DIY Seasoning Blends

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by Hannah McClure  Today I’d like to share a few of my favorite homemade seasoning blends, including ideas on what to grow yourself. With all that the last couple of years has brought to the surface, food security seems to be on a lot of folks’ minds. Myself included. Even with growing seasonal produce and having livestock of our own, I began wondering what hard times may look like. Would it mean bland foods? Would it mean less variety? Would it mean living only on what we can grow and raise at home? I started to look at areas where I could better prepare myself if I couldn’t rely on running to the store and still have a touch more flavor.

I’ll start with seasonings that can be homegrown. Things like chili powder, crushed red peppers, ginger, garlic powder, celery seed, basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, fennel, and many more of your favorites can be grown at home. I started with cayenne peppers.

As I harvested the summer’s bounty, I rinsed the peppers, cut the tops off, and flipped them onto dehydrator trays processing them at 135 degrees F for three hours to start. When they were dry throughout and easy to snap, I threw them into a coffee grinder (that I only use for herbs) till the peppers were a fine powder. I sifted out any large pieces and ran the grinder again. I stored the powder in a small canning jar for use in many seasoning blends.  

Here are a few of my favorites including fajita and chili seasoning. I hope that you find inspiration in making your own blends. 

Fajita Seasoning  

• ¹/² cup chili powder   
• ¹/⁴ cup plus 2 tablespoons ground cumin  
• ¹/⁴ cup smoked paprika  
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander  
• 1 ¹/² tablespoons sea salt  
• 1 tablespoon black pepper  

Taco Seasoning  

• 1 cup dried minced onion  
• 1 cup sea salt  
• 1 cup ground cumin  
• 2 cups chili powder  
• 1 cup crushed red pepper  
• 1 cup oregano  
• ¹/²  cup smoked paprika   

Ranch Dry Seasoning  

• ³/⁴ cup dried parsley flakes  
• ¹/⁴ cup dried dill weed  
• ¹/⁴ cup plus 2 tablespoons garlic powder  
• 2 tablespoons onion powder  
• ¹/² tablespoon sea salt  
• 2 teaspoons black pepper  

Chili Seasoning  

• 1 cup chili powder   
• ¹/² cup ground cumin  
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika   
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder  
• 1 tablespoon sea salt  
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper  
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon   

Mix each seasoning in a small mixing bowl and pour into a canning jar to store. Each seasoning blend lasts up to two years in a cool, dry place.

Enjoy!  

Originally published in May/June 2022 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and vetted for accuracy.