How to Fill Salt and Pepper Shakers

Preventing Spillage When Refilling

Tape over the base holes of shakers designed for pre-ground salt and pepper. The fine grains will easily slip through when you tip the shaker upside down to fill and the tape will prevent this from happening.

Turn the shaker upside down.

Fill the shaker with ground salt or pepper. To make this easier, use a small funnel to transfer from the original container to the shaker. A funnel can be purchased from the store or one can be made simply from paper (see How to make a cone or funnel from paper).

Fill the shaker just to the top. Leave enough space for movement of the grains through the holes.

Pull the tape off the holes. Tip the shakers back up the right way. Done!

Opening Stubborn Stoppers or Plugs

Ease the side of a strong, blunt knife against one side of the stopper or plug. Gently lift the knife up and ease open the stopper. This method is best for hard plastic stoppers; the knife may mark or cut into softer stoppers.

Ask a stronger person to open it. In some cases, there is nothing for it but brute force. Get someone who has a strong grip to place their fingers and thumb around the edges of the stopper and to pull really hard a few times. Eventually the stopper will begin to loosen and can be pulled out.

Try softening the stopper by washing the shaker in warm water. This will only work if you're happy to let existing contents get washed away. Also, the container needs to be washable, so it's not ideal for untreated wooden shakers. Let the shaker soak for 10 minutes or so in warm water. See if it will ease out while in the water still. If not, proceed to the next step.Fill Salt and Pepper Shakers Step 10Bullet1.jpg Remove from the water and let dry or hand dry with a soft tea towel. Try removing the stopper again; hopefully the warmer water has softened it a little.Fill Salt and Pepper Shakers Step 10Bullet2.jpg