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Recipe Category: Spices & Teas


Sparkling Autumn Punch

Thank you to our friends at Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville, Arkansas for this refreshing treat!

In the month of October, we celebrate co-ops. Why? Because they are awesome! We feature recipes from co-ops around the country in our special Co-op Recipe Guide.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups spiced apple cider
  • 3 cans San Pellegrino Limonata
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 Pink Lady apple, sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • Mountain Valley Sparkling water, to top it off
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks

Directions

  1. In a pitcher, add apple cider, San Pellegriono and orange juice. Gently stir to combine.
  2. Add in apple slices and orange slices. Top it off with Mountain Valley Sparkling Water.
  3. Add rosemary and cinnamon sticks. 

Mustard

home-made mustard

Fresh mustard is fun and easy to make. Yellow mustard seeds are more mild; brown and black pack more heat. Take the recipe in a number of different directions using the optional ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp mustard seeds
  • ½ cup mustard powder
  • ½ cup water or beer
  • 3 Tbsp vinegar – cider, white wine or sherry
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp honey (optional)
  • ¼ cup minced fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon (optional)

Directions

  1. Using a coffee/spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind mustard seeds for a few seconds. Keep them mostly whole since you’re also using mustard powder.
  2. Pour semi-ground seeds into a bowl and add salt, mustard powder and one of the optional ingredients, if using.
  3. Pour in water or beer, still well. When all is incorporated, let sit for up to 10 minutes (the longer you let it sit, the more mellow it’ll be). Pour in the vinegar.
  4. Pour into glass jar and store in fridge. It’ll be runny and will thicken up overnight. Wait at least 12 hours before using. Will last a year stored in the fridge.

Barbecue Sauce

There’s nothing like fresh barbecue sauce. Give this Kansas City barbecue-inspired sauce a try!

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt Optional: Pinch of cayenne for extra heat

Directions

Whisk ingredients together in a medium saucepan.

Cook over medium-high heat until sauce simmers. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly.

Use sauce immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to one week.

Herbal Gomasio

What is Gomasio? It’s a Japanese seasoning blend. “Gomasio” means “salt & pepper,” as it’s traditionally made with black sesame seeds and white sea salt.

With this delicious combination of toasty sesame seeds and salty seaweed, you can add a nutritive boost and subtle richness to just about any savory recipe. Switch up your table salt with this spice mix and customize it to your heart’s content.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw unhulled sesame seeds 
  • ½ cup dulse flakes 
  • 2 Tbsp hemp seeds 
  • 2 Tbsp milk thistle seeds 
  • 1 Tbsp Himalayan pink salt
Optional Additional Ingredients

Use 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp according to your taste: 

  • Nutritional yeast 
  • Smoked paprika 
  • Dried nettle leaf 
  • Peppercorns – finely ground 
  • Garlic granules 
  • Fennel seed 
  • Dandelion leaf 
  • Flax seeds 
  • Chili flakes 
  • Caraway seeds 
  • Cumin seeds 
  • Dried oregano 
  • Dried holy basil 

Directions

  1. Dry toast the sesame seeds by gently warming them in a pan over medium heat, tossing or stirring constantly. 
  2. When the oil begins to release and the seeds start to turn golden, remove the seeds from heat and place in a bowl to cool. Be very careful not to let them burn!
  3. Next, toss all ingredients together until well mixed. 
  4. Grind in a suribachi or food processor. 
  5. Use in place of table salt to season any dish. 

Preserved Lemons with Spices

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons (between ½ to ¾ pound total) 
  • 3 Tbsp. kosher salt 
  • 2 whole cloves 
  • 1 dried bay leaf 
  • 1 cinnamon stick (3 in.) 
  • 2 ½ tsp. coriander seeds 
  • 2 tsp. black peppercorns

Directions

  1. Rinse lemons and score peels about ¼ in. deep down length of lemons, spacing slashes about 1 inch apart. In a 2- to 3-quart nonreactive pan, combine 2 ½ cups water, kosher salt and lemons. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until lemon peels are tender when pierced, about 12-15 minutes. 
  2. With a slotted spoon, transfer lemons to a pint-size widemouthed canning jar with a rubber ring seal (so salt water doesn’t rust the metal). Reserve the salted water. 
  3. Add cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds and black peppercorns to the jar. Press lemons down slightly to release juices. Pour enough of the reserved salted water over them to cover completely and seal with the lid. 
  4. When cool, chill at least 5 days, turning jar occasionally (lemons may darken a little), or up to 3 months. To use, lift lemons from liquid, scrape out soft pulp, and sliver or chop peels. 

Homemade Spice Mix

There’s no better way to say “Season’s Greetings” than with gifts of homemade spice mixes. Use the BriarPatch bulk section as your palette for creative, customized combinations that’ll be appreciated and used every day! 

Each recipe makes about ½ cup, perfect to put in a little mason jar with the recipe attached so the recipient can make more when it runs out. Combine ingredients for each recipe in a bowl and stir well. 

Ingredients

Ranch Seasoning Blend
  • 2 ½ Tbsp. dried parsley 
  • 2 tsp. dried dill 
  • 2 ½ tsp. garlic powder 
  • 2 ½ tsp. onion powder 
  • 2 tsp. dried minced onions 
  • 1 tsp. black pepper 
  • 1 ½ tsp. sea salt 
Mediterranean Seasoning Blend
  • 2 Tbsp. dried basil 
  • 2 Tbsp. dried oregano 
  • 2 Tbsp. kosher salt 
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 
  • 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion 
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
salt-free all-purpose Seasoning Blend
  • 2 Tbsp. garlic powder 
  • 2 Tbsp. onion powder 
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder 
  • 1 Tbsp. paprika (or smoked paprika) 
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 
  • 2 tsp. raw hulled sesame seeds 
  • 1 ½ tsp. black pepper 
Chili Seasoning Blend
  • 2 ½ Tbsp. chili powder 
  • 1 Tbsp. cumin powder 
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder 
  • 1 Tbsp. paprika or smoked paprika 
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder 
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano 
  • 1 tsp. sea salt 
  • 1 tsp. black pepper 

Directions

  1. Mix the spices well.