We’ve All Been Using Our Morton Salt Containers Wrong — or Have We?

Apparently, many of us have been using our Morton salt containers the wrong way. Yes, I’m talking about the classic cardboard containers that come equipped with a small metal tab you lift to dispense salt.

In @.chrisdolo’s TikTok reaction video of a person showcasing a Morton salt hack, we learn that there’s a much easier way to pour salt — but it might have some drawbacks. Keep scrolling to find out more about how the internet says you should be pouring Morton salt and whether it’s something you should try.

TikToker Chris Dolo’s reaction video starts with him saying, “I was today years when I found out that I’d been pouring salt [wrong] the whole time.” Behind him, we see a person holding a container of Morton salt and lifting the small metal tab up, which, up until now, I was under the impression was the only way to spill out the salt.

But, underneath the metal tab lies (aha!) a small piece of cardboard (at this point in the video, I’m feeling like a true discoverer). The person proceeds to lift the cardboard piece out from under the tab with a fork and then pushes the tab back down.

While doing so, Chris explains, “You just gotta move that cardboard thing and you never have to open the salt shaker again because it's designed for you to just pour the salt out like this.”

Once the cardboard piece is successfully removed and the tab is pushed back down, then, voilá, the salt pours out from the tiny little hole sitting on top of the metal tab. Say goodbye to the struggle of opening your Morton salt container and the injuries the tab tends to cause when it hits too far underneath your fingernail (we’ve all experienced this at some point).

While I (and plenty of other TikTokers) were left in utter shock by this revelation, there was some discussion about why this food hack doesn’t work. Keep reading for the deets!

Cutting out the step of having to open a Morton salt container each time I use it is quite appealing I must admit, but some commenters on Chris’s video say this is actually how you’re supposed to do it. One person wrote, “wrong! That 'card board thing' is there to keep the moisture out…js.”

Another person wrote, “one word: bugs.”

Here’s a look at some of the insightful comments the video garnered.

So, does this mean the cardboard “thing” that sits underneath the metal tab on Morton salt shouldn’t be removed? Perhaps it comes down to preference and storage recommendations.

Reader’s Digest cites from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that “salt lasts indefinitely, as long as you keep it in cool, dry conditions in the panty.” But, if your salt is exposed to air, it might pull moisture from it, which could cause it to go bad.