Seasoned Salt: What It Is And What To Look For When You Buy It
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Ever notice how almost every recipe includes the line "season with salt"? While some home cooks reach for kosher salt and others prefer fancy sea salt, there's another option you might be missing: seasoned salt.
Seasoned salt is essentially regular salt mixed with other ingredients to "season" it with extra flavors, like herbs, spices, and other tasty add-ins. A jar or even a small shaker of this can be a big time-saver in your kitchen. With just a dash, you can add depth and complexity to virtually any savory dish. Planning a cookout? Dust some on your meat before grilling. Roasting vegetables? A pinch will brighten their natural flavors. You can even jazz up your breakfast eggs or upgrade movie night popcorn with this seasoning. Regular salt simply can't compete!
One of the most popular brands is Lawry's Seasoned Salt. It was the first commercial seasoned salt to hit the market when, in 1938, Lawrence Frank made culinary history by combining salt, sugar, paprika, turmeric, onion, and garlic. While a shaker of Lawry's is a worthy addition to any pantry, it's just the beginning of what the world of seasoned salt has to offer.
Where you can buy seasoned salts
While Lawry's may be the original, it's certainly not the only seasoned salt worth considering. If you take a quick stroll down the spice aisle at almost any grocery store — Kroger, Walmart, Target, or Aldi — you're guaranteed to find at least a dozen different options. Not to mention, most large retail chains also offer their own branded versions, like Whole Foods Market 365 Seasoning Salt Blend. These "house blends" can sometimes be a bit cheaper than name-brand alternatives. For instance, a 3.8-ounce shaker of Amazon Saver Seasoned Salt (Amazon's house brand, sold on Amazon) costs about $0.18 per ounce.
In contrast, a 4-ounce Morton Season-All Seasoned Salt shaker runs about $0.55 per ounce. That difference might seem small, but it adds up over time. Take this into consideration if you know you're going to use seasoned salt regularly.
However, if you're simply looking for something to add more flavor to your meals, most of these options — including the budget-friendly ones — will serve you perfectly well. If you're after the absolute best taste for your dollar, you'll need to take one step further and look into what each product offers because, as it turns out, not all seasoned salts are created equal.
What to look for when buying seasoned salt
It's on the label that you'll find the difference between one seasoned salt and another. Take the Amazon Saver Cajun Seasoning Salt and McCormick's Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning as examples. The ingredients of Amazon's blend consist of salt, sweet paprika, coriander, chili powder, garlic, celery seed, cumin, and rice fiber. McCormick, on the other hand, has the same foundation, but with added thyme and several varieties of pepper. This slight difference shows up pretty clearly in the price — Amazon's costs about $0.20 per ounce while McCormick's commands $0.94 per ounce. While more ingredients don't guarantee better flavor (that comes down to your personal taste), if complexity is what you're after, McCormick's might be a better choice — for a premium.
Take texture into consideration, too. While there aren't any official guides for "fine" or "coarse" seasoned salt, trust your eyes. If it looks like kosher salt (think Borsari Savory Seasoned Salt Blend), then it's probably on the coarser side and will be great for sprinkling on your food right before eating. The chunky, flavored crystals will give your food better flavor and an interesting mouthfeel. If it looks more like your everyday table salt (like Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Original Salt Blend), that'll blend better into your cooking. It might take some experimenting to find out the best blend for either job; it's a good thing seasoned salts are quite cheap, and there's no shortage of either type on store shelves!