Italian Seasoning Blend ~ One of the most reached for blends and can easily be made at home with items in your cabinet or spice rack.
The other day I was cooking, mostly following a recipe (yes, I do do that from time to time) and it called for Italian seasoning blend. No problem, I have that.
Turns out I didn’t. I have been out for quite some time and have never purchased a new jar at the market. Seasoning blends are pretty common.
Chinese 5 spice, garam masala, pumpkin pie spice, herbes de Provence and so on.
Spice blends are for our convenience in cooking and there is no real set ingredient list for any blend. I have two types of both Chinese 5 spice and garam masala and they both have different blends or different spices and ratios of those spices.
When I went to grab my Italian seasoning blend only to find I didn’t have any, I just quickly made my own. Of course, in the process of making my own, I have blended more than I needed for that one dish. I just threw it in an air tight container and will have it on hand next time I want the blend.
I like my herbs still ‘leafy’ and not in powdered form. I added them all to sandwich bag and gently ‘mashed’ them together. However, I did first pulverize the rosemary in my mortar and pestle. I personally do not like getting a piece of the hard ‘piney’ needles in my food.
I used a bit more basil, thyme, and oregano, as those are the flavors I personally love, but you can customize your own blend. Start with equal measurements of each herb, whether by the teaspoon or by the tablespoon, then simply add a bit more of whatever herbs your family likes best. I save small glass jars because they are handy to have for numerous reasons, and I just added the spices to one small jar and tossed it into the spice cabinet. It doesn’t get any easier.
Italian Seasoning Blend
Ingredients
- 2½ tsp oregano
- 2½ tsp basil
- 2½ tsp thyme
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 2 tsp sage
- 2 tsp rosemary
Instructions
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Add the rosemary to a mortar and pestle and crush.
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If you don't have a mortar and pestle, a spice-only coffee grinder or the flat end of any heavy pan will nicely crush the herb.
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Pour the crushed rosemary to an open bag and add the remaining herbs, seal and shake, slightly crushing them together.
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Keep in a sealed, air-tight container and use as needed.
22 Comments
Arman @ thebigmansworld
March 20, 2015 at 12:52 amI can only imagine how much tastier the foods you make with this blend would be- I’m team basil and oregano too. Maybe not thyme.
Michelle
March 20, 2015 at 1:05 amTwo out of three is still excellent!
Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T
March 20, 2015 at 4:25 amHomemade seasonings are the best!
Michelle
March 20, 2015 at 11:23 amI so agree Julie, thank you.
lizzy
March 20, 2015 at 10:37 amawesome post, it is prob much cheaper and fresher to make your own!
Michelle
March 20, 2015 at 11:25 amYes, much cheaper.
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
March 20, 2015 at 7:43 pmYes! Love this because sometimes they have way more of a certain spice in a blend that I’m not a fan of. Love the idea of making my own.
Michelle
March 21, 2015 at 12:06 pmYes, exactly Des, you start with a basic flavor profile, then tailor it to suit your family’s needs.
Michelle@healthiersteps
April 30, 2015 at 12:03 amMy container of Italian seasoning is almost finish. I will definitely try your recipe next!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:19 pmIt’s really easy to put together and then customize to your own tastes.
Florian @contentednessCooking
April 30, 2015 at 1:54 amHomemade blend at its best! Great idea to make your own. Definitely will give these a try!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:20 pmI agree, homemade is always best.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
April 30, 2015 at 4:55 amThis is the perfect bland! I’m always for making my own blends since my spice cabinet has about every spice and herb you could ever need! It only makes sense to make my own!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:21 pmIs your cabinet bulging at the seams too?
Kathy Hester
April 30, 2015 at 6:37 amI agree with you about the rosemary and keep ground on hand to use in all my cooking.
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:22 pmNothing quite like being stabbed on the roof of your mouth with a dried rosemary twig.
Jennifer Stewart
April 30, 2015 at 9:56 amI love making my own spice mixes so I can control the amounts of each herb that goes in. Sometimes I get a spice mix that I love except for one spice! This way I can eliminate the one I don’t like. Plus I can buy dried spices in bulk at The Fresh Market. They sell them in small ziploc bags and you don’t have to pay through the nose for those glass jars!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:23 pmI save my glass jars from pimentos or chilies, clean them out well and then use them to store my herb blends in…recycling!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors
April 30, 2015 at 1:49 pmOh this is a total lifesaver! I hate when I run out of something and don’t know exactly how to recreate the spices! This is perfect, I may stop buying the premixed stuff!!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 2:24 pmThis is exactly why I made this blend, I ran out in the middle of cooking. 🙂
Shannon Graham
February 6, 2017 at 6:50 pmI use italian seasoning ALL of the time. I like to make my own seasonings as often as possible but have never attempted this one! Now that you did all the work for me on creating it, I just have to make it. 😉
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