Popcorn Salt: How to Make Your Own

This is a super easy method for making popcorn salt.

Not really a recipe.

Store bought popcorn salt is regular salt that has been ground very fine. This is done so that it sticks to the popcorn.

No need to buy this since you have everything needed to make it already.

Put one cup of kosher salt into a food processor. 10 3-second pulses should perfectly blend this to the correct consistency.

Store in an appropriate shaker or dredge.

Dredge Shaker for Popcorn salt

I have a number of these, I use them for salt, pepper, popcorn salt, confectioner’s sugar, etc.

Staple Recipes You Need to Use: Chili Powder

Homemade Chili Powder

Freshly made chili powder, what a great way to add a kick of flavor to your next meal.

I love how the flavors in this come together as it all toasts in the pan.

The aroma in nothing short of amazing.

Ingredients

3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
3 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Note, while a cast iron pan works great for this, the weight may be a concern. Nothing wrong with using a noinstick pan for this.

Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Set aside and cool completely.

Once cooled off, place the chiles and cumin into a blender or coffee grinder repurposed as a spice grinder, along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Blend until a fine powder is produced.

Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the grinder.

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Example of a spice can with a see through lid. Most have a magnet attached so you can store them on the side of your refrigerator or on your stove's hood.

Example of a spice can with a see through lid. Most have a magnet attached so you can store them on the side of your refrigerator or on your stove’s hood.

A note about staple recipes:
Staple recipes are ones I like to think of as a pantry item. Something that is used regularly and is akin to salt and pepper. You have to have it in your pantry or something feels wrong.

Besides chili powder, I like to keep taco seasoning, garam masala, and chili mix onhand in my pantry.

Staple Recipes You Need to Use: Chili Mix

Chili mix is something I make a point of keeping onhand ready to go. One never knows when you’ll want to make a pot of chili.

And a good chili mix is the foundation for it.

I know it may seem extreme to make a chili mix from scratch, but I like that I can modify the amount of salt in it. And that I can modify the ingredient’s ratios to be more to my liking or mood.

Chili Mix

Mix your own, it’s not hard and is more flavorful than a store bought mix.

Some day, I will do the math and breakdown the cost involved. I’m not positive it’s much cheaper than buying pre-packaged, but I like the flavor more. And flavor is what it’s all about.

1/4 cup chili powder, you can use less for milder chili but I tend to use more
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin, I tend to use more as I really like the flavor of cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. I like the spice cans with see through lids and the magnet on the back. Makes storage easy and I can see what’s in them without having to hunt for what I need. I recommend storing no longer than 3 months.

Spice can with a see through lid.

Example of a spice can with a see through lid. Most have a magnet attached so you can store them on the side of your refrigerator or on your stove’s hood.

If you’re like me, this time contraint will be of no consequence as I always use it well in advance of it’s “expiration’ date.

A note about staple recipes:
Staple recipes are ones I like to think of as a pantry item. Something that is used regularly and is akin to salt and pepper. You have to have it in your pantry or something feels wrong.

Besides chili mix, I like to keep taco seasoning, garam masala, and chili powder onhand in my pantry.