Savory Salt Substitutes and Other Fine Flavors

In the next round of make it yourself we are starting out with a salt substitute. These herbs and seasonings are easily found in your kitchen or the spice aisle in your favorite grocery store. Mix them in a blender to make them fine enough to sprinkle with a salt shaker.

For a Spicy Lemon Mix you will need:
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/4 cup dried minced green pepper
1/4 cup dried minced celery
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (or peel)
2 Tbsp. chopped dried parsley
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. savory
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
Mix in blender, scraping down the sides, if needed. Store in a capped shaker jar and use in place of salt.

Sea Salt Seasonings:
1/2 cup sea salt
2 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley flaker
1 tsp. basil, oregano, black pepper, marjoram, celery seed and garlic powder
1/2 tsp. curry powder and cayenne
Combine all ingredients in blender until a fine powder. Store in a capped container in cupboard and use within 6 months.

Sesame Seasoning Salt:
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tsp. paprika, pepper and chopped chives
Cook and stir sesame seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until they are light brown. Cool completely. Whirr with salt and other seasonings in a blender until a fine powder. Store in capped shaker for up to 6 months.

Make your own:
Poultry Seasoning
2 Tbsp. sage
2 Tbsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. marjoram
2 Tbsp. savory
2 Tbsp. rosemary
Mix and grind with mortar and pestle or in a blender until a fine powder. Store in capped container for up to 6 months.

Curry Powder:
2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. cardamom seeds
2 Tbsporiander seeds
1/4 cup ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cayenne (optional)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pour cumin, cardamom and coriander seeds into a glass or enamel baking dish and warm in oven for 20 minutes. Grind the seeds in a blender and add turmeric, dry mustard and cayenne. Mix until well blended and smooth. Store in tightly capped container for up to a year on pantry shelf.

HOT Chili Powder:
6 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. dried mild or hot chili peppers
1 tsp. cumin and oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne, garlic powder and salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Mix and grind all ingredients into a fine powder. Store in capped container for up to 6 months. Use in soups, stews and chili.

Dried Minced Vegetables: One way to keep celery, carrots, green onions or other minced vegetables is to chop and freeze them. Use them in soups, stews or whatever without thawing and they should "reconstitute" just fine. If, however, you want to dry them, you don't need to run out and buy a dehydrator. Your oven, set at a low temperature will work the same as a dehydrator.

You will need:

1 to 2 cups finely chopped vegetables such as: green onion, green or red pepper, carrots or celery.
Preheat your oven to 120 degrees. Spread the chopped vegetables out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Dry in the oven until crisp. The drying time will vary due to the moisture content of the vegetables. I suggest that you do all peppers together, celery at one time, onions together, etc. In this way there should be a relatively accurate drying time of the vegetables. The oven will be in use for up to 12 hours, so plan accordingly and stir the vegetables occasionally. After the vegetables are dry, cool completely and store in a tight capped container for up to 6 months.