Mix Your Own Spice Blends  

There are all sorts of spice blends on the market for use in many kinds of cooking or baking. Some are very good, but quite expensive, and I tend to use them so seldom I end up wasting an unacceptable portion when they get old. Others have one or several ingredients to which I object, especially the high sodium content. I prefer to find out what is in them and then use the various ingredients to my own taste. Of course, that means I need to have more of a variety of spices and dried herbs on hand, but many of the items are in the average cook's pantry. Sometimes the ingredients are listed on the cans, and reading spice catalogs has been very helpful. You will have to do like I did...decide which of the ingredients you like or dislike and adjust accordingly, even omit those which you find objectionable. I adjust amounts according to the dish I am making. Add your own salt as desired. Use your sense of smell as well as taste. Have fun and experiment. And remember, always start with less and add more as desired. These make great homemade gifts. Recipes Below


Cajun Seasoning

Chili Powder

Crab Boil

Curry Powder
Pickling Spice

Poultry Seasoning

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Taco Seasoning




Cajun Seasoning - No list of spice blends would be complete without a Cajun mix. Cajun-style cooking has become very popular, but often the spice ingredients are not listed with the recipes. If you watch cooking shows or read cookbooks, you know that several famous chefs market their own blends. At least one of them gives free access to the ingredients for those of us who are connected to the web. As with all blends, the products are quite expensive so make your own. From what I have been able to determine, although some of the spices in Cajun Seasoning are common to all brands, there are others that differ according to the manufacturer's preference. The common ingredients are: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme. Other ingredients include, but are not limited to: celery, sugar, turmeric, cumin, bay leaf, mace, cardamon, basil, marjoram and rosemary.

Chili Powder - Chili powder should not be confused with dried or powdered chiles. It is a blend, consisting mostly of powdered chiles, with other spices and herbs included. Unfortunately, many packaged chili powders also contain too much salt and not enough of the other spices for my taste. The ingredients in a basic chili powder are: ground chiles and/or cayenne pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder and oregano. Crushed hot peppers could be used in place of, or in addition to, powdered chiles.

Crab Boil - The spices used in a crab boil are similar to pickling spice. It is used for boiling shrimp, lobster, crayfish and crab. The ingredients are: mustard seed, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, coriander, bay leaves, ginger, dill seed and caraway seed. For a hotter blend, add some crushed hot pepeprs.

Curry Powder - There are so mnay different types of curry powders and pastes, hot or mild, depending on the country or the dish. I am not going to get into all of that since I have read about, but have no experience using them. I will deal with the curry powder that most of us can purchase in our grocery stores. The ingredients are: turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Pickling Spice - Pickling spice is most often used for canning pickles, but in some other dishes as well. The ingredients are: mustard seed, bay leaves, allspice, dill seed, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, coriander, juniper berries, mace, and cardamon. For a hotter mix, add some crushed hot peppers.

Poultry Seasoning - I have never cared for poultry seasoning, maybe because it is often used in excessive amounts and in some foods to substitute other flavor that is missing. A good example is the crab cakes served in many restaurants that taste more like poultry stuffing than crab. That's because there is very little crab in the mixture. However, I often use the 3 herbs in combination that are most prominent in poultry seasoning: rosemary, sage and thyme. Other ingredients include: savory, marjoram, dill, allspice and ginger.

Pumpkin Pie Spice - The spices in pumpklin pie spice can be used in all sorts of baking, as well as some main or side dishes. Try it in a pumpkin stew or baked winter squash. The ingredients are: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, ginger and cloves.

Taco Seasoning - I really do object to the sodium content in most packaged taco seasonings. And many of them contain MSG. Making your own is very simple. The ingredients are: cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Flour is often added as a thickening agent.

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