Salt dough is a popular art medium used to make decorations, jewelry, and other crafts.
It’s a popular craft material, and children love playing with it.
There are different ways of storing it, and how well it will last depends on how you keep it.
In this article, we will go over how to store your salt dough so that you can avoid wasting money by throwing away unused supplies.
What is Salt Dough?
Salt dough, also known as “salt clay,” is a type of edible art that has been popular for generations.
It’s made from just two ingredients: salt and flour.
The ratio will vary depending on the desired consistency of your dough – more salt leads to a firmer result, while more flour makes it easier to work with.
Then you can use your salt dough to create a variety of items such as ornaments, buttons, gifts, and more.
Salt dough is easy to make but not long-lasting, so you should only work with what you need for each project – it will dry out quickly if left out in the open air.
And once dried out? Add water again and knead it into flour and salt until soft enough to form into shapes, or just let it have its shape on parchment paper.
You’ll then want to bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 Centigrade) for an hour before decorating with paint, crayons, etc.
Make today your chance to get creative on demand without having to wait weeks until your next art session.
How to Make Salt Dough?
Salt dough is a popular kid’s activity used to make all sorts of crafts, like ornaments and figurines.
Salt dough isn’t hard to make at home because it requires only four ingredients: salt, flour, water, and oil.
You need three cups of flour for every cup of salt you use.
The recipe is really simple too: first mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with your hands until they are completely combined; then slowly add enough warm water (not hot).
So that the mixture becomes cohesive but still stiff enough to knead by hand without sticking.
This will take about two-thirds cup per one cup of salt before adding more liquid.
Finally, stir in some vegetable oil as an extra precaution against stickiness.
The dough should be stored in an airtight container and kept away from any moisture.
To make it last as long as possible, you’ll want to keep the salt dough at room temperature for best results.
You can also store your finished project with a little bit of cornstarch sprinkled on top to prevent sticking.
Salt dough is perfect for all sorts of projects: it’s not just limited to Christmas ornaments like most people think – try making anything from magnets to animal figurines using this easy-to-make recipe.
How to Tell When the Salt Dough is Done Baking?
There are three main ways that you can tell if your salt dough is done baking:
The color of the dough will turn from a light tan to an even darker brown, and it’ll also start to shrink in size.
The salt crystals on top can show you that they have begun to dissolve as well, which means your project is ready for some paint.
You can also touch the dough with your fingers – when it’s cool enough but still soft, you know it’s time to take it out of the oven.
And if any cracks form while cooking (which will happen), don’t worry because this helps create texture in your finished product.
If all else fails, check how much space there is between where your parchment paper meets over the edges of your pan; once this widens considerably or starts to rise, it’s time to take your salt dough out of the oven.
Can You Rebake Salt Dough?
The short answer is yes. You can rebake salt dough.
The process for doing this varies depending on the type of oven (gas vs electric) and your personal preference for cooking times and temperatures.
In general, if baking at a lower temperature or for less time, it will not be necessary to rebake since the item should have been sufficiently dried out during the initial bake cycle.
If, however, you are using an electric oven with a high heat setting, then it may need to be baked again to ensure the item is dry enough.
How to Store Salt Dough?
Salt dough is a great material for hands-on play and creative work.
Salt dough can be made with many different types of salt, including table salt, coarse sea salt, or kosher salt.
The type of salt used will affect the consistency and color of the end product, so plan accordingly to what you want your project to look like.
Store in an airtight container (not plastic) at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
If using as part of a science experiment involving baking soda, store it separately because heat releases gas which could compromise its effectiveness if stored together.
How Long Does Salt Dough Last? Does Salt Dough Go Bad?
Children love to make things out of salt dough.
But how long does it last before you need to bake it? It’s best to use it within a day or two.
After that, it hardens and becomes brittle.
It’s still possible to use the dough for other projects like making ornaments as long as you keep them out of direct sunlight.
You can wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a zippered bag and store it in the refrigerator to keep it moist.
Making the salt dough ahead of time and storing it in an airtight container or zip-top bag is a good way to store the dough.
It will stay soft if you keep it out of direct sunlight.
Salt dough stored properly can last up to 7 days before baking needs to be done.
Salt dough is a favorite of kindergarteners, and this craft project makes for the perfect rainy day activity.
How to Tell if Salt Dough is Bad?
To tell if the salt dough is bad, the first thing to do is look at the surface of your salt dough.
If it’s smooth and even, then you can probably continue using it without any problems.
But if there are lumps or cracks in the surface with many small holes on top, that means mold has likely grown in some areas depending on how long this has been stored.
The moldy salt dough should be thrown away immediately because it’s dangerous to use.
If your salt dough is only a little lumpy but otherwise looks okay, try kneading it together before using it to help smooth out any rough spots that might be potential mold hiding places.
It can also happen the next time you use it if small lumps of raw dough are leftover from rolling or cutting.
If they’re just tiny and not too plentiful, then go ahead and add them in as usual because this shouldn’t cause an issue with your project at all.
The salt dough will have a certain moistness to it; however, don’t expect this for long because dryer conditions tend to make salty clay harden much more quickly than wetter ones do.
Conclusion
Salt dough is a mixture of flour, salt, and water.
The recipe for it can be found in many children’s cookbooks or on the internet.
Once finished with its creation, this dough becomes hard and durable enough to withstand small hands without breaking apart.
It also has a short shelf life, so it should be used right away.
Hence, if you are interested in making a salt dough project with your kids, make sure to plan on using it right away.
How Long Does Salt Dough Last? Does Salt Dough Go Bad?
Ingredients
- Salt dough
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Read the guide thoroughly to learn how long it lasts.
- Label your container with the content and date and keep track of how much you’re using!
- Make sure to store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (pantry or fridge).
About The Author
