Do most kitchens have a jar of seasoning salt (or as I recently learned, Seasoned Salt is what it is actually named) tucked away somewhere? Or maybe not even tucked away. For you it might be front and center. For years, I didn’t. See, I had a deep suspicion of some of the ingredients and that held me back as well as the rather “generic” flavor.
Homemade Seasoning Salt
I don’t mean any offense about that “generic” statement, it’s just that I have a pretty killer spice cabinet (I used to say if there was a fire I’m not sure if I’d rescue the family photos or my spices, first!) that I’ve built up over time and I make so many recipes that I customize the spices for.
About Homemade Seasoning Salt:
It was my son, though, that really clued me into seasoning salt. See, he doesn’t really use recipes, he just “wings” it and relies on seasoning salt to jazz up all kinds of things. He’s worked at restaurants and learned that a little seasoning salt can do wonders on things like burgers, chicken, steak or just about anything grilled. He also sprinkles it on things that he breads and fries, like chicken (his girlfriend is responsible for that and I have yet to taste it but I hear its awesome) and he really likes it sprinkled over all kinds of potatoes, from baked to french fries to hashbrowns.
So when Kraig asked why there wasn’t any in my cupboard, I thought maybe an old dog can learn a new (or in this case “old”) trick. I wondered if it was just an old habit that kept me from picking up and using seasoning salt or if it was just pure snobbiness on my part. Admittedly, I can be a little food snobbish some times.
So I found a way to have seasoning salt and still keep my snobbishness intact (I am being a little tongue in cheek) and came up with my own “house blend.” There’s no MSG or any other odd or strange ingredients in this Homemade Seasoning Salt. It’s just your normal, everyday ingredients combined into a sweet, salty delicious blend. Feel free to cut back on the sugar if you want, although once it’s sprinkled on it’s really just a little touch. I think that’s the magic of seasoning salt, that touch of sugar. Who knew? I’ve had fun sprinkling it on all kinds of things, too, so thanks, Kraig!
Homemade Seasoning Salt
Making Homemade Seasoning Salt:
There’s nothing to making this blend. You can add a teaspoon of cornstarch to help keep all the ingredients flowing since both salt and sugar can get a little sticky, especially when it’s hot and humid in the summer, and especially if you keep your seasoning salt on the back of the stove.
Notice how I toss the spices out on the counter and smush them around? It’s not just for a dramatic photo op, although I love that it reminds me of some kind of spice big bang universe thing. It’s so I can make sure that none of the spices have any clumps and it gives me the opportunity to smoosh them if they do. It’s hard to see those clumps when mixed in a bowl. I just scoop the spices up with a piece of paper and use that paper to funnel them into whatever jar or container I’m using.
Saving Money on Homemade Seasoning Salt:
I have a rule of thumb that always alerts me to when it’s more cost-effective to make as opposed to buy any spice blend. If the jar is more than the most expensive ingredient, it’s too much! In this case, all the ingredients are cheap and seriously, the price shouldn’t be any more than salt, and you gotta know you can buy a whole carton of salt for about 89 cents!
I buy some of these spices that I use so often in other spice blends and rubs in big plastic jars or jugs at Costco or sometimes the grocery store. I see them often other places, too. Not every spice comes that way, and you won’t want to buy all of them in larger quantities if you aren’t using them on a regular basis. But I always look for onion and garlic powder, paprika and cumin. I have small “working” jars in my spice cupboard and keep the larger jars up in a cool, dark cupboard and they stay fresher longer.
Watch for spices to go on sale around holidays and replenish any that are getting low. Beyond that, spring is a great time to watch for low prices and specials on spices. McCormick, in particular, usually runs “Catalina” sales every Spring. Catalinas come in two parts. Generally, when you buy something, a piece of paper spits out notifying you of the upcoming “like” product Catalina. Say you bought a box of vanilla, you might see a Catina notification that says something like “Buy 4 bottles of any McCormick flavorings or food coloring, get three dollars back.” It will let you know when the Catilina sale starts, and say something like, “Good from such and such date to such and such date.”
That means if you go back to the store during that time period, and buy four of the items, you’ll get a Catalina, a slip of paper that spits out at the register, for the three dollars that you can spend almost any way you want in the store. Generally, when a company runs a Catalina sale, the producer will put out a lot of coupons and usually, the grocery store puts the item on sale, too, so it can be quite a cost savings. Your coupon matching site, which should notify you of good deals, not just coupons, and should alert you to these. Sometimes the store doesn’t advertise the upcoming or current Catalinas.
If you’d like to see more of my spice & herb blends, check out Spice, Herb & Flavor Packet Substitutes. I’m always adding as I go along!
Homemade Seasoning Salt
Home-Made Seasoning Salt
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pepper to taste, suggest 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, crushed
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. If desired, add a teaspoon of cornstarch; it will help keep this free flowing.
Keywords: seasoning salt, Spice & Herb Blends
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