Herb Salt
Herb Salt
It’s spring in Southern Oregon. The perennial herbs and plants have pushed through the soil and the chives are ready to bloom. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with making my own flavored salts. Last week it was a Serrano salt made with some leftover Serrano peppers that I had sitting in the fridge. I liked the flavor but it did not have as much heat as I had hoped. I will try again. Next time with triple the amount of Serrano peppers. I like heat and lots of it. So, I look at it this way. What is the point of Serrano salt if it does not set your taste buds on fire?
Early yesterday afternoon as I was tending to my pots of herbs on the back patio, I was inspired to make my own Herb Salt. Buying pre-made flavored or herb salts can be ridiculously expensive and there was is no reason that I could not make it myself. So I did just that. I made my own Herb Salt. My Herb Salt is a simple mixture of fresh picked sage, oregano, rosemary and kosher salt. That’s it…
Purple Sage
I just love the color of this sage. Any variety of sage will do in the recipe for Herb Salt. Just be sure to pick only the leaves and rinse and dry the leaves well.
Rosemary
I use lots of rosemary in my kitchen. It’s readily available for I have a large bush growing on the side of my home. I pick fresh rosemary all year long and I use it many Mediterranean inspired dishes. The needles of the Rosemary plant went into the salt mixture…
Oregano
And finally, oregano… I have plenty of fresh oregano growing in one of the big pots on my patio. It’s now starting to take over and beginning to compete with the other herbs in the pot. It may be time to start transplanting it or even giving some away to friends and neighbors. Fresh picked oregano tastes fabulous in marinara sauces and other Italian dishes. It also lends a nice flavor to my Herb Salt.
My Herb Salt is easy to make and can easliy adapted using other types of herbs. I chose to use rosemary, sage and oregano this time. I also have parsley, basil, thyme and tarragon that needs to be experimented with. That’s for another day…
Sprinkle Herb Salt instead of plain sea salt on pork tenderloin, lamb chops or chicken before tossing on the barbecue or grill for a delicious flavor. It can also be used in soups, stews and sauces. So the next time you have some fresh herbs that need to to be snipped, be sure to make some Herb Salt. Enjoy! Tessa
Ingredients:
- 1 cup kosher salt (coarse)
- 1/3 cup loosely packed rosemary
- 1/3 cup loosely packed oregano
- 1/3 cup loosely packed sage leaves
Note: You can use more or less herbs if you choose. You can also change up the types and ratios if you want.
Begin by washing and drying the rosemary, oregano and sage. Be sure to use only the leaves and not the stems. Add salt and herbs to a food processor. Pulse and then spread onto a small cookie sheet. Bake in a 225 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until the herbs are dry. Stir occasionally. Remove herb salt from oven and let cool. Add herb and salt mixture back to food processor and pulse lightly until desired consistency. I kept my herb salt a little coarse rather than fine. Store Herb Salt in tightly covered container in a dry place. Makes about 1 cup of herb salt.
And a final note. Be sure to save your leftover spice jars. They can be washed, reused and filled again. Just peel off the label, wash and dry well, fill with your new spice blend creation, and add a new label!
