Easy DIY Spice Blends

Easy DIY Spice Blends ~ this fun project involves blending together your own custom spice mixes and packaging them up for fabulous holiday food gifts.  Just be sure to make enough to keep for yourself!

Tomorrow my daughter Clare is heading out to an all day program at one of the Universities she’s considering for grad school.  They have her scheduled up with back to back interviews with five professors.  They claim it has nothing at all to do with admissions…..yeah.  I guess it’s the graduate school equivalent of speed dating.  I’m getting nervous just thinking about it, so today we’re I’m going to de-stress with a fun foodie project…we’re mixing and matching whole spices to make our own custom blends ~ you can grind them over really good olive oil and serve with bread for dipping, or cook with them.  I use it in everything from roasted vegetables to scrambled eggs.

First we hit Marshalls for a couple of grinders…these were cheap and perfect for this project.  Make sure you get clear ones, so you can see the beautiful spices inside.   They only had two, or I would have bought more to stash away; these grinders filled with a special spice blend would be the perfect host or hostess gift.   If your grinder comes with pepper already in it, throw it away, it’s most likely past its prime.

TIP: If you can’t get to a large discount department store, check for clear plastic pepper grinders on Amazon, there’s lots of options.

If you’re not used to working with whole spices, you’re in for a treat.  Whole spices are much fresher than ground, and when you grind them yourself you release their essential oils…the aromas are out of this world.

If you’re giving this as a gift, write your recipe on a small tag and tie it around the neck of the grinder.

These spices make the easiest and most delicious appetizer ~ just grind a good amount into a shallow bowl of your best extra virgin olive oil and set it out with a fresh baguette for dipping…it’s pure heaven!

Love the idea of gifting spice blends?  Try my TRIO OF FINISHING SALTS.

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4.34 from 3 votes

DIY Spice Blends

Ingredients

The Original Great Island Spice Mix

• equal parts:
• RED & BLACK PEPPERCORNS
• THYME
• ROSEMARY
• FENNEL SEED whole
• CORIANDER SEED whole
• AND COARSE SEA SALT

The Spicy Version

• equal parts:
• RED & BLACK PEPPERCORNS
• SEA SALT
• BROWN MUSTARD SEED
• RED PEPPER FLAKES
• CUMIN SEED
• CORIANDER SEED
• CELERY SEED
• FENNEL SEED

Instructions

• Mix the spices together in a small bowl and spoon into your clean grinder.
• Reassemble the grinder.
• Grind over olive oil to use as a dip for bread, or use as a seasoning spice in eggs, vegetables, just about anything!
• Note that pink, or red, peppercorns are associated with nut allergies. If that is a concern, leave them out and substitute green or white peppercorns.

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