A harvest “salt on salt” is not possible for Guérande salt. This technique, in which the upper layer of salt is scraped off before it becomes too hard, requires the crystallisation ponds to be “lined” with salt to prevent contact with the bottom. This requires a great deal of salt, which is then lost. In Guérande, too large a part of the harvest would be sacrificed, as the average of 1.3 tonnes of salt produced by “oeillet” only represents 2 cm spread over its surface.
Further south along the coast this technique is used as it greatly simplifies harvesting, which can take place by walking in the crystallisation ponds, every 4 to 8 days, and in particular mechanically once a year.
A daily harvest directly on the clay bed is necessary for Guérande salt. Our product is therefore softer. It is this characteristic which has always given our salt its quality, and which brings to Guérande salt and flower of salt (“fleur de sel”) its physical characteristics (colour, crumbly texture), chemical properties (a natural salt, richer in minerals (magnesium, calcium, potassium, oligo-elements) and organoleptic properties (a taste without bitterness or pungency).
Already in the 18th century, it was noted that foreigners preferred it for its moisture absorption, delicious qualities, and its large crystals with strong dehydrating power which removed water from food and made brine. It was also reputed for its whiteness and the small quantity of earth particles.
