In ancient times, salt was prized as a precious commodity and it is easy to see why. Most commonly used today to add flavour to food, salt also has many other uses.

If you have weeds growing in the cracks of your patio, deck, or driveway, kill them by spraying them with a solution of 60 ml salt added to 3 ½ litres of water. Thereafter, to keep weeds from returning, periodically sprinkle salt grains in the cracks where they tend to grow.

Half a lemon sprinkled with salt can be used safely to clean or remove stains from granite. Rinse with clean water and dry.

Dropped a raw egg on the floor? Grab the salt shaker and pour a thick layer of salt over the egg and wait a few minutes, then clean up and discard easily.

Poured too much salt into a cooked stew or casserole? Pop in a good amount of potato cubes, which will “soak” up a lot of that extra salt and balance it out.

A blocked salt cellar in a humid climate can be annoying. Include a spoonful of raw rice into the salt cellar to help avoid this problem.

Never boil soaked dried beans in salted water; they will remain tough. Only add salt when the beans are completely cooked.