Homemade Poultry Seasoning

Herb and spice blends are a must in any kitchen and there are many commercially prepared blends available. Some of these blends are trade secrets (eg. Montreal Steak Seasoning) so actual recipes do not exist. Others are regional blends that were created based on available herbs and spices so vary from brand to brand. A good example of this is Herbs de Provence. Anyone who cooks will want to have a good variety of these types of blends on hand. In many cases there are clone recipes that come very close to the propriety blend and in some cases are a better blend. In most cases the homemade blends are cheaper than store bought.

One reason for making your own herb blends is to use the bounty from your garden. I had 40 different varieties of herbs growing in my last garden and while I very much prefer fresh herbs to dry herbs, I found it necessary to dry for use during the winter months. Once dried the herbs can be flaked or powdered to make herb blends.

Poultry Seasoning

I think most cooks at one time or another have been in the midst of making a dish only to realize that they don't have a certain ingredient. Quite often that ingredient will be an herb, spice or blend. Friday morning I was preparing the stuffing for the turkey being served for our dinner party that night. It dawned on me that I hadn't shared some of the herb blends I make and take for granted. Making your own blends takes one more thing off your grocery list allowing you to focus on the basic herbs and seasonings for the ones you buy. This way you can combine both in various combinations to make several different kinds of blends. At the same time making your own allows you to use any herbs you grow and as you know, growing your own herbs is a sure fire way to save money.

Poultry seasoning is a must for homemade stuffing. It is one of the key ingredients! Commercial blends are generally quite expensive per once because they come packaged in small glass bottles. There are three problems with this. First and most important is clear glass caused herbs to quickly lose their flavour due to light damage so you are paying for an inferior product from the get go. Second you are paying for the packaging aka glass bottle. Finally you will often find yourself out of an herb blend when you least expect it so being able to make your own from what's on hand is a real plus. The first four herbs are essentials in your garden. All are perennials that are fairly problem free.

Poultry Seasoning

4 tbsp ground sage
2½ tbsp ground thyme
1½ tbsp ground marjoram
1½ tbsp ground rosemary
3 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp ground black pepper

Grind each herb separately using the grind setting on a food blender or use a dedicated coffee grinder. Measure out the ingredients and combine. Place the ingredients into food blender. Grind 1 minute to well distribute. Use a funnel to pour into spice bottles or spoon into a 125 ml mason jar. Seal. Store in a dark, cool area. Use as you would commercial blends.

Yield: 6 ounces