5 DIY Spice Blends

Spice blends are an ever present and important part of homecooking. You can find all sorts of pre-made blends at the grocery but if you look closely they have a lot of preservatives in them to help them stay shelf stable, and not get clumpy – namely lots and lots of salt (or some form of sodium). So whenever I can I try to make my own blends. These can be used right away or you can store them in airtight spice containers for later use (up to 6 weeks). I have put to get 5 DIY Spice Blends I use pretty regularly.

Take note that all of the herbs are of the dried variety. Fresh will not work in the same proportions and will not keep the same. Another important type for maximum flavor is the slightly grind the blends (with a pestle and mortar or the back of spoon) to help muddle and mingle the flavors together. I buy most of my spices and dried herbs from the bulk bin at my grocer. You can also buy larger quantities at restaurant supply places (like Smart&Final or The Chef Store).

Taco seasoning is definitely a staple in my home. I use it at least once a week. It is so versatile as it works for beef, pork, poultry, and veggies. You can also use it in rice or beans, pastas, and sauces or dressings. Two tablespoons of this blend is roughly equivalent to the typical taco seasoning packet, so you can swap it out easily.

All-Purpose seasoning is exactly what it sounds like – all-purpose. Works for beef, pork, poultry or vegetables. It is very good on whole chicken or turkey. And also great for making roast vegetables. Really good for broth soups too!

Poultry Seasoning is great for chickens, Cornish game hens, duck, or turkey. You can use to when roasting fowl or in ground meat creations like Chicken Meatloaf or Turkey Burgers.

Greek Seasoning is excellent for adding flavor to beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or turkey. You can use to roast meat for gyros, or add it to some greek yogurt for a delicious sauce for salads and sandwiches. It makes an excellent dressing when added to 2 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar.

Seafood Seasoning is not just for seafood, but you can certainly use it on your favor fish and shellfish recipes. It it really great with sausage, rice and pasta dishes. Note that this one uses celery salt and not just plain salt, like the other recipes I’ve shared in this post. It is a minor but important distinction for this particular blend.

So that’s some of my favorite spice blends. Do you have a favorite spice blend that I missed?

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here: