As a mama I always want the best for my family. For that reason, I try to keep our food as clean as possible. Making my own seasonings help me do just that. I want all my spice blends to be: 1. low salt, 2. low heat and 3. have no preservatives. Seems like a pretty easy ask, but when you start reading labels out there it is not that easy to find.
Making your own spices is a great way to control what goes in your food.
Make sure that you use high quality ingredients when buying bulk spices. I found Costco to have a great selection of organic spices. For the gourmet flavors, such as, smoked paprika, I like to shop at HomeGoods.
The three blends that I always keep in my pantry are: Adobo, Cajun and Italian Blend.
WHY TO MAKE MY OWN SEASONINGS
1. Flexibility – you can control the amount heat, salt, allergens and flavors. Also, no preservatives!
2. Economic and Eco Friendly – you will find out that is cheaper to buy quality ingredients in bulk and mix them yourself than to buy multiple small containers.
3. Aesthetic – your cabinets and spice shelf will look adorable with your own jars.
4. Gifting – Homemade seasoning are the perfect gift to give it to your guests, teachers, friends and coworkers. (always include an ingredient statement or link to the recipe when gifting food, that way you can avoid allergic reactions).
Adobo Seasoning
Equipment
- Mason Jars
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp garlic powder
- 5 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dried parsley pulse a couple times to make it finer
- 1 tbsp dried Mexican Oregano
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingrediens together. Add to seasoning jar, label and date it.
Notes
- Goodness in/Goodness out – use good quality spices for best flavor. I like to buy bulk spices at Costco. They have good quality and organic options.
- I usually make it enough for a month or so. Fresh is best.
- This makes a great gift idea. Pack it in small containers with a spoon. Your friends will love this personal gift. (make sure to label with ingredient statement or refer them with a link to this blog post).
Cajun Seasoning DIY
Equipment
- Seasoning glass jars
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp smoked sweet paprika or split 2 tbsp regular and 2 tbsp smoked
- 4 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all spices in a bowl and mix well. Store in sealed contained with label and date.
Italian Seasoning
Equipment
- Glass jars
- Seasoning wood spoons (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp basil
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 2 tbsp thyme
- 2 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
