Homemade Salted Herbs
Salted herbs are very popular here in Québec and can be found on the shelves of just about every grocery store. When I first started using them, I thought for sure that they were just as readily available in every part of the world, but apparently, I was wrong.
To be honest, I will never understand why that is… they’re so easy to make and they pack so much flavor! No one should ever be without them.
I had a friend visit from the States a while ago and I sent him home with a bag of goodies from my home, among which were Pure Maple Syrup and Salted Herbs. He totally fell in love with the herbs, got addicted to them even, but sadly, was never able to find them anywhere in his part of the world.
So, I took it upon myself to make some at home and share the recipe with you all so that you, and my friend, could make your own, and get addicted too.
Before I got to making my first batch, I was absolutely convinced that I would need to get my hands on like A TON of fresh herbs, so I figured it would be best to wait until they were in full season, else I would’ve ended spending a small fortune.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it doesn’t require that much herbs at all, and since the bulk of it consists in mainly parsley, leeks, carrots, celery and onions, the entire batch ended up costing almost nothing to make. Much less than the price of *one* jar of the ready-made stuff, in fact.
And just you wait until you start using these herbs. OH! They add so much flavor to just about any dish. Use them instead of salt in your favorite recipes, I think you’ll be extremely pleased.
They taste just like summer in a jar!
Start with a bunch of fresh herbs, some carrots, celery, onion and leeks… and take your very best knife out, too! You will be doing a lot of chopping.
Although I suppose you could also do this in a food processor, if you wanted to. Just make sure you don’t turn your veggies and herbs into mush in the process… Just do one or two ingredients at a time and give them a lot of quick pulses as opposed to few longer ones.
As for me, I very much enjoy using my knife. There’s something I find relaxing and almost therapeutic about chopping stuff…
Once all your chopping (or processing) is done, add all your herbs and veggies to a large bowl and give everything a good stir.
Mind you, it might be a good idea to dump them in there as you go…
Now time to add the salt, and lots of it. After all, these are SALTED herbs we are making!
We’re gonna need 3/4 of a cup of the best salt you can get. I personally always use Himalayan Pink Salt, but if you don’t have that, make sure that you at least use a good, Natural Sea Salt. You definitely do not want to be adding any chemicals or anti-caking agents to this flavorful condiment. Let’s keep it real.
Oh, and I know, I know it says 1 cup on my measuring cup, but really, I only added 3/4 of a cup, promise! Don’t let that confuse you…
Time to mix all that salt in. The best tool you can use for this is your hands! You want to kind of massage and rub your herb mix to sort of bruise it a little and get it to release some of its water.
Again, don’t go turning it into mush, but do give everything a little bit of a squeeze.
See how beautiful? I really wish you could smell it, too!
Aren’t you dying to add some of that to your favorite recipes? I know I am.
It will have to wait, though, for this mixture now needs to rest and chill for a full week. You’ll want to transfer it to a large container with fitting lid, throw it in the fridge and give it a good stir every single day for 7 days.
Then and only then will you transfer your salted herbs to airtight glass containers. Your herbs are now ready to be used and will keep for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. But I doubt they will make it that long.
I feel you’ll be adding these to just about all of your culinary creations, from now on!
Salted Herbs
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 cup leeks, finely chopped (about 1 medium)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup white onion, finely chopped (1 small)
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped (2 medium stalks)
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until very well combined, then gently pound or massage your herbs to bruise them a little and get some moisture out. You don’t want to completely destroy them, just get them to release a little bit of their water.
- Transfer your herbs to an airtight container with fitting lid and refrigerate. Give them a good stir every day for the next 7 days, then store in the refrigerator in Mason type glass jars for up to 6 months.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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50 Comments on “Homemade Salted Herbs”
I love flavored salts and it’s true I have never seen salted herbs in the States. However, I think I’ve ben making a variation at the end of every summer before my herb plants die off. I alternate layers of a tablespoon of salt with a tablespoon of whatever chopped herb combo I’m in the mood for and let it sit in the jar at least 3 days before I shake it up. Depending on the combo i sometimes add finely chopped orange or lemon peel. Flavored salts are the best.
Oh god, I LOVE the idea of adding lemon or orange peel. Next time, I will do that for sure! Thanks for the inspiration. 😀
These are brilliant Sonia! I’ve made flavoured salts before with various ingredient additions but never salted flavours! haha… I can imagine these would be splendid in soup or a good marinade or something. Gorgeous!
