard below the sink and throw my garbage in there anyway. Just to be contrary. ~ karen!
Joni
I signed up for the news letter immediately after reading this. Also, I’m going to see if my rural community comes unglued at the seams when I switch the salt and pepper paradigm at my house. If you never hear from again you’ll know the answer...
Dana Yealy
I'm glad I looked this up as the holidays are coming up and this is a center of discussion or argument each get together...
I guess I need to admit to being unbalanced as my garbage can is under my kitchen island.. I never could whisle and my salt and pepper are backwards... my mother will be glad to hear she was right... but I hate to say I'm not going to change them around
Pookwoman
Can't fit a garbage can under my sink so I have to have a locked one in a corner (dogs). Can't whistle at all, a failing that caused my father to be very disappointed. Even telling me I'd have pretty lips if I whistled. Now I think it would have led to more lines around my mouth. And as for salt and pepper, we use a grinder for each (pink Himalayan salt is terrific). However, we bought a pretty set to match my dishes and the question arose as to what to put where. This hasn't helped very much but at least I have determined that it really doesn't matter. I'll just decide and tell my guests what's where - if I can remember.
Karen
Just for fun you could always tell them the opposite. ;) ~ karen!
Nana
You live such a sheltered life! You really need to get out. I have 6 children. A garbage under the sink would only last a few hours and need emptied.
Karen
If you have 6 children, I'd say the evidence is more in favour of you getting out more. ~ karen!
Lucid Dreamer
In 44 years I have only once seen salt in the shaker with the most holes. Salt is supposed to go in the shaker with fewer holes and pepper in the one with more holes. That's just the way it is.
Elaine
Hi Lucid Dreamer ... I’m really curious as to where you live. I’m about Karen’s mother’s age and have never, EVER, seen Salt in the shaker with fewer holes!!! 😳. I guess I have to get out more! I agree, though, about using less salt and think I will make the big switch-over this week. As usual, Karen always turns an ordinary subject into an interesting discussion! That’s why she’s my favorite blogger.
Christine Hilton
Oh thank God! I thought l was the only one! I thought 50 years ago people liked more salt on their food and pepper was for the adventurous.l switched it years ago because l am pretty wild.
Nancy Ann
Pretty funny!
Margaret K.
Some older salt and pepper sets have smaller holes, but more of them, in the salt shaker and fewer, but larger holes in the pepper shaker. We make do with a generic glass shaker for the salt and a grinder for the pepper.
I don't really like having garbage under the sink, and our trash container wouldn't fit there anyway. But I can whistle.
Karen
LOL. O.K. Well, I guess you can be accepted to the club. ~ karen!
Gale
No room under the sink for garbage. I guess I missed that rule...and I do like to follow the rules, so - salt in the shaker with the most holes...I've only recently decided I like pepper, and that is in a mill. I've always known I was "different". I mean - "unique".
Brenda
I had solved this problem by not purchasing salt/pepper shakers with different numbers of holes. For years I've preferred the clear ones so there's no mistaking them. But today I accidentally purchased simple white ceramic ones, thinking they were quite functional, only to be derailed by the different-number-of-holes dilemma. An internet search for a definitive answer proved fruitless. I think I will fill them as I please, and if that becomes a problem I will revert back to the clear ones.
Bonnie
I'm with Leanne--trash can across the room from the sink, never been able to whistle. Accept us, we are on your planet to help you.
Oh, I just got back from Korea where I was surprised to find that the salt was in the shaker with fewer holes. I thought I had found an interesting cultural difference, but I guess it was just common sense.