A salt farmer raking the pans by hand, Figueira da Foz

Our Method

Nature sets the pace: we rely on nothing but sea and sun. Hand-harvested since the 11th century.

Our Method

Sea, sun, and time

For centuries, salt farmers in Figueira da Foz have worked to nature's rhythm: Atlantic water in the pans and the sun for evaporation. Hand-harvested, with no artificial heating or processing. Nothing added, nothing taken.

Shallow salt pans filled with Atlantic water, Figueira da Foz

Step one

It starts with the Atlantic

We draw Atlantic seawater into shallow pans, naturally filtered on its way through beds of sea algae, which impart magnesium onto the water and give our salt its distinct flavour.

Step two

Sun works at its pace

Once in the shallow pans, the water begins its slow evaporation under the hot sun. A slow, gentle process that usually takes around a week to reach the point where a pan is full of salt crystals ready to harvest.

Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Worked the same way for centuries.

A salt farmer raking the pans to keep the crystals forming evenly, Figueira da Foz

Step three

Tending daily

Every day, we manage water levels in the pans and rake the waters to ensure even crystallisation. This careful attention means our salt crystals develop more uniformly, giving it its distinct coarse texture.

Harvested sea salt stored in the warehouse, Figueira da Foz

Step four

Harvesting weekly

Once enough salt accumulates, we gather it into pyramids at the edge to dry naturally. When dried, after a day or two, we carry the salt into the warehouse where it is sheltered from the elements.

Freshly harvested sea salt being collected by hand, Figueira da Foz

The traditional way

Behind every grain of Silva Salt is a salt farmer tending to the pans, every summer day, from sunrise to sunset. This is skilled, hard work that deserves fair compensation and respect. When you buy Silva Salt, you're supporting real people doing real craft.

Fine flor de sal skimmed into the harvest trays, Figueira da Foz

Flor de sal – The flower of salt

Nature's delicate gift

On breezy and warm afternoons, delicate crystals form on the water's surface. This is flor de sal, nature's rare gift. We collect it that same day with a fine mesh, before it sinks.

Working with nature

Solar power, in its most literal form

Our method is inherently sustainable. We use no electricity, no fossil fuels, and no industrial machinery. The sun does all the work, solar power in its most literal form.