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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

meyer lemon & thyme infused salt.

posted by Jaclyn / 22 comments » / DIY

Know what’s kind of awesome?

Making something amazing that takes zero effort whatsoever!

Sometimes I like to be lazy. I think it’s important to take time out of our busy schedules to just do nothing. I’ll admit this feels slightly uncomfortable, because I’m the type of person who’s always frantically obsessing and freaking out about all the things I have bouncing around in my brain. There’s always so much to DO, right?

But hey. Sometimes, it’s totally okay to just lay around in your pajamas all day, making to-do lists, watching Portlandia and singing random songs to your dogs. This happens. This is real life.

Being a grown-up is weird. I don’t really even know if I’m technically considered one yet. I’m old enough, certainly. I’m a responsible, productive, and generally awesome member of society. A grown-ass woman, if you will. But I still feel incredibly guilty about the occasional day I take off from responsibilities, like I’m regressing somehow back into adolescence by allowing myself to chill out and relax. It’s ridiculous.

Anyhow. I like it when I can be both lazy and slightly productive, and infusing your own salts is the perfect way to make that happen! This is probably the most hands-off, minimalist kitchen technique whose end result is absolutely phenomenal and mind-blowing.

Fancy salts, guys! Get into it.

I made meyer lemon and thyme infused salt, but you can totes use any combination of citrus zest and/or herbs and spices of your choice. Here’s a few suggestions:

lemon + lavender
lime + cilantro
clementine + rosemary
orange + lemon + lime (citrus megamix!)
lemon + parsley + oregano + basil (italiantastic!)
lime + kaffir lime leaves
lemon + chamomile

See? Endlessly versatile! You can even use different types of salts:

kosher salt
gray salt
coarse sea salt
pink himalalyan salt
hawaiian red sea salt
cyprus black sea salt

Have you noticed i’m kind of obsessed with salt? It’s getting out of control. I’m in the process of re-organizing my spice cabinet (because I am totally hip, and that’s what hip, cool kids do), and I’ve discovered I have thirteen different varieties of salt hidden in there. THIRTEEN. Is there a self-help book for salt varietal hoarders?

Anyway. Guys, I really think you should try to infuse your own salts today! You can use your salts in nearly every way you would use plain salt–for seasoning, as a finishing salt, for sprinkling atop freshly baked bread slathered with butter…yes. Do that last one.

Here’s to being lazy, while actually being slightly productive, while all at the same time being completely awesome!

meyer lemon & thyme infused salt

Yield: 1 cup infused salt

Prep Time: 2 minutes

this recipe is endlessly versatile and can be adapted to suit your tastes easily! essentially, you can use any type of citrus zest you'd like, as well as any herbs that strike your fancy. combinations like clementine & rosemary, lemon & lavender, or lime & cilantro are just a few that come to mind!

Ingredients:

zest of 2 meyer lemons
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems
1 cup kosher salt (you can use coarse sea salt instead)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F, with a rack in the center.

Combine the lemon zest, thyme and kosher salt on a baking sheet, tossing to combine.

Spread the mixture into an even layer and bake at 225 degrees F for two hours, turning once after the first hour.

After two hours, remove the baking sheet from the oven and break up any clumps that may have formed.

Transfer the salt to airtight jars and store in a cool, dark place.

The infused salt will keep for up to six months.

adapted from whole foods