I recently came across a recipe for an all-purpose seasoning blend in an old Paula Deen cookbook. She calls it her House Seasoning Mix and now I know why! It has quickly become the staple seasoning in my kitchen and I keep a jar of it by my stove at all times. We use it on anything we are cooking, even sprinkling it over salads and popcorn.
All-Purpose Seasoning Recipe
- 1 cup salt
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
In a bowl measure the salt, add in the black pepper and then the garlic powder. I grind peppercorns for this recipe and for my other seasoning blends. Below I share my riveting thoughts on fresh ground pepper.
Stir the ingredients together and pour into a jar with a tight lid. I use a funnel set like this to pour spices and things into jars for storage. It come in very handy if you are a hoarder of fun small jars like I am! Put the lid on the jar nice and tight then store your All-Purpose Seasoning in a cool dark cabinet.
Use on sauces, meat, roasted potatoes, french fries, and cooked or roasted vegetable, popcorn, and much more!
Strong opinions about salt
Now a word about ingredients. I use either Redmond’s Real Salt or Himalayan pink salt. For general cooking I use coarse sea salt but for this recipe I like fine salt. You can use fine sea salt but I don’t recommend iodized table salt. There are so many options to chose from that are pure salt, there’s no need for any chemicals added in to your salt.
If you aren’t familiar with these types of pure salt you should know that it may clump up if it’s exposed to air. This isn’t a problem, it’s just the salt absorbing moisture from the air. Gently tap the salt container or stir it to break the salt up and keep it free flowing. Sometimes chemicals are added to prevent this but it isn’t necessary. Just know that the salt has absorbed humidity from the air.
And about pepper
Black pepper can be bought finely ground, coarse ground, and whole as peppercorns. You can see that I prefer to grind whole black peppercorns myself. I keep a wooden pepper grinder by my stove for everyday use but for larger amounts I use an electric grinder. Grinding spices is the perfect reason to buy a cheap coffee grinder like you see above.
There are rumors about ground pepper being contaminated or mixed with fillers. I’m not worried about that. My main reasons for grinding my own is flavor and freshness. Freshly ground pepper, or any spice for that matter, is always going to be fresher and more flavorful. There’s no telling when that little can of pepper was ground and how it’s been stored. Spices lose their flavor quickly after being ground so it’s best to do it yourself if you can.
Finally, since ground pepper and whole peppercorns cost nearly the same amount, I want the one that taste the best! I buy peppercorns in bulk from Sam’s Club, here’s a link. Amazon is also a good source, I always compare prices before I stock up.
Other favorite seasoning blends
I love making my own seasoning blends. Often I’ll run out of several around the same time so I set aside an hour every few months to make up all my favorites. Most of them use the same base of spices and herbs so it’s easy to mix up a few while you have all the ingredients out. These recipes are also a good reason to buy spices and herbs in bulk which saves a lot of money in the long run.
I always have a big jar of Garlic Herb Steak Seasoning in my spice cabinet. It’s great on beef or chicken, especially grilled. We love it on roasted potatoes too. Another staple is Cajun Seasoning. I use it for Dirty Rice and it’s delicious on popcorn. Since I make my own Italian sausage from ground pork, this Italian Sausage Seasoning is always on hand. Like all these recipes you can customize it for spice, we like a little kick to our Italian sausage! The final seasoning mix I use often is this Ranch Dressing Mix. Of course I use it for ranch dressing or a quick dip mixed with sour cream or yogurt, but it’s also really good on roasted vegetables or in meatloaf.
All-Purpose Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 cup salt
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper fresh ground is best
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
Instructions
- Measure salt into a bowl.
- Grind pepper if using whole peppercorns.
- Add ground black pepper and garlic powder to salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in a dry place.