Thank you Kristy! In fact, they’re splendid in pretty much everything. Once you get used to cooking with them, it’s actually hard to do without! 🙂
Looks beautiful! Any suggestions for the types of food you use this in?
Everything and anything, Ann. Just use as you would salt, or almost! Use them in soups, stews, salads, sauces, dressings, eggs, omelettes, meat dishes (it’s brilliant in meatloaf!), marinades… name it!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen fresh salted herbs anywhere in my neck of the woods either!
Thanks so much for sharing – these would be so good with chicken – tofu – veggies…thank you thank you thank you!
Pleasure is all mine, Shashi. Hope you enjoy having them in your fridge!
This looks fabulous and it plan to make it. I wondered about the herbs: Do you measure before or after chopping. Thanks for the recipe.
It’s much easier to measure after the herbs have been chopped, Gail! I hope you enjoy this fab condiment!
I was just complaining to my mother (in Florida) that I had forgotten to bring along my jar of salted herbs. We usually buy a bunch of jars and stick them in the freezer. I’m so happy that I finally have some again, we don’t have any in Washington DC! We mix them with soy sauce and a little olive oil and use it as a topping for salmon. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Pleasure is all mine, Xuan! Glad you guys get to enjoy the herbs! 🙂
Hello! While I think this is definitely a brilliant idea, I’m a bit concerned about the lifespan you mentioned… up to 6 months in the fridge? Will they really last that long? Won’t the herbs go bad after a few weeks? Or does the salt act as a natural preservative? And if you don’t mind me asking, have you tested this yourself?
Thank you in advance!
Salt is indeed a natural preservative, Anca, so yes, the herbs will indeed keep for that long.
This is so super interesting – never seen anything like it in South Africa and herbs here grow well too.
Please tell me how long is the shelf life, how should one store it and then what do you use it on ?
Thank you very much xxx
I’m from Canada also we lived in Manitoba for 30 ish years & have been in Alberta almost 20 yrs. & I’ ve never seen ” Salted Herbs ” in the stores. I asked my sisters if they ever heard of it & they all said ” No “. I’m going to give this a try though. Xuan mentioned that she had stored them in the freezer would they not just go to mush. Or would you lay them out , to dry out 1 st. [ like maybe a dehydrator or maybe I heard you can dehydrate in a low temp. oven ] then bottle / jar them.
They’re very popular here in Quebec, Beverly. There’s no need to freeze or dehydrate, the salt acts as a preservative, so the herbs will keep for a very long time. I still have some left in the fridge from that batch I made back in July; they are still very good and look just as fresh as the day I made them. Just keep them in the fridge and you’ll be fine.
can the amount of salt be decreased? I am on a low salt diet, so am wondering about this. thanks so much.
Don’t decrease the amount of salt in the recipe, just use less of the salted herbs when cooking… you need the salt to preserve the herbs!
Hi. I made these but ended up with a bunch of water at the bottom. Is that a problem? I don’t want them to go bad because of too much water or because I threw out all the salt with the water…
You can just drain the water out, Rachel. It’s not a problem at all.
Hi! Happy 2016,
I just came across this recipe and you are now my favorite blogger. I’ve returned from Montreal with a jar of this from one of the grocery stores and was searching for a place in Victoria, BC that sells it, but nope. Nothing here. So I’m so happy you have already figured this out. Thank you thank you thank you!
Haha! You are so very welcome, Cindy. I’ll never understand why salted herbs aren’t readily available worldwide. I guess it’s Quebec’s little well known secret! 😉
Thank you, thank you, thank you from me too! My Canadian Grandmother (Memere) made these and always had a jar in her refrigerator. She always started her wonderful soups with a big spoonful. I never had a chance to get her recipes before she passed but I will be thinking of her when I make your salted herbs.
I’m touched, Elise. I hope my recipe is just like the one your grandma used to make! 🙂
My landlady was a lovely French Canadien woman who made these often and gave them to me as gifts. She made baked beans and fresh bread every Saturday and always shared. Best landlady ever! I really miss her. I’m going to make and use these and I’ll think of her every time I do. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Awwwwww, how sweet! The pleasure is all mine, really, and thank YOU for sharing this beautiful story, Maggie. 🙂
Thank you so much for posting your recipe! I’m going to start using it right away!
