Make it Yourself: Citrus Salt

Beautiful Citrus Salts

I can’t stop myself:  every time I go to the grocery store, I buy another pile of citrus fruit.  Since I love to cook and bake with citrus zest, I typically buy organic lemons, limes and oranges.  This way I can wash them with warm water, dry them off, and remove the zest with a Microplane which I then freeze for later use.  It’s pretty handy to have little containers full of citrus zest in the freezer for when a recipe calls for “1 teaspoon of lemon zest” and there isn’t a single lemon in sight.  Or to not waste that fragrant zest just because the recipe I’m currently working on requires only the juice.

Left to Right:  Orange, Lemon, Lime salts

This time of year, the most abundant fruits are part of the citrus family.  So today, I’m keeping this post short and sweet and the main purpose is to give you one more great way to preserve your beautiful citrus zest for later:  Make your own citrus salt.

Here’s how it works:

Buy a box of Maldon salt.  Divide it into 3 parts into 3 separate bowls.  This means you’ll have 3 portions that are roughly 1/3 cup each.

Lime Maldon Salt:
Wash two organic limes in warm water (no soap) and dry them well.  Using a Microplane with a fine blade, zest the limes over the first bowl of Maldon salt.  Stir well with a fork and spread evenly across a dry dinner plate. Allow the mixture to dry overnight, and then store in an airtight, labeled, glass jar.

Uses:  Over popcorn with olive oil; sprinkled over fajitas, enchiladas, or any Mexican food; sprinkle of white fish; add to fish soup

Orange Maldon Salt:
Wash one organic orange in warm water (no soap) and dry them well.  Using a Microplane with a fine blade, zest the orange over the first bowl of Maldon salt.  Stir well with a fork and spread evenly across a dry dinner plate. Allow the mixture to dry overnight, and then store in an airtight, labeled, glass jar.

Uses:  Over popcorn with olive oil; use in place of regular salt in this salad; use in place of regular salt in chocolate chip cookies

Lemon Maldon Salt:
Wash one organic lemon in warm water (no soap) and dry them well.  Using a Microplane with a fine blade, zest the lemon over the first bowl of Maldon salt.  Stir well with a fork and spread evenly across a dry dinner plate. Allow the mixture to dry overnight, and then store in an airtight, labeled, glass jar.

Uses:  To replace regular salt in fish soup; use in this savory pie instead of regular salt; use in these scones instead of regular salt; on top of sardine pizza.