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?

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Homemade Garlic Salt

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

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

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. 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.

2. Add salt to garlic in processor; process until thoroughly combined, 10 to 15 seconds.

3. Pour garlic salt over a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Allow garlic salt to dry overnight.

4. 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.
5. If you prefer a finer salt, process garlic salt again to your desired consistency.
6. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.