Homemade spice mixes

Thanks, I haven’t looked at fresh herbs and spices, except for sweet onions (it seems that they’re popular in Maui, to speak of polynesians). I was reading about Tikopian traditions too, and they’ve grown turmeric as more of a ceremonial dye than a spice. It was interesting though, having empty spice jars, I was looking at how many kinds of salt I could put in them, and there are more than a few… I could do a salt mix for that matter. :wink:

I’ve never heard of Montreal steak seasoning,

Although not an herb or spice, I expect that powdered mushroom would be great in many preparations. Dried porcini mushrooms are among my favorite cooking ingredients.

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I brought 2 back from Montreal (Schwartz’s). When I make a new similar blend it’ll have fennel seeds.


http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

I break up dried ceps/porcini in smaller pieces and add them to a blend for red meat (or anything that goes well with mushroom). They are also an ingredient in my home-made Laoganma (crispy chilli oil).

The powder is mixed well with Maldon salt for sprinkling. I also like to add some mushroom powder to a gravy or when deglazing a pan after cooking red meat.

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McCormick’s is the most widely available in the States - Costco even has a big jar available. I’ve come across other companies with blends of the same name. I like it a lot!

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I have a big jar of Montreal steak seasoning for Costco.

I make Za’atar from Cook’s Illustrated recipe, I mainly use it sprinkled on hummus.

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Three decades (or more) ago I had nearly a religious experience when I tasted–for the first time, dry rubbed pork spare ribs at a Houston’s Restaurant in Nashville, TN.

Previously, I wasn’t a fan of spare ribs because those drenched in sauce were a mess to eat, and to me, the “tang” distracted from the flavor of the pork.

After my ferocious bone sucking exposure to dry rub ribs, I came home and played with mixing seasonings and spices that would nearly replicate Houston’s Dry Rub. Each rub I throw together is a bit different from the last, but the spare ribs are very forgiving. Brisket too.

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Dry rub was the standard in Memphis as well

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I get spice mixes from a place called The Spice & Tea Exchange in Alexandria VA.
Here’s a picture of my recent purchase.

I also use McCormick’s Montreal Chicken blend often.

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I mix most stuff to order, but I keep these on hand:

  • combination ethiopian mekelesha and berbere (the current mix, which I’m still working on, contains coriander seed, fenugreek seed, black pepper, green cardamom, allspice, cloves, thyme and oregano as a substitute for ajwain, garlic powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, paprika) in shiro wat, beef tibs and all the redder stews. Also good on avocado.

  • middle-eastern za’atar (traditionally wild thyme but in mine some mix of mediterranean thyme and oregano; sesame seeds and sumac) also on avocados, chicken, and in olive oil for bread dipping.

  • chinese five spice powder https://omnivorescookbook.com/homemade-five-spice-powder/ for homemade cantonese roasted duck and bbq pork bun filling. Also been meaning to try it with some kind of pear pastry.

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I just realized that the lemon salt is directly linked to making preserved lemons. I generally need the juice of 2 more lemons to cover my batch of preserved lemons. I’ve learned to go ahead and zest them prior to juicing. Interestingly both the lemon salt and the preserved lemons last me about the same length of time!

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I mainly use it sprinkled on hummus

I was reading quickly, and initally thought you said you use in sprinkled on humans!

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I use almost entirely homemade spice mixes. First, as someone else mentioned, I want to control the amount of salt that goes into a dish. Second, mixing my own increases turnover in my core herbs and spices so everything stays fresher.

Mixes we use often like Italian seasoning and taco seasoning get made in bulk and go in reused spice jars, labeled of course. Less often used mixes get made on the fly in the amount needed.

The only spice mix I can think of that we buy pre-made is garam masala.

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Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning is my favorite spice blend.
INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dill seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    Cook peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill seeds, and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and beginning to pop, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush, or transfer to a sturdy resealable plastic bag and coarsely crush with the bottom of a heavy skillet. Add salt, garlic, and chile flakes and crush to combine.
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I like the toasting of the spices myself as well. That simple task just adds so much flavor to what you are making!

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I think that spice is the main part of cooking and it gives taste for all dishes. All depends of what spice you are using for .

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Spice mixes I like to make are adobo, and various rubs for smoking or BBQ, or if a recipe calls for a blend I don’t have. With whole spices, my grinder, and the bagged spices I have, I can usually come up with a good blend. With a little help from the internet.

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Doing it!



I’m going to use the chile powder in a BarBQ blend.

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Good for you !
I make spice mixes, but mainly at the day of cooking.
Left overs are obviously kept and generally become part of my surprise collection.
As I normally forget to label them;)

Ones I make on a regular base and keep on hand are shoarma, cajun and an SE Asian rub

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