San Juan Island Sea Salt

written by Lauren Kramer
photography by La Vie Photography

Brady Ryan is a salt-of-the-earth farmer committed to producing flavorful salt that comes straight from the ocean, 3 miles from his San Juan Island farm. Most of the salt we buy in grocery stores today is boiled, but at Ryan’s fourteen sea salt evaporation greenhouses, nature does the work. Here, seawater evaporates naturally beneath the sunshine, leaving behind 20,000 pounds of salt each year. He uses these perfect crystals to create more than thirty flavored culinary blends that encapsulate the taste of the island and beyond.

Choose from smoked madrona salt, dill pickle salt, chili lime salt, Friday Harbor seafood blend, coffee salt and a popcorn blend. Recently he partnered with Bow Hill Blueberries to craft a blueberry habanero blend ideal for fish, salads and roasted vegetables. “We love sharing the magic and beauty of the San Juan islands through flavor,” said Ryan, whose retail selection includes salted honey caramels and madrona smoked sugar.