Rustic Concrete Salt & Pepper Cellars
Bring the warmth of natural stone directly to your dining table with a pair of rustic concrete salt and pepper cellars. Moving away from traditional glass shakers, open-top cellars or swiveling concrete spice pots allow cooks and diners to pinch gourmet sea salt and cracked pepper effortlessly, introducing a tactile, earthy touch to daily culinary experiences.
Creating concrete salt cellars requires small cylindrical or spherical molds. Plastic condiment containers, small silicone muffin cups, or split plastic ornament spheres make outstanding molds. To form the inner storage cavity where spices sit, push a smooth wooden ball, an egg, or a plastic ping-pong ball wrapped in plastic wrap into the top of the wet concrete mix, securing it at the correct depth until the cement hardens around it.
Pour a fine cement mixture into your cellar molds, insert your cavity forms, and let the concrete cure for 24 to 36 hours. Once demolded and sanded smooth, it is imperative to treat the cellars with food-safe sealers, such as food-grade mineral oil, natural beeswax polish, or liquid food-safe stone sealers, to prevent fine salt particles and moisture from reacting with the concrete. Pair the finished concrete cellars with small carved wooden spoons or natural cork lids to create a rustic, spa-like aesthetic for your kitchen counter or dining room setup.