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morton's nature seasoning recipe

Morton's Nature's Seasoning Recipe

Copycat Morton's Nature's Seasoning is a salt-forward, savory all-purpose blend with onion, garlic, sweet paprika, turmeric, and black pepper. It tastes golden and mellow, with a hint of sweetness, and it works on nearly anything you'd salt. It takes about 5 minutes with pantry spices and makes roughly ½ cup.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 24
Author: Rebecca Novak

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon fine sea salt fine grind blends evenly; if using table salt, reduce slightly
  • 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika fresh, bright red paprika gives the best color and flavor
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder granulated onion works too
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder not garlic salt
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar rounds out the salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric for color and earthy depth
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper finely ground, not cracked
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch keeps the blend from clumping; arrowroot also works
  • ½ teaspoon ground celery seed or ½ teaspoon celery salt, reducing the sea salt by ½ teaspoon
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley, crushed to a powder optional

Instructions

Step 1: Measure and Sift the Dry Spices

  • Measure the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cornstarch, and celery seed into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Tap the sieve until everything passes through. Sifting breaks up the small lumps that onion and garlic powder form, so the blend pours evenly.
    morton's nature seasoning recipe step 1

Step 2: Add the Salt, Sugar, and Pepper

  • Add the sea salt, sugar, black pepper, and parsley to the bowl. Whisk for about 30 seconds until the color is a uniform golden orange with no white or yellow streaks. Streaks mean the salt isn't evenly distributed.
    morton's nature seasoning recipe step 2

Step 3: Pulse for a Shaker-Fine Texture

  • Transfer the mix to a clean spice grinder and pulse 5 to 8 seconds. Stop as soon as it looks like fine powder. Longer than that warms the spices and dulls their aroma. If you don't have a grinder, rub the blend between your fingertips and keep whisking.
    morton's nature seasoning recipe step 3

Step 4: Taste and Adjust

  • Sprinkle a pinch on a slice of cooked potato or a bit of scrambled egg. It should taste salty, savory, and slightly sweet, with no single spice standing out. If it's flat, add ¼ teaspoon more onion powder. If it's too sharp, add ½ teaspoon more sugar. Whisk again after any change.
    morton's nature seasoning recipe step 4

Step 5: Store the Blend

  • Pour it into a dry, airtight jar and label it with the date. Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard, not above the stove. It stays at its best for about 6 months. After that it's still safe, but the paprika and garlic fade.
    morton's nature seasoning recipe step 5
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!