Thursday salt

Thursday salt is a product prepared in a special way from regular salt. It was used in Russian Orthodox culture and was prepared only once a year – during Holy Week on the night of Clean Thursday, during the day or in the morning of Clean Thursday. Hence the name "Thursday salt". The second name "Black salt" appeared due to the dark color that the salt acquires under high temperature.

What is Thursday salt for and how to use it

Previously, Thursday salt was blessed in the church and used during the Easter feast. Painted eggs were eaten exclusively with it on Easter. It was prepared in large quantities, and the leftover was used as regular salt until the next Clean Thursday. It was kept out of sight.

There was a belief that it would protect the household members from the evil eye and illnesses. For the same purpose, a pinch of such salt was added to the water when bathing infants.

To always have abundance in the house, a salt shaker with Black salt should always be placed on the dining table. Protective properties were attributed only to salt blessed in the church.

The sick were given water with such salt to drink. A pinch of Thursday salt was slowly stirred into a glass of water while saying:

"As the salt was baked by fire, so may the body (person's name) be filled with health. Amen!"

Everyone decides for themselves how to relate to beliefs, but the benefits of Black salt were not talked about at that time, as its chemical composition was studied later.

What is Thursday salt useful for

During the roasting process, the chemical composition of salt changes, making it more beneficial for humans than regular white salt. The content of heavy metals decreases by dozens of times, and chlorine virtually disappears. It is chlorine that causes thirst after salty food, which triggers the formation of edema.

The ash generated during cooking enriches the salt with useful microelements:

• potassium;
• iodine;
• zinc;
• calcium;
• selenium;
• copper and others.

Burned salt contains carbon, which helps to eliminate waste and toxins from the body.

After preparation, a new product with different properties is obtained.

What is Thursday salt like in taste

How to prepare Thursday salt

Recipes for preparing Thursday salt are adapted to modern conditions, and now it can be made in any kitchen. The ratio of ingredients can be changed depending on how salty you want the product to be. Note that you need to turn on the exhaust or create a draft as smoke will be emitted.

Iodized salt or salt with other additives will not work.

With spicy herbs

Ingredients:

• coarse salt – 1 kg;
• leaves of any dried spicy herbs – a large handful;
• rye bread – 1 kg.

Preparation:

1. A handful of dried mint, lemon balm, oregano, or any other spicy herbs should be crushed and mixed with 1 kg of stone salt.
2. Add about 1 kg of crushed rye bread. Stale bread can be grated.
3. Everything should be mixed well and spread in a layer on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 250 degrees and periodically mix everything. After a while, the salt will compact – it needs to be broken up if possible to stir it.
4. After about 40 minutes, the bread will start to blacken, burn, and smoke. At this time, turn off the oven, mix everything again, and leave in the oven until it cools down. The bread should blacken and just start to smoke, otherwise, if the bread is burned too much, it will taste bitter.
5. After cooling, pass through a meat grinder or grind in another way.

Based on kvass mash

Not everyone has kvass dregs obtained after fermenting the wort, but it can easily be replaced with soaked rye bread. For 1 kg of salt, about 3 loaves of bread or more are taken.

Ingredients:

• coarse salt – 1 kg;
• kvass dregs – 1 kg or rye bread – 3 loaves;
• spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. If using bread, soak it in water and soften it to a uniform mass.
2. Add salt and any spices to taste to the soaked bread or kvass dregs. Mix well.
3. Spread in a layer on a baking sheet, place in the oven at 250 °C.
4. After about 10 minutes, break the dried layer and load it back into the oven. Stir occasionally.
5. After 30 – 40 minutes, the mass will start to burn, and smoke will appear from the burnt bread. Stir and leave to cool.
6. Thoroughly grind the cooled mass.

With oatmeal or flour

Show ingredients

Ingredients:

• coarse salt – 200 grams;
• oat flakes or rye flour – 200 grams;
• any spices – 2 teaspoons;
• water – as needed.

Preparation:

1. Mix the oatmeal (flour) with the spices.
2. Slowly pour in cold water while constantly stirring until the consistency of thick dough is reached.
3. Add salt to the resulting dough and mix well.
4. Divide the mass into pieces the size of a medium potato and wrap each in 3 layers of foil.
5. Bake the lumps until the dough turns black. This can be done in the oven at high temperature, in a Russian stove in the heat, or in the coals of a fire, as potatoes are baked. It will take about forty minutes to an hour to bake. The fire should be large, as the coals cool quickly, and the temperature must be maintained by adding unfinished firewood from the edges of the fire.
6. After about 40 – 60 minutes, when the mass has baked and turned black, leave it in the foil (in the oven, in the stove, or in the fire) until cool.
7. After cooling, free the Thursday salt from the foil, grind it in a mortar or by other means, and sift.

The sifted powder can be added to bathing and washing water, or used to make masks for hands and face.

How Thursday salt was made in ancient times

Previously, Thursday salt was made in a Russian stove with dry birch firewood. In these conditions, the temperature reaches 800 degrees or more. There were various recipes, one of the simplest options:

In 1 kg of coarse salt, add two slices of soaked rye bread and a bunch of crushed healing herbs. The herbs can be any, for example, oregano, St. John's wort, caraway, and even wormwood. This mixture was placed in a cast iron vessel on glowing coals. It was kept for several hours until the salt turned black. Then it was cooled and ground. During preparation, ‘Our Father’ or a special prayer was read three times:

“Pure Thursday, preserve and have mercy from worms and all kinds of pests.”

How to store

Previously, finished Thursday salt was stored in canvas bags in some dry secluded place, so that no one else could touch it.

Such a product stores well in glass jars, where the aroma of herbs remains longer.

Transfer the prepared salt to a glass container, cover it with thick paper, and keep it in a dark place.