What the Heck is Wine Salt?
Don’t feel bad if you have never heard of wine seasoning salt. Most people haven’t. But let me be the one to tell you that wine salt is packed with flavor and is incredibly easy to make!
It is basically a reduction of a good wine (red or white) that is mixed with kosher or sea salt and used as a seasoning on beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, stew, etc, etc…You get the picture. It tastes like a seasoned reduction sauce- having the same depth of flavor you get when you deglaze a pan. I like to take it a step further and add herbs and citrus zest so that it has even more punch. When the concentrated wine hits the juices of whatever meat or veggies you are seasoning, it turns into liquid deliciousness! Trust me, you will love it.
Wine Salt How-To Video:
Watch the quick video above showing you how it’s made…and yeah, I really do think the cook should get a glass of wine while making it. (Tee hee)
Feel free to embed or share the YouTube versionHow to Make Wine Salt.
A few tips:
- Be sure to use a wine that you enjoy drinking. The finished wine salt is only as good as the wine you start with. If you don’t care for the wine, reducing it will only concentrate the flavors you do not like.
- You can skip adding the herbs if you wish.
- You can also change out the thyme and lemon zest I use here for whatever strikes your fancy. Rosemary with cabernet is particularly nice. I also like to combine sage with Merlot. Be experimental!
- Your finished salt will last at least 6 months in the jar. After that, the flavors start to dissipate and it is time to make a new batch.
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of wine (or about 2 cups if you pour yourself a glass of wine first)
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme leaves
1) Pour wine into a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Start simmering until the entire contents are reduced down to just about 3 tablespoons. This takes about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. You will know when it is done because it will suddenly turn syrupy. (Which means it thickens a bit and coats the back of a metal spoon.) Don’t go past that stage or it will burn!
2) Add the salt and whatever spices you like to use. (Citrus zest and savory herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage all work well).
Wine salt has a lovely color and fully developed flavor
3) Stir well and spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet.
4) There are several ways to dry out the salt before storing, but the most important part is that you dry it completely without burning it. Use one of the following methods:
- Oven: Dry slowly in a very low oven for 1-2 hours (the lowest setting your oven will go). Keep the door ajar if possible and check every 20 minutes or so. The wine salt can easily burn – so watch closely!
- Dehydrator: A dehydrator is actually the easier way to go and you do not have to worry about burning it if you do it that way. Depending upon your setting, it will take several hours or overnight to dry completely.
- Counter: You can also just set the pan on the counter to dry, stirring it every few hours. This is the slowest method and takse a day or so to dry completely.
5) Take out the salt and let it cool completely before pouring it into a tightly sealed container. Use within 6 months for best flavor.
6) Use the wine salt as you would any seasoning salt. Sprinkle it over foods before or after cooking.
Try it on:
- Steaks and roasts
- Stew
- Roasted veggies
- Root vegetables
- Any grilled meat
- Any savory dish that can use a splash of wine for flavor
But remember, it is a salt with very concentrated wine flavors. A little goes a long way!
AboutTheresa Loe
Theresa Loe is an award-winning garden writer for television, print media and video. She is also one of the founding producers of Growing A Greener World, bringing her voice and expertise both on-camera and behind-camera from day one. She is passionate about taking the garden full circle (from seed, to pantry, to table) and shares how to capture seasonal, fresh-picked flavor.
