Salt is one of my top three ingredients for all meals. I am continually reaching for it when I cook, along with freshly cracked pepper and olive oil. I love mixing up everyday ingredients, and I thought I would try adding some citrus salts to my pantry. Citrus salts provide the same saltiness you get from regular salt, but with an extra sour punch from the rinds of citrus fruits. This Zesty Orange Sea Salt adds a subtle tang to any dish.
To get the flavor into the salt, you’ll need to use a zester, which is a very fine grater for citrus peels. (This one is my favorite!) If you don’t have a zester, you can use a knife or a
Next you’ll bake the salt mixture for about an hour to dry out the zest. Afterward, you have the option to run it through a food processor to attain a fine texture, or you can leave it on the coarser side, possibly even storing it in a grinder for ultimate freshness.
I used a navel orange, but you can use any citrus. Lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine and blood orange would also be delicious. You can make blends or leave them plain. A jar or bottle of it would make such a sweet salty gift, too!
Incorporate them into a spicy chicken rub or sprinkle it over top some dark chocolate chip cookies before you bake them. And I know Cinco de Mayo is behind us, but wouldn’t these salts be great around the rim of a margarita? Yes, yes, I think so. Enjoy! // susannah
Click through to learn how to make Zesty Orange Sea Salt!
Zesty Orange Sea Salt
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon orange zest or other citrus zest, grated
- ½ cup coarse sea salt
instructions
- Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together orange zest into the sea salt. (If you are making multiple kinds of citrus salt, mix each one separately.) Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to work the zest into the salt, making sure to eliminate any clumps of zest.
- Spread the salt mixture evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until zest has dried. Let cool. If done, the zest should crumble when you rub it between your fingers.
- If a fine salt is desired, place the salt into a food processor and pulse until fine. Store in an airtight container or salt grinder up to 3 months.
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Amy | Club Narwhal says
Susannah, this is SUCH a good idea! I had no idea you could make infused salt at home and now I’m dying to try 🙂
katie says
That sounds amazing! I need to try the orange salt! xo
CindyLooHoo2 says
holiday idea for all those great citrus offerings, of the season! Thank you! here we go!
CindyLooHoo2 says
holiday idea for all those great citrus offerings, of the season! Thank you! here we go!
Susannah says
Glad you loved this recipe, Cindy! They totally make a great gift. 🙂