Chances are you already have most every ingredient on hand in your spice cabinet. And while this blend has quite a few, you can certainly omit or include your favorites.

Speaking of spice cabinets.

During quarantine I organized ours alphabetically. It actually works pretty well for us EXCEPT when someone brings a new spice to the mix. Then there’s a whole lotta shuffling going on!

How do you organize your spices? I’m totally open to a new solution. I’d love for you to leave me a comment below.

I’m working on a new recipe today and reached for the bottle of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning. It is without a doubt my go-to blend. It was time to make a big batch at home.

The picture above probably best illustrates why I like to make my own seasoning blends. I included 17 different spices in this one.

We have SOOO many individual jars that it just makes sense. Not only will it help me use up spices we already own (keeping them fresh), but it will save me roughly $3.00. I’ll take it!

I use this blend in soups, on sauteed and roasted veggies, in my chicken rub, and multiple dressings & vinaigrettes. It’s so versatile and easily delivers wonderful layers of flavor.

Here’s how I broke it down!

Spice Blend Ingredients

The main components are dried garlic & onion, as well as garlic & onion powder.

According to the label on a jar of Mrs. Dash the next ingredient is the “Spice” blend which consists of pepper, parsley, fennel, basil, bay marjoram, savory, thyme, cayenne, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary, celery seed.

The final ingredients in the blend are carrot, orange peel and spice extracts.

I was pleasantly surprised to find we owned fennel, savory and orange peel. However I also omitted four items: bay, marjoram, carrot and spice extracts.

In a side by side taste comparison this homemade seasoning blend is pretty darn close to the original.

Feeling good!

Here are a few other spice blends you might enjoy!

Braai South African Spice Blend

Tandoori Spice Blend

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mardi Gras Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

For recipes that include this Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend you can start with our Meatball Roundup. It’s a staple ingredient in most of these recipes.

Do you have a favorite seasoning blend that you’d like us to recreate. Drop me a comment below and we’ll get busy!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend

I use this blend in soups, on sautéed and roasted veggies, in my chicken rub, and multiple dressings & vinaigrettes. It's so versatile and easily delivers wonderful layers of flavor.

Keyword Seasoning Blend

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon bay I omitted
• 1 teaspoon marjoram i omitted
• 1 teaspoon savory
• 1 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon orange peel
• I omitted carrot & spice extracts

Instructions

• Combine all spices in an air tight container.

The post Make Your Own Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

What’s not to love about sitting down at your favorite Italian restaurant when out comes warm crusty bread and a dish of herby Bread Dipping Oil.  I could almost make a meal out of it.  Almost.

It’s Friday.  So with my crusty bread dunked in this fabulous Bread Dipping Oil, I shall have a perfectly chilled cocktail, catch up with my family, and slide gracefully into the weekend.

This recipe makes a half cup of the dried herb seasoning blend.  To serve Bread Dipping Oil, sprinkle a tablespoon of seasonings on a shallow bowl or plate, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Serve with warm crusty bread and be happy.  I scored a gorgeous Tuscan Roasted Garlic Loaf.  This artisan bread was studded with whole garlic cloves.  Meow!

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Bread Dipping Oil

Enjoy your favorite restaurant quality Bread Dipping Oil at home.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the seasonings…

• 1 Tbl. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbl. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbl. sea salt
• 1 Tbl. dried oregano
• 1 Tbl. dried rosemary
• 1 Tbl. dried basil
• 1 Tbl. dried parsley
• 1 Tbl. minced garlic

To serve…

• good quality extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• crusty bread

Instructions

For the seasonings…

• Combine and store in a sealed jar.

To serve…

• Sprinkle a tablespoon of seasoning mix onto a shallow bowl or plate. Drizzle with 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 – 2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar.
• Dip crusty bread in dipping oil and enjoy.

The post Bread Dipping Oil appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

So today I did my research on how to dry fresh herbs.  This is our first batch.  I hope to be able to harvest a couple more rounds before Winter Thyme.  I’ve already got a few ice cube trays of fresh herbs frozen in butter & olive oil in my freezer.  Hanging on every way I can.

From everything I’ve read it’s recommended that fresh herbs be dried in small bundles.  It’s best to harvest mid-morning when they are their happiest and to be sure they are free of dirt.  Group a few sprigs of each together and tie with string.  If the herb has large leaves like sage or basil, you can remove them from the stems and tie them off.  Hang them upside down and suspend them from a string or board.  Choose an area that’s out of direct sunlight for them to hang out for about 3 weeks before being transferred to glass jars.

I’ve been thinking about this day for months.  The day I would retire my Summer Thyme header picture and replace it with a new picture of our beautiful herbs hanging by their toes to dry.  Yesterday Shelby and I set out on a Saturday Thrift Store Adventure to find me the perfect coat rack to use for herb drying and to find her a used racket ball racket.  I’d say I scored….she however is still searching :)

All the time I spent envisioning these hanging bundles of herbs, I never quite figured out what the back drop would be.  And so this morning I’m sure I’ve taken a good hundred pictures trying to capture the spirit of Autumn Thyme.  Uploading each new batch hoping for that Ah HAA! moment.

And then it hit me.  Go back to where this all started.  Those wonderful barrels that have spoken to me every day since spring.

Welcome Autumn Thyme.  May you take on a life of your own and fill our kitchen with the flavors of your season.

October 21st ~ Three weeks later…

These guys have been hanging out for 3 weeks and are dry to the touch and quite brittle.  They remain very fragrant when rubbed between your fingers.  It’s time to move them into glass jars, where they’ll wait for their chance to shine in a nice Autumn Soup or Winter Braise.

I carefully removed the leaves from their stems, leaving them whole.  Whole herbs last longer than ground herbs, so when it comes time to use them we can crumble them with our fingers or grind them finely with our mortar and pestle.  As with all dried herbs they should be stored in a cool, dry, dark location.  Sadly not right beside your stove.

We have a great tiered shelf insert for our spice cupboard that allows you to see 3-4 rows of spices.  At last count (right before I wrote this) we have 74 jars of herbs & spices, not including salts & peppers.  Which leads to the next tip on storing dried herbs and spices – they are best when used within 6 – 24 months.  Again, whole spices and herbs will last longer than dried, so whenever possible wait until just before you use them to grind them.  If you’re not sure if your herbs have lost their flavor boosting ability?  Give them a sniff…if you don’t detect a strong scent….toss them out.  I’ll be putting my collection to the test this afternoon so I can make room for these beauties!

The post Welcome Autumn Thyme {Dried Herbs} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.