DIY Gourmet Salts
With most of my Christmas shopping done, I continue to work on homemade gifts this week. Today’s homemade gift idea is another easy and economical one: diy gourmet salts. Homemade gourmet salts are fun, versatile, and make a lovely gift. Additionally, these are packaged in these cute 2-ounce, reusable plastic bail jars for a great gift presentation. There are so many different kinds of gourmet salts to make, but today we are focusing on three: Italian herb & garlic, spicy chili lime, and zesty lemon pepper.
There is no rocket science to making these salts. All they call for is kosher salt and fresh ingredients such as herbs, spices, and citrus peels. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients as desired. Some recipes call for baking the salts, but since salt is a natural preservative, I opt out of this and just air-dry overnight.
And how do you use these gourmet salts? These salts can be used as finishing salts or while cooking. Meats are an obvious choice to use these on. Just rub your uncooked meat with one of these to take it up a notch. And some will enjoy just using these in place of regular salt and pepper for variety on the table. There is no right or wrong way here. Keep reading for the tutorial below.
DIY Gourmet Salts
Note: As pointed out by a reader below a properly dried salt should not need to be stored in the fridge. You should make sure it is dried though before packaging to avoid spoilage.
Italian Garlic Herb
1 cup of kosher salt
1 heaping tbsp. each of fresh parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, and oregano (you can eyeball this)
3 large garlic cloves
Combine all ingredients and mix well in food processor or blender. Dry on a cookie sheet overnight. Package as desired. Store in the fridge. Salts should last a few months.
Spicy Chili Lime
1 cup of kosher salt
1 tbsp. of chili powder
Zest from 2 large limes.
Combine all ingredients and mix well in food processor or blender. Dry on a cookie sheet overnight. Package as desired. Store in the fridge. Salts should last a few months.
Zesty Lemon Pepper
1/2 cup of black pepper
1/2 cup of kosher salt
Zest from 2 large lemons
Combine all ingredients and mix well in food processor or blender. Dry on a cookie sheet overnight. Package as desired. Store in the fridge. Salts should last a few months.
Have a lovely day! Best, Anna
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Do you have a source for the jars?
I actually got these jars from Brambleberry. They are an online supplier of soapmaking and candle goods. I am not sure if they still sell them or not. Another cute jar option is Wholesale Soap Making Supplies. Hope this helps! Best, Anna
Why do you have to store it in the refrigerator? The ingredients are dry and I’ve just never heard of storing salt in the fridge.
Hi Sheila. It was just a precautionary measure. I’ve kept mine both in the cupboard and the fridge, so either should be fine. You are right though, if the salt is thoroughly dried it shouldn’t need to be refrigerated. Thank you for pointing this out! 🙂 Best, Anna