First practiced in germany in the 14th century, salt firing is a mehthod used to create a unique finished surface on pots. Salt fumes have a dramatic effect on clay under heat. When kiln temperatures reach the melting point of common salt, approximately 900 *C (1660 degrees °F), granulated or rock salt can be introduced into a kiln through peepholes or other openings. This results in a surface blush of color formed on the ware body. At higher temperatures, over 1280°C (2350°F), the traditional temperature of high fired salt ware, salt becomes an active vapor throughout the kiln interior. This vapor then interacts with and bonds to the surface of the pots in a variable, often unpredictable manner.

Click here to see a short clip of one way to introduce salt into the kiln during the firing.

A related method, called soda firing, substitutes soda ash (sodium carbonate) and/or sodium bicarbonate for salt and is an increasingly common alternative.