Bittman-certified recipes, reported pieces about the politics of food; and rants about what’s broken in the food world (there’s a lot) and how to change things for the better. As our motto says, “Food Is Everything,” and we want to bring you every aspect of it.
Perusing grocery store shelves of artisanal chili crisp, finishing olive oil, and infused vinegars, one thing is clear: home kitchens are getting a flavor upgrade.
Amidst the condiment craze, however, it’s about time seasoned salt—salt infused with aromatics and spices—had its moment in the spotlight. Delicate and complex, flavored salts bring out the best in a dish, enhancing the natural flavors without overpowering them. So why not make them yourself?
Seasoned salts are incredibly easy to make, and a great way to repurpose onion skins, lemon rinds, and wilted herbs that might otherwise be heading for the compost bin.
If blending gourmet salts at home seems daunting, have no fear. Seasoned salts are incredibly easy to make, and a great way to repurpose onion skins, lemon rinds, and wilted herbs that might otherwise be heading for the compost bin. With half of the 80 million tons of wasted food in the United States each year originating in our own homes, these homemade salts are a creative way to reduce waste and maximize flavor. They also make unique gifts for kitchen novices and enthusiastic epicures alike, customizable to their personal tastes.
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Our favorite spice company, Burlap & Barrel, is promising to not raise their prices in response to the new tariffs, and to not cut payments to their partner farmers. To show that they're serious about not raising prices, and to finance another year of purchasing from smallholder farmers, Burlap & Barrel is extending their biggest sale ever, up to 20% off sitewide, through Tuesday at 11:59pm ET. Support them by shopping for spices and spreading the word. – Mark
The general principles for making upcycled salts are simple:
Start with flavorful peels, stems, or wilted greens that are otherwise heading for the compost bin.
Dry the scraps in a dehydrator or an oven at the lowest setting until crisp. You want to extract all moisture so they keep for longer. While a dehydrator makes this process much more straightforward, an oven works just fine. Most ovens only go as low as 170°F (the optimal temperature for dehydration is 125-155°F), so check the scraps every 30-40 minutes to ensure they are not burning.
Blend the dried scraps in a spice or coffee grinder. If you don’t have a grinder, a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle will work too. The powder should be about as fine as the salt you’re using; you can sift it through a sieve to get a more uniform consistency.
The most common salt base is kosher salt, but feel free to experiment. Flakey and fine salts add their own unique textures.
Mix the seasoning with the salts and pour into a small jar (bonus points if it comes from your stash of cleaned and saved jars). Label salt with a sticker or paper tag. If gifting, adorn with a ribbon.
Here are some of our favorite flavor combinations to get started.
Add a fresh, tangy flavor to any dish with this citrus-kissed salt. We recommend rubbing on fish or chicken before cooking, dusting vegetables before roasting, swirling into pasta sauce, or even rimming a margarita glass. You can also add fresh or dried herbs like thyme or rosemary.
If an everything bagel jumped into the Dead Sea, it would come out as this salt. Sprinkle this salt on avocado toast or eggs, swirl into cream cheese, or bake into literally anything for a savory snack.
Capture the flavors of fall in this comforting combination of sweet squash and grassy herbs. It’s great flavoring hearty grains, stirred into winter soups, or mixed with oil and nutritional yeast and tossed with popcorn for the perfect movie snack.
Bittman-certified recipes, reported pieces about the politics of food; and rants about what’s broken in the food world (there’s a lot) and how to change things for the better. As our motto says, “Food Is Everything,” and we want to bring you every aspect of it.
