Homemade Garlic Salt

Of all smells, bread; of all tastes, salt.
~George Herbert
Trust no one unless you have eaten much salt with him.
~Cicero
Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.
~Pythagoras
Where would we be without salt?
~James Beard
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.
~Nelson Mandela

What other seasoning has the lore of salt? For thousands of years it has been used not just as a seasoning, but as a food preservative, as trading currency, as a mark of affluence, even as a funeral offering in ancient Egypt – whole books have been written about it.

If I was limited to one food seasoning, hands down, it would be salt. The more I experiment with different types of salt, the more I appreciate its versatility. And I don’t speak just of savory dishes; how better to top a creamy chocolate ganache or accentuate the rich buttery flavor of caramel than with salt?

I have several types of salt that I now consider staples, here are a few:

• Fresh Herb Salt (a P&S video post)
• Homemade Celery Salt
• Citrus Salt
• and something new, Homemade Garlic Salt!

It occurred to me when I saw green garlic, a favorite of mine, in our CSA share, that I love garlic and salt together. But the store bought version of garlic salt tends to have an odd, almost acrid taste. So I thought, why not make homemade garlic salt? And not just with the cloves of garlic, but the tender garlic greens as well? So. Delicious. The tender greens give the salt a bright, almost lime green color.

To allow the moisture from the green garlic to infuse the salt with flavor and dry to perfectly crunchy crystals, I dried the salt overnight on a baking sheet – a tip from this post.

How about you? What is your favorite seasoning? Do you have a type or flavor of salt that you love? How do you use it?

Print Recipe

Homemade Garlic Salt

This recipe makes a coarse garlic salt. If you prefer a finer salt, process the salt a second time once you've dried it.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Seasoning

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 head of green garlic and its tender greens coarsely chopped
• 1 cup coarse sea salt

Instructions

• With the food processor running, add the chopped garlic and greens. Process until finely minced, 15 to 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Add salt to garlic in processor; process until thoroughly combined, 10 to 15 seconds.
• Pour garlic salt over a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Allow garlic salt to dry overnight.
• Once dry, use a stainless steel or plastic spatula to loosen salt from baking sheet. Press the salt with the back of the spatula to break any large chunks of salt apart.
• If you prefer a finer salt, process garlic salt again to your desired consistency.
• Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.