Editor's note (December 25, 2020): Nitori Co., Ltd. has announced an "apology and voluntary recall notice" regarding Nitori's diatomaceous earth products. For more information, please check Nitori Co., Ltd.'s "Important Notice".

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
Eco-friendly desiccant that can be used repeatedly

The rainy season is full of unpleasant humidity. I'm concerned about the damage not only to humans but also to the ingredients stored in the kitchen.

I found an item at Nitori that helps remove moisture in the kitchen. This time we would like to introduce the "karari" series of desiccants made from diatomaceous earth.

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
“karari” series

This series, developed by Anesty, is a desiccant that is used in storage containers for seasonings and tea leaves. The store I visited had tablet and spoon types, both of which were available in two colors: white and gray.

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
candy-like tablet and spoon

Diatomaceous earth, which is commonly seen these days, is the fossilized shells of phytoplankton and algae. It has countless fine holes on its surface and is characterized by its "humidity control function." When I tried spraying water on this as well, the surface dried instantly.

When using it, just wash it with water, dry it in the microwave or in the sun, and put it in a storage container for salt, tea leaves, pasta, etc. The spoon type can also be used as is for measuring (1 spoon is about 1 teaspoon).

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
Prevents salt from clumping

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
Prevent sweets and nuts from drying out (be careful not to allow children to put them in their mouths)

Diatomaceous earth block "karari" series
Convenient to use the spoon as is

If the effect wears off, you can reuse it by drying it. It's not as strong as silica gel, so it's probably not suitable for sweets that lose texture when moist. Please note that sugar has the property of solidifying when dried, so it cannot be used (we recommend the `` Tokosaji '' sugar that we introduced earlier).

The karari series has a cute design that makes you want to put it in anything, and can be purchased for around 200 yen each. It's a reasonable price, so it's good to have it in a series!