Tag Archive for: how to make

DIY Rosemary Herb Salt

, ,

Do you like to use herbs to flavor your favorite dishes?  If so, than you’ll want to try herb salt.

Rosemary herb salt

So what are herb salts, you may wonder?

They are a mix of the herb of your choice combined with kosher or sea salt and they add delicious flavor to food.

In short, they capture the fresh flavor of herbs and are used in place of regular salt.

Herb salts are easy to create and they make great gifts.

I like to make herb salts, which includes rosemary salt.

rosemary shrub for making herb salt

Since I don’t have a rosemary shrub in my garden, I got some from my sister’s house. All it takes are a few fresh sprigs of rosemary cut from the shrub.  (You can also use fresh rosemary from the grocery store).

rosemary shrub for making herb salt

You will need 3 1/3 cups of kosher salt and 1/3 cup of fresh rosemary along with a jar to store it in.

1. Rinse the rosemary sprigs in water.

2. Remove the leaves, starting from the top downward.  

rosemary shrub for making herb salt

3. Put the rosemary and salt in your food processor and pulse until the rosemary leaves are approximately 1/8 of an inch long.

4. Place the rosemary salt onto a baking sheet and put in an oven that is heated to 200 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Let the herb salt cool and then put in jars with a lid.  

rosemary herb salt

That’s it!  I told you it was easy.

Rosemary salt tastes great on your favorite meat dish including beef, chicken or pork.  I also like to sprinkle it on the top of buttered rolls – yum!

While rosemary salt is delicious, it is just the beginning – there are other herbs that can be used to make herb salt.

basil herb salt

Basil salt is a great flavoring for Italian dishes such as marinara sauce or sprinkled on pizza.

To learn how to make basil salt, click here.

cilantro herb salt

If you love cilantro, how about a sprinkle of cilantro salt on your favorite Mexican dish?

Cilantro is one of those herbs that many people can’t get enough of.  Click here for instructions to make your own cilantro salt.

Whether you use herbs from your own garden, the farmers market or grocery store – they are a delicious addition to your pantry as well as a great gift idea for the ‘foodie’ in your life.

DIY In The Garden: Making Fruit Vinegar

I am always looking for new ways to make things from what I grow in my garden.

Fruit vinegar is an easy and fun way to use the fruit you may have growing in the garden.

fruit vinegars

What can you use fruit vinegar for?  I use them to create vinaigrettes, marinades, and glazes, which add delicious and unexpected flavor.

Making fruit vinegars

Making fruit vinegar is simple to do – all you need is the fruit of your choice (chopped) and white wine vinegar.  Fruits that can be used include apples, berries, peaches, pears, plums, and strawberries.

I recently made some strawberry vinegar that is so good, my husband has been making his own salads – it tastes that good.

The process is the same for whatever type of fruit you choose.  Are you ready?

1. Dice fruit into 1-inch size pieces.

copped fruit and then pour white wine vinegar

2. Fill a glass jar 1/3 of the way full of chopped fruit and then pour white wine vinegar until it reaches the top.

vinegar jar

3. Store your fruit/vinegar jar in a cool, dark place such as a pantry for 4 weeks.

4. Once a week, shake the jars, to help mix up the contents.

Making Fruit Vinegar

After a month has passed, your fruit will have taken on a colorless appearance while the vinegar will have beautiful, color, which means lots of delicious flavors.

strainer

5. Place a strainer over a bowl and put a paper towel inside. Pour out the contents of the jars.

delicious fruit vinegar

6. Pour the strained liquid into a clean jar.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Congratulations!  You now have a jar filled with delicious fruit vinegar ready to use to flavor your favorite dishes.

You may wonder how I used my latest batch of strawberry vinegar.  Well, I have a top-secret family recipe for salad dressing that my kids and husband love.

It’s from my grandma, who coincidentally, was NOT a great cook – but she certainly made a delicious salad dressing.

I’m sure that she would be tickled pink to know that I am sharing it with all of you – just click the link below for the recipe.

GRANDMA SMITH’S VINAIGRETTE

I hope you decide to make some fruit vinegar too! In addition to strawberry vinegar, I also like to make it from peaches from our fruit trees – you can see how I made this earlier, here.

How about you?  What fruit would you choose to make vinegar from?