Just popping in today for a quick post on something I recently just made out of necessity — Italian seasoning!
Yes, necessity.
I realize that Italian seasoning falls in the category of those generic seasoning blends that “real cooks” claim to never use, such as seasoned salt and lemon pepper. But you know what? I use them all the time. Proudly.
Heck yes! Those dollar-bin seasonings were a big part of how I learned to cook back in the day. They were quick, reliable, and darned affordable when I wanted to try seasoning a chicken breast for dinner instead of ordering take-out. And even today if I’m whipping up a quick soup or my favorite flatbread or even if I just want to add some extra flavor to a pizza, I will still happily reach for a jar of Italian seasonings in a heartbeat. Because let’s be honest, when you’re in a hurry, who really wants to get out the marjoram, and the oregano, and the thyme, and the basil, and….
Well, actually the other day I did. Because when I reached for my trusty jar to make a quick Italian salad dressing (for a salad coming on Monday!), it was basically empty. So I decided to pull out all of the spices that were listed on the container and figure out how to whip up some Italian seasonings of my own. So today I thought I’d share my findings with you.
I will admit, it’s definitely easiest to just buy this stuff at the store. But if you ever find yourself in a pinch, or even if you’d just like to tinker with the specific spice amounts or make a batch with better-quality spices, then you can give it a try. Ahem — proudly give it a try, because there’s no Italian Seasoning Shame on this blog. ;)
I will note that I chose to make a recipe that is based off of the classic Italian seasoning blends, which is just straight dried herbs. Some of the more gourmet seasoning blends also add in things like garlic powder, onion powder, and/or crushed red pepper flakes (which I love!). But I like adding those separately, so that I can control exactly how much goes into a specific recipe.
Here’s the basic blend:
Italian Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Instructions
- Whisk all seasonings together in a bowl until combined. Use immediately or store in a sealed container.
- *Feel free to adjust the ratio to make whatever size of batch you would like.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!Here are some more homemade seasonings to try:
I was so looking forward to your delicious looking recipe on 10/14/14, but the ingredient list isn’t posted anymore! = ( Very sad! Could you post it again pretty please?
Hey Susan! So sorry about that — we had some recipes disappear when we switched over to the new design. It’s back up now! :)
I love how down-to-earth and approachable your food blog is, in every post. Three cheers for no seasoning shame!
I love spur-of-the-moment recipe creations. I use Italian seasoning a lot, but I’ve never made it. Easy to do!
I am constantly opening 4-5 different jars of herbs when I am cooking! Especially the taco seasoning. serious time saver- great tip!
Oh yeah, use those all the time, too! The Kirkland ones from Costco are a staple in my cooking repertoire! They’re really fantastic and good quality. Thanks for this post. Very good to know and keep in mind for if I am ever in a pinch and am out of my usual stuff.
Great tutorial! It’s always good to know how to replicate spice blends at home.
Love this made from scratch Italian seasoning. I do love the pre-mixed jars you can buy at the grocery store, but it’s always good to be able to make your own in a pinch.
Ali, this looks so good with fresh dried herbs! Definitely giving this a try soon.
Yep, I use Italian seasoning all the time, too. No shame here. :) Our local gourmet grocery store puts out a fabulous one that I just love. It looks like you use a bit different blend, so I may have to try your version.
I use Italian seasoning all the time too! Pinning this from scratch version!