I dehydrate a lot of veggies and freeze my basil. (roll them up like a cigar, store them in a freezer bag and slice enough for a dish then re-freeze!) Tastes like fresh picked!
Thank you again!
God Bless
You are very welcome, Suzie! I love your tip on how to freeze fresh basil. I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
Some people were questioning how long they last – I made a huge batch one year and stored it in the fridge. As I was away off and on for the next year and a half, I finished the last of them late this year…. so I would say they last at least three years! The flavour is pretty much the same as the first day, though the mixture did dry out a wee bit over that time.
Well, that’s very good to know, Norma! Thanks for sharing that with us! I myself have kept some for quite some time (like over a year), but never really that long…
I love this recipe. I only need to know what kind of Himalayan salt is used here. I am not familiar with it so I did a search and they list everything from fine to coarse. So can you please tell me which one?
Thank you
I always use the fine salt, Ruth.
So are the leeks really green onions? or are they just baby leeks? Looked smaller in picture.
I thought savory was one the herbs in salted herbs for French-Canadian pea soup.
I just found your recipe on line. As I probably will not be going to Quebec very much any more I am going to give it a try. Being from Quebec I grew up with my mother using the herbs in her soups and I have been bringing a jar back to Ontario most times that I go back. I have had a jar in my fridge longer than 6 months and used without issues.
There is a butcher company in Lewiston, Maine called Mailhot’s that makes salted herbs and they are sold along with their specialty meats (such as blood pudding/boudin) at the meat counter in Hannaford grocery stores in Maine. Their other products I have tried were very good so I am hoping these are as well. Until seeing them there, I never knew they existed but I bought a jar and am very excited to try them. Hoping to make a Canadian pea soup and adding them to that, as well.
Hi !
I’m thinking of making some and taking to our local farmers market .
Do you know of anyone who does that ?!
How much do you think I’d have to charge /could charge ? I know it depends on where /how I source the herbs , obviously I’d grow them for max return but even so I’d like a ball park of what you think people might pay ?? Even a bunch of herbs at the supermarket isn’t cheap these days !
Thank you so much
Ros
Sorry but I really can’t help you with that, Ros… what sells for a given price here might sell for a totally different price in another part of the world. Like you said, you need to calculate your costs and from there, determine how much you need to sell for in order to make profit! Good luck with your project! 🙂
The first thing I tried this in was my homemade cashew cream cheese-so flavorful and yummy. Thanks for sharing! Can I ask what else you use this for? Do you mainly sprinkle it on like a condiment, or add to cooked dishes, or…?
Would love to get the full recipe for your salted herbs for my son who is in the Coast Guard
Not sure what you mean by full recipe, Denise? The recipe is here in this post, in its whole…
I want to make salted herbs, but don’t have a lot of fridge or freezer space. Is there a way to can them to ensure a good seal? I was thinking a water bath canner?
I’m not so familiar with canning myself, but the herbs can definitely be canned!
Hello, I’m the author of healthycanning. Someone came to me after reading the comments on this page. Re the question about canning these — it would not be a good idea to attempt to can these for shelf-stable storage. For starters, we don’t know the resultant pH of this mixture, and it may vary based on what swaps and subs people do. A pH above 4.6 in an oxygen-free environment at ambient temperatures would allow any botulism spores present to germinate. If you see herbes salées on shelves in stores in jars, that’s because the creator of that product has paid a processing specialist to determine exact acidification as well as heat processing time required for their exact herbes salées recipe with its specific ratios of ingredients in that exact size of jar. (There’s also the question of the impact of guesstimated home heat processing on the quality of the product – and remember, a seal does not equal safety.) We only want to use up-to-date, lab-tested home canning recipes from sources such as the USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, your Extension service, Ball or Bernardin for our home canning ventures. So I’d absolutely say, follow the initial directions that Sonia gives us in this recipe which are to store refrigerated. Cheers!
Have you ever tried to can them to have an even longer shelf life?
I’ve never felt the need to can them as they already keep for a fairly long time, but you most certainly could if you wanted to!
I’m going to try making the Salted Herbs and give them as a extra little Christmas present.
These are actually an Acadian tradition, brought to Quebec after the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755.