These days, getting quality seasoning cubes can be quite a hassle. And when you do find one, it could be well above budget, not to mention the unhealthy quantity of salt in store-bought seasoning powders. For people of the black race, salt sensitivity puts them at a higher risk of hypertension. Hence, careful considerations must be taken to reduce salt consumption.
Although not all, many store-bought seasonings usually have additives and colorants to help achieve the aroma and color they give to meals. Most times, when you see “natural ingredients,” a lot of processing has gone underway that makes you question whether those ingredients can still be called natural.
Making your seasoning powder allows you to play around with as many ingredients as you like to achieve the aroma and color properties you want your meal to have. Because natural herbs and spices are used, homemade seasoning powder has more health benefits. Moreover, you are in charge of the salt content and flavour richness of the seasoning powder.
Here is how you can make your seasoning powder at home.
To make a seasoning powder sufficient to fill a 320ml (10.8 oz) jar up, the ingredients used are:
- Three-and-a-half spoons of Onion powder or One large-sized Onion bulb (dried)
- Four tablespoons of Garlic or One Garlic clove (dried)
- One and a half tablespoons of dried Oregano leaves
- Two tablespoons of Paprika or Turmeric
- One tablespoon of Thyme
- Two-and-a-half tablespoons of Crayfish (Optional)
- Two tablespoons of Cajun, Black pepper, or Cameroon pepper (Optional)
- One tablespoon of Salt (Optional)
- Four tablespoons of Chicken powder (Optional)
**Optional ingredients can be swapped with other ingredients. The quantity should be proportionally tweaked to arrive at the correct amount of each ingredient.
Onion and Garlic
Onion and garlic are two bulb plants famous for their savory and aromatic impact on foods. That aside, they are also useful in warding off heart-related issues. You will need their powdered form to make your seasoning powder with this ingredient. Otherwise, slicing them into small pieces and oven-drying them before blending them in a dry blender will suffice.
Oregano
The essence of using seasoning powder is to enhance the flavour of a meal. Oregano is yet another flavour-enhancing herb. It is spicy with a pungent flavour. Using only a few dried leaves or a tablespoon of dried oregano is enough to give your seasoning the desired result.
Paprika or Turmeric
The benefit of adding paprika to your seasoning goes beyond its ability to impact your dish with a sweet and peppery taste. Paprika also adds vibrant colour to your meal, enhancing its overall appearance. Another ingredient that does something similar is turmeric. Although, turmeric does not have a peppery taste. You can substitute one for the other or go all in with both spices.
Thyme
Well-seasoned food should not just taste good or look good, it should also smell good. Thyme is the one ingredient that can help in that area. It is a slightly minty herb that improves the aroma of food. Dried thyme leaves are preferred for this recipe to reduce the moisture content of the end product.
Cajun, Black, or Cameroon pepper
This one is optional. If you want to give your seasoning powder a peppery edge, a tablespoon or two of any one of these ingredients will do.
Salt
For people on a salt-restricted diet, you can skip this ingredient. Otherwise, adding a little salt to your seasoning powder will do no harm. Rather, it improves the overall taste of whatever food you’re cooking with it. Depending on the total amount of ingredients, about a tablespoon or less is sufficient.
Crayfish
Although it is optional, crayfish also makes a great addition to your homemade seasoning powder. Apart from its numerous health benefits ranging from improved electrolyte balance to aiding brain and eye function and even promoting heart and skin health, crayfish, when added to food, does wonders in enhancing its aroma and flavour, making it much tastier.
Umami: Chicken powder
Adding chicken powder to the other ingredients gives your seasoning powder even more flavour.
Apart from this, it also increases the protein content of your seasoning powder, making it more healthy. Again, this time, you are sure the seasoning is made up of pure chicken, not flavours and additives alone.
You can vary this step by replacing chicken with meat or any other desired animal protein.
The steps to make your seasoning powder chicken flavoured are pretty simple. You’re good to go if you have some left-over chicken or chicken breasts.
Prep the chicken
If the chicken is uncooked, boil it with a little water without adding seasoning (that would be unnecessary). Once soft and cooked, remove it from the pot and cut it into thin pieces. This will shorten the dehydration time and make it easier to powder the chicken. ‘
Dehydrating the chicken
Afterward, place it in a dehydrating tray or on the wire rack of an oven. Preheat your oven to about 70 degrees Celsius before placing the chicken pieces inside it.
The typical time for proper dehydration is between three to four hours. But this could be shorter or longer depending on the quantity you’re working with and the efficiency of your oven.
Be sure your chicken is well-dried before bringing it out. You can tell if it is if it has a leathery texture and is hard but brittle.
Powdering the chicken
When the chicken pieces are cool, place them inside a dry blender and blend them until you get a powder-like consistency. For this, we recommend Amazon’s DR MILLS DM-7441 GRINDER. It has been described as “easy to use and effective”.
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To arrive at a uniform mixture of all the ingredients and an even smoother powder, pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor or a dry blender. Depending on the quantity you are working with, you may want to do this in batches.
For a vegan-friendly version of this seasoning powder recipe, you can add a tablespoon of whey protein to supplement the protein content of your seasoning powder instead of depending on animal-based protein sources.
Storing your home-made seasoning powder
When it comes to storing homemade seasoning powder, it requires more effort than when it is store-bought. In-store-bought seasoning powders, preservatives, and other shelf-life-enhancing ingredients have been added. Home-made seasoning powder does not contain such ingredients.
When well preserved, the average shelf-life of homemade seasoning powder is anywhere between six months and a year.
The major problem that plagues seasoning powder is moisture. Apart from using dry ingredients and instruments for preparation, the storage container of this powder matters. Store your seasoning powder in an airtight container and ensure the lid is always tightly placed on it.
A trick to resolve moisture issues in your seasoning powder is to add dry, uncooked rice grains to the powder after placing it in the container. Rice is a natural absorbent. It can absorb the moisture in your product, keeping it from clumping or congealing.
Place the seasoning powder in a cool, dry place. It is not advisable to place it in the fridge or freezer, as this could impact moisture in the powder.
