Those little jars of pre-mixed seasoning are convenient, but you are paying a premium for spices that may have been sitting around for a year, often cut with a lot of salt and filler. Mixing your own takes minutes, costs less, and tastes brighter.
Why bother
When you blend your own, you control everything: how much salt, how much heat, how fresh. You can scale a recipe up to keep a jar handy or make just enough for tonight. And once you understand the basic templates, you can tweak them to your taste instead of being stuck with someone else's idea of a taco seasoning.
A few templates to start
- A taco or chili blend: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika.
- An all-purpose barbecue rub: brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder.
- A warm baking mix: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice.
Keep them fresh
Spices fade fast once ground, so make blends in small batches and store them in airtight jars away from heat and light. Label them with the date, because ground spices lose their punch within a year. For the biggest flavor jump, buy whole spices and grind them yourself as you go. The difference between freshly ground cumin and the tin that has been open for two years is night and day.