Serving up some citrus salt
Whenever holidays or birthdays come around I start thinking about what kind of things I want to include in my gift. I usually make a few food treats that I tuck into a basket to give the gift a more homemade and personal feel. I usually include a sweet bread loaf or cookies, flavored simple syrup or salts, and then a gift certificate to the person’s favorite indulgence.
Flavored salts are probably the easiest of all the homemade gift items, but they really are a hit since they last for so long and add a nice flavor when used in place of plain salt. I always end up with too much, but it never goes to waste as I make a small jar for myself to use. I think Kosher salt works best since it’s coarse and works well as both a seasoning or finishing salt.
I’ve done variations on the salts including rosemary, dill, lavender, and lemon. For my latest batch I decided on citrus since we have both a lemon and orange tree in our yard. The lemon tree is very established and gives us more lemons than I know what to do with at times. The orange tree is much smaller, but it has finally started producing some very delicious fruit
A very interesting fact about salt is that it has an ancient meaning. I read the word salary actually came from salt, since salt was once used as a means of trade and currency during Roman times. So in a way when you make this gift you’re actually giving people money, and who doesn’t love that, especially when it tastes this good! So enough fun facts, let’s get to the good stuff!
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
2 lemons
2 oranges
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a tray with parchment paper and sprinkle an even layer of salt. Take the citrus and zest the rind over the salt, try to distribute the lemon and orange zest evenly. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes and let cool completely. Once the salt is cold place in a small mason jar and tie with a pretty string!
Wine to pair? Well the great thing about this recipe is that you can literally pair any type of wine you want with it. So instead of choosing a wine I’ll provide some ideas on how to use the salt. I love to season vegetables with olive oil and toss with the salt before I roast them. The additional heat really ramps up the citrus flavor in the salt. I also like using it in my meatball recipes since it gives a nice zing to the dish. Lastly, and probably my most favorite way to use it, is topping it on a freshly buttered piece of sourdough, because what’s better than bread and butter? I’ll tell you….bread, butter, and a citrus salt! Enjoy friends.
