Herb Salts That Take Your Dishes To The Next Level
Salt is essential for life.
Despite the bad rap that it gets in the media…salt assists with fluid balance, muscle contraction, nerve function, nutrient absorption, electrolyte balance, blood pressure regulation, hydration, and acid-base balancing - it helps enhance the flavor of food, on top of being a natural preservative.
Does that say anything about how important salt is?! Haha
Instead of sprinkling salt on your dish and still finding it lacks flavor, which often leads to over-salting (and overconsumption of salt), why not try creating some amazing Herbed Salts?
They add a fantastic finishing touch to your meals! Plus, if you have fresh herbs on hand that you don’t want to spoil, this is a perfect way to give them a new life and elevate your dishes effortlessly.
Here are a few great combos to add some pizzaz to your dishes:
DIY Herbed Salt
1 Cup of Fresh or Dried Herbs (pick your favorite blend or grab a solo herb you enjoy using)
1 Cup of Coarse Salt
1/2 Cup Sea Salt or 2 TBSP Citrus Zest
Making The Blend
Add Herbs and Coarse Salt to food processor and pulse until herbs and salt are equal in size. (This is why you should use coarse salt in this step!)
Add Sea Salt to food processor and blend until contents have a grainy and sandy texture.
Lay salt mixture on parchment paper to dry out for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
Store in glass jar and shake it up to break up clumps and store in a cool dark place.
A little goes a long way…this will last for a few years depending on how much you use.
Recipe Inspo
Lemon-White Sage Finishing Salt- adapted from The Healing Kitchen by Holly Bellebuono
This one is great to make right after Thanksgiving with all that Fresh Sage you have!
1 Cup Fresh Sage
1 Cup Coarse Salt
2 TBSP Fresh Lemon Zest Grated
Blend ingredients in a food processor until all contents are equal in size.
Lay out on parchment paper until ingredients are completely dry.
(2 hours up to 4 days depending on ingredients)Store in glass container until needed.
Notes
Dry Herbs work just as well for creating Herbed Salt blends. In fact, it cuts the drying time down drastically - just make sure your dried herbs are fresh. (at the most 1 month old.)
I prefer to use Redmond Real Salt in my kitchen. It is a healthier choice due to the mineral content and the company’s practices from the mining to the distribution.
Infusing flavor in the salt gives it a huge punch when adding it to your dishes. Sprinkle these to the top of your dishes…No dumping, just sprinkling!
Salt is a natural preservative, so these salts will last for years if stored properly in an airtight glass container in a dark and cool place.
Don’t use fresh herbs that are wilted or spoiling…fresh is best!
