Summer is salt harvest time! A local photographer has captured some beautiful images of the harvest ongoing at the Salina salt pans. These are the largest man-made salt pans in Malta and were constructed by the Knights of St John in 1764.

Back in the period following its construction, the Salina salt pans could produce around 4,000 tonnes of coarse salt per year, however once cheap table salt began to be imported, the practice died down considerably.

The process of salt production is a long one, starting in March or April when the selected salt pans are pumped dry and cleaned by hand, first with shovels and then power-washed, to ensure the purity of the salt produced.

During a makeover the salt pans received in 2021, modern water-valves were installed, intended to receive water from the sea through the outer silt capture basins, through a distribution canal and into the clean salt pan, all via gravity.

Once the salt pans are full, the valves are shut, and the waiting process begins. The hot summer sun causes the water in the pans to evaporate, creating a thick layer of crystallised salt.

At this point, shovels are used to break up this layer of salt into smaller grains of salt which are left in heaps to dry further. It is this point of the salt production process that has been captured in these beautiful photos.

Once the salt is collected, it is tested to check whether it is fit for human consumption, after which it can be distributed.

Have you ever visited the Salina salt pans?