I learned a master recipe for making Fresh Herbed Salt during my culinary school days. This technique is handy because fresh herbs can spoil quickly. I hate to admit how many fresh herbs I have thrown away because I didn’t use them fast enough. With this Fresh Herbed Salt Master Recipe it’s easy to preserve herbs for future use. The salt preserves the fresh herbs so they don’t spoil or get moldy. Now I keep a small mason jar in my refrigerator that I use all the time. Fresh Herbed Salt is perfect to sprinkle on a whole chicken for roasting, fried eggs, vegetables, salads, and more.
Why Herbs are Really Good for Us
Herbs are probably even better for you than you think. They are surprisingly good for us because they are nutrient dense for such a small amount of calories. See my article What is a Nutrivore for more information on this concept. They have a large amount of micronutrients and phytonutrients. These phytonutrients are known for their anti-oxidant and protective qualities. Many herbs are also considered leafy greens so they contain those same benefits of reduced risk of cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Which Herbs are Best for Herbed Salt
Herbs are divided in a couple of basic categories—hard and soft. Thyme, sage, rosemary, and oregano are easy-to-find hard herbs. Hard herbs can be cooked for a long time in soups, stews, and sauces. These are the best herbs to work with for an herb salt. Basil, chives, and parsley are common (and neutral tasting) soft herbs and they should be added toward the end of cooking. They can also be used for herb salt but you might need to leave the lid off the jar overnight to help release the moisture from those herbs. I ended up making my most recent batch of Herbed Salt using thyme and chives.
What is the Ratio of Salt to Herbs for Herbed Salt
The ratio of salt to herbs for the Fresh Herbed Salt Master Recipe is twice as much salt to herbs—that means two to one (2:1). For example, if you have 3 tablespoons of finely minced rosemary and thyme, you would add 6 tablespoons of salt. So, once I have all of my herbs minced I measure them to know how much salt to add.
Blend the herbs and salt together with a spoon or blend more thoroughly with a motar and pestle to grind the herbs into the salt.
Transfer the Fresh Herbed Salt into a clear mason jar and store in the fridge. If you end up using a lot of soft herbs it’s a good idea to keep the lid off to let some of the moisture escape so the salt doesn’t clump together.
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Fresh Herbed Salt Master Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs finely minced
- 6 tablespoons salt (Diamond Kosher)
Instructions
- Mince all herbs very fine.
- Measure out 3 tablespoons of minced herbs and 6 tablespoons of salt.
- Mix minced herbs and salt together in a small bowl. You can also grind the salt and herbs together with a mortar and pestle.
- Store in a small mason jar in the refrigerator up to six months.
Love this idea. Aways disliked herbs spoiling and having to throw them away.