Learn how you can make your own spice blends at home. The process itself is very simple. Measure out spices according to the recipe, mix them and your homemade seasoning mix is ready to be used. I promise that most of the ingredients you already have!
There is no better way to enhance the aroma and flavor of any dish than using a pre-made spice mix. There are several reasons for this. First, you have a blend of spices that you know definitely complement each other. Moreover, you can adjust the amount of spices exactly to suit your taste palate. You can exclude adding salt, any preservatives, or anti-caking agents to your mix of spices and herbs.
One more thing, make sure to store your homemade seasoning properly in airtight glass jars away from the sun or heat. In this case, blends will last you up to 6 months. Check out my guide on How to Store Spices at Home.
From Herbs de Provence to Chinese five spice powder, from Cajun seasoning to Middle Eastern Za’atar Spice Mixture. The list of essential spice blends is vast and you can choose only those that fully satisfy your needs. Here is my list of top spice blends that are easy to make at home.
How to Make Italian Seasoning
The so-called Italian seasoning, the mix of herbs and spices that is associated with Italian cuisine, has always occupied a special place among the most popular herb and spice blends. And how convenient that everybody can make this spice mix at home. With its unique combination of dried herbs and spices, you can add a mouthwatering aroma and flavor to any main dish or sides, both hot and cold. See what spices are in Italian seasoning:
Italian Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried savory
- 1 tsp. dried sage
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rosemary and black pepper should be freshly ground before making the mix.
- Combine all the dried herbs and spices in the airtight container and the mix is readyto use.
The Italian mix goes well with salads, any veggies or salad leaves, olives, any type of cheese. Add it when you are kneading the dough for bread, making a pizza sauce, cooking hot or cold soup, or simply baking any meat or poultry in the oven.
Homemade Herbs de Provence Recipe
This wonderful herbs blend gets its name from Provence, a region in the south of France. Herbs, which are a part of the mixture, grow in abundance in this region and have been used in local cuisine for ages. This carefully balanced mixture of fresh savory flavors is an easy way to bring the flavors of the South of France to your kitchen. Rosemary and thyme go in perfect contrast to basil with its rich sweet notes. Fennel adds a lovely floral accent to the mix. With these few classic dried herbs, there are a few optional ingredients and you decide whether to add them or not. Among them culinary lavender, bay powder, dried parsley, sage, and tarragon.
Herbs de Provence Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried savory
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. fennel seeds
Instructions
- Before mixing all the ingredients, you should grind fennel seeds and dried rosemary.
- Combine all the herbs in an airtight container.
- Store Homemade Herbs de Provence from six months to a year.
With all these varieties of flavors and aromas, the Herbs de Provence blend goes with vegetables, especially eggplant and zucchini. It can be added to soups and stews, dishes with poultry, rabbit, and minced meat.
Quatre Épices Recipe – How to Make French Four Spice Mix
Quatre épices is a French mix of spices, where its name gives you a hint on how many ingredients it has. “Four spices” list of ingredients consists of four spices, mostly. There are two more ingredients that you can add or use instead. The classic version has ground black/white pepper, ground cloves, nutmeg, and dried ginger mixed in equal amounts. However, I came across recipes with pepper listed four times more than other ingredients; recipes with cinnamon used instead of ginger and allspice instead of ground white pepper. As a final option, you can mix all these six spices to get the Quatre épices spice mix.
French Four Spice Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. ground pepper (black; white; or both)
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. dried ginger
Instructions
- If you have some whole spices first grind them using a spice mill or a blender.
- Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container for longer storage.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of spices that was specifically put together to accompany the pumpkin and enhance its flavor. However, it can also add delicious flavor and mouthwatering aroma to various beverages, savory dishes, desserts, and snacks. An integral ingredient for honey cakes, spice cakes, and, of course, Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients well combined and store them in the airtight jar or container for 6 months.
- You can use the same amount of Homemade Pumpkin Pie mix instead of store-bought PumpkinSpice.
When making your pumpkin pie spice mix you can experiment with the amount of the ingredients to suit your specific taste and need. The first four spices are the backbone of the recipe and adding allspice is an optional step (but I highly recommend you not to skip it!).
How to Make Chinese Five Spice Powder
The key purpose of the “Chinese five spices” blend is to highlight and balance the five basic tastes in cooked dishes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. You can find cinnamon, anise, cloves, fennel seeds, and Sichuan pepper in this seasoning, but this combination is not a dogma (many Chinese chefs, for example, add celery seeds, ginger, or even nutmeg to five spices). So, the meaning behind the name is not that use specifically use five spices, but use any amount of spices to balance out five tastes.
Homemade Chinese Five Spice Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. ground star anise (or 5-6 whole stars anise)
- 1 tsp. cloves
- 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp. ground Cassia cinnamon (Chinese cinnamon)
- 2 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns
Instructions
- Toast all the whole spices, except the cinnamon, in a dry pan over medium heat untilthey are fragrant. It should take you around two minutes.
- Grind all the spices in a pepper mill or a blender until the mixture becomes veryfine.
- You can store Homemade Five Spice Powder in a cool place for up to 6 months.
The five-spice seasoning has a rather warm, almost pungent flavor that Sichuan pepper brings to the mixture, at the same time accompanied by the slightly cooling, sweetish effect of ground cloves. The five spice powder, being added to stews and various marinades, pairs perfectly with any of the vegetables, meat, and poultry. It is the key ingredient in Peking duck. Overall, it is used in most quick-fried, made in a wok or stewed dishes. Moreover, do not forget about spicy beverages and cocktails, too!
I hope that the article was helpful and you learned the easy way to make spice and herb seasonings at home! I am going to keep adding recipes if I come across those that I like.
