The Iroquois were the first to discover the briny waters on the banks of the Onondaga Lake in nearby Syracuse, New York. Boiling the water in open kettles over fire, they created salt that became a valuable tool for trade with European settlers. One gallon of its water could be boiled down to about one pound of salt
By the late 1700s, extracting the salt was well on its way to becoming an industrialized process and a major source of revenue for the city of Syracuse.
When The War of 1812 made it difficult to obtain salt from abroad, the planning and construction of Erie Canal got a big boost. In fact, locals nicknamed it “the ditch that salt built.”
During the Civil War, Northern forces took control of salt mines in Virginia and Pennsylvania – which meant that those living in the South could not get salt at any price. Some historians even suggest this contributed to the South’s eventual loss. So critical was the salt production in Syracuse that salt workers were exempted from both jury duty AND military conscription. By 1872 there were 4 large mills producing table salt and dairy salt, and collectively pumping out nearly nine million bushels of salt a year.
Most certainly when William Beekman had his original Mercantile in Sharon Springs, NY, there would have been barrels of Syracuse salt on display. And while the salt industry in upstate NY started to decline in the early 1900s (and, sadly, no longer exists,) one delicious reminder remains: salt potatoes.
The salt potato originated in Syracuse when salt miners would bring a bag of small, unpeeled potatoes and boil them in the flowing brine for their lunch. They are still a favorite throughout central NY, and easy to can prepare. Simply add 12 ounces of salt to the boiling water for each 5lb bag of potatoes.
Beekman 1802 wood-smoked finishing salts are available in the Mercantile. Click here to learn more.