It’s about this time of year that I start making some foodie things that can also double as stocking stuffers. This year, I decided to make seasoned salts. The Herb one and the Lemon one were really quite simple; the tomato one took a little more effort, but is well worth it, as it has a surprising amount of tomato flavor.
The colors of these will fade within a few weeks, but the herby flavor and aroma will remain intact for much longer. There is no shelf-life limit, and this can be kept indefinitely. I use these as a finishing salts, meaning it’s used to season cooked food at the table; however, they can also be used in place of regular salt in any recipe preparation.
Tomato Salt
Ingredients
4 ounces cherry tomatoes (from my garden!)
1 cup coarse salt (I used kosher sea salt)
Directions
Preheat oven to 200F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make a shallow slice across the top of each tomato. This will make the tomatoes easier to peel. Bring a pot of water to boil and drop in the tomatoes. Blanch for 2 minutes. While the tomatoes boil, fill a medium bowl with icy water. After two minutes, remove the tomatoes to the ice water and let cool. Peel the tomatoes, separating the skins from the tomato flesh (use the tomato flesh for another purpose). Press the skins between two paper towels to remove excess moisture. Transfer the skins to the prepared baking sheet, insides up when possible. Thoroughly coat the tomato skins with the salt. Place baking sheet on the top rack of a preheated oven.
The tomato skins will take about 2 hours or so, total. Check periodically for brittleness. The salt will be recrystallized on the skins. When brittle, remove from oven and allow to cool. Add the tomato skins to a spice grinder and buzz until pulverized. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Store in an air-tight jar.
Lemon Salt
Ingredients
4-5 Meyer lemons
1 cup coarse salt (I used kosher sea salt)
Directions
Preheat oven to 200F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash your lemons, dry and zest the lemons. Spread the lemon zest onto the parchment paper. Make sure it’s as evenly spread as possible. Place in your preheated oven and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. In a food processor, add your zest and salt, pulse for about 10-12 pulses or so. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Store in an air-tight jar.
Italian Herb Salt
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups coarse salt, divided (I used kosher sea salt)
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh lemon thyme
2-3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
Directions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place 1/2 cup coarse sea salt, parsley, oregano, lemon thyme, and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse, grinding salt until rosemary and thyme have a relatively fine consistency. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Add 1 cup sea salt and pulse to combine. Pour salt mixture into the baking sheet and let air dry for 2 hours. Store in an air-tight jar.
