Easy Seasoning Mix Recipes For Gift-Giving

Making home-blended seasonings is a great idea for gift-giving.

You have control over the content, such as sodium or cayenne pepper.

You may put together a sampler pack of favorite tastes.

There's an option for the braver-of-heat, the barbecue king,

Tex-Mex fans, and curry lovers.

There are also copycat recipes for many popular favorites.

There are a few rules to consider when blending seasonings.

The quality of the herbs and spices used

will be reflected in the final product.

We can have an effect on several spices by

lightly roasting or toasting them.

With any seasoning, crushing bring out the oils,

which is where the flavors are.

If you haven't already, invest in a pepper mill.

This is a purchase you'll never regret.

Use freshly cracked pepper for good flavor.

My husband gave me a lovely brass mill as a

Christmas gift years ago and we haven't bought ground pepper since.

They don't need to be expensive,

but I'll tell ya, I've never found the sturdy kind at a garage sale!

Unless otherwise specified, all herbs and spices below should be ground.

When onion or garlic are written as granulated,

it is not the powder but the dehydrated form.

It's good to note that sea salt is not the same as table salt.

Table salt dissolves better, which is great for baking,

 while sea salt has that pleasant briny crunch.

And because it's unprocessed, it keeps it's minerals.

Kosher salt has no preservatives

and is a great salt for preserving.

When a dry seasoning recipe calls for brown sugar,

it becomes necessary to dry it.

This prevents clumping, as well as aiding with even distribution, once mixed.

It will generally be accompanied by salt,

mix the two together and spread this evenly on a baking sheet.

Bake it for about 60 minutes at a low 170°F,

checking the sugar to be sure it is very dry.

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BBQ Jamaican Jerk Chicken, flickr



Jerk Seasoning

1 tablespoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Be sure to remind your gift recipient that

this seasoning recipe will need some oil

 to become a seasoning rub.

Cajun Seasoning

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

Creole Seasoning

1/2 cup Kosher salt (1/4 cup table salt)
1/3 cup paprika
1/3 cup black pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup onion powder
3 tablespoons white pepper
3 tablespoons cayenne
2 tablespoons thyme
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon oregano

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Tony Cacheres Creole Seasoning, flickr

 BBQ Seasoning

1 cup Sea salt, medium fine
1/2 cup Unrefined evaporated cane sugar (no table sugar, please)
1/2 cup Dark brown sugar, dried
2 Tablespoons Sweet Hungarian paprika
2 Tablespoons Chili powder
2 Tablespoons Granulated onion2 Tablespoons Dry mustard
1 Tablespoon Granulated garlic
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons Celery salt
2 teaspoons Ground ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne

Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Tony Cachere Famous Creole Seasoning

26 ounces salt
1 1/2 ounces black pepper
2 ounces red pepper
1 ounce garlic powder
1 ounce chili powder
1 ounce Accent seasoning (Warning: MSG)
　

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Curry Powder, flickr

Madras Curry Powder

8 tablespoons coriander seeds
6 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seed
4 tablespoons cinnamon
8 tablespoons peppercorns
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons cardamom
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon cayenne (or less if less heat is desired)

Roast the seeds gently in a dry skillet over low heat,

while shaking the pan a bit.

Once they start to pop, add the cinnamon, peppercorns,

nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, ginger and cayenne.

Be sure the mixture becomes hot and toasted

but not burnt.

Grind this mixture to a powder using a blender, processor,

or mortor and pestle.

Garam Masala Curry Powder

1 tablespoon dried miniature rosebuds (optional)
A 1-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/3 cup coriander seeds
1 tablespoon green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 dried red chile
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground mace

Toss the stems from the roses.

In a dry skillet over medium heat

 stir together the roses with the cinnamon, bay leaves,

cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods,

whole peppercorns, cloves, and chile,

stirring often,

until the cumin becomes brown, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

Add the nutmeg and mace, then grind to a fine powder.

Jamaican Curry Powder

1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
2 tablespoons whole anise seeds
1 tablespoon whole fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
5 tablespoons ground turmeric

Combine the seeds and berries

in a skillet.

Toast over medium heat until their color becomes slightly darker

and very fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the skillet, allow to cool.

 Grind with the turmeric to a fine powder.

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Salt, flickr

Mrs.Dash Salt-Free Seasoning Substitute

1/2 cup onion flakes
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable flakes
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried orange peel
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened lemonade drink mix
1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary

Lowry's Seasoning Salt

2 Tablespoons pepper
1 Tabelspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 Tablspoon parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup salt

Old Bay Seasoning

2 tablespoons ground bay leaves
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Tablespoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoons granulated garlic
1 Tablespoons granulated onion
1 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoons ground coriander
1 Tablespoon dill seeds

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