I love herbal salt so much because who doesn’t love salt?! Most people are adding salt to their food every day already and giving it the herbal treatment is another easy way to make sure we’re including more nutritive herbs into our daily lives. This fresh rosemary salt with garlic and lemon zest is divine and it deserves a place on your dinner table right next to the pepper grinder.
food as medicine
Rosemary has many both nutritive and medicinal properties. Maybe it’s most notable action is as an antioxidant. Some refer to rosemary as Queen of the Antioxidants because it’s amongst the strongest plant antioxidants in the world, and is even stronger than some man-made antioxidants.
Amongst its other properties, rosemary is a great carminative herb, helping to ease our digestive processes and to ultimately better absorb the nutrients from the food we eat. Check out it’s other benefits in the graphic below.
Lemon zest is maybe the most nutritive part of the lemon. It’s antioxidant and contains vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
And garlic is such a powerful antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, making this a great salt to support your immune health and overall wellness.
fresh rosemary, garlic, & lemon sea salt
Course: Condiments, Herbal SaltDifficulty: Easy10
minutes1-3
daysThe flavors in this fresh herb salt are reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Fresh herb salts require some drying time to make it shelf stable. If you’re short on time, you could pop this salt in the dehydrator or in the oven on the lowest setting to speed up the drying process. Sprinkle this salt on roasted veggies, pasta, potatoes, and more!
Ingredients
1 cup fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, loosely packed
4 garlic cloves
zest of 2 large organic lemons
Directions
- Mince together fresh garlic, rosemary leaves, & lemon zest.
- Add in ~1/4 of the salt on top of the minced ingredients & continue to mince together. Repeat until all salt is incorporated. (If the mince is not fine enough, you can add the entire mixture to a food processor & pulse until ground as you desire.)
- Spread mixture evenly on to a rimmed baking sheet.
Set in a dry location to dry completely, typically 1-3 days, making sure to give a stir at least once a day. (The oven, when not in use, is a great place to keep your drying salts. Otherwise, they’re fine sitting out in a low-humidity environment.) - Once completely dry, store salt in an air-tight container.
Sprinkle on pasta, veggies, potatoes, and more!
(If stored properly, this salt can last up to 6 months.)
using your fresh herb salt
This salt can really be used in any way you would use regular table salt. Its flavor palate, that includes rosemary, garlic, and lemon, is very reminiscent of Italian cuisine. It would go great in pasta, Italian vinaigrettes, or sprinkled on roasted potatoes. Or you could use this rosemary salt to add a finishing touch to grilled veggies or a fresh baked loaf of focaccia.
storing your fresh herb salt
Because salt attracts moisture, it’s very important to store your fresh herb salt (after it’s completely dry) in an airtight container. I like to use glass spice jars or small canning jars (8oz or 16 oz jars are great). If your salt is fine enough to fit through a shaker, glass spice jars with air-tight lids that also have shaker inserts are great too. If stored properly, your fresh rosemary salt can last up to 6 months or more.
I think herbal salts make great gifts. Not only are they quick and easy to make, but they’re also fun and while you can find herbed salts in the store, homemade is always better than store-bought. Plus, it’s a touch more personal and a lovely (and tasty) way to share your love of nutritive herbs and spices with your loved ones. You’ll find some more herbal salt recipes using both fresh and dried herbs, as well as a whole slew of other herbal preparations like infused vinegars and oils in Nourishing Herbal Gifts | The Art of Herbal Gifting & 20+ Simple, Beautiful, & Delicious Recipes.
If you make this super simple fresh rosemary salt, I’d love to know what you think of it and the delicious ways you find to use it. Comment below or find me on the ‘gram.
The information given in this article is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns at all, it’s always a good idea to check with your health practitioner before consuming certain herbs & medicinal foods, especially if taking any prescription medications.
