Three things: The de-stressing magic of mindless crafting, the evolutionary process of renaming a kitchen fail an experiment, and, last but not least, the intoxicating scent of Buddha’s hand citron.
First, let us touch upon the soothing genius of the mindless craft. Though I am no consummate crafter, I love the gradual, tactile joy of jam making, knitting (I crocheted my own doll when I was a kindergartner at Waldorf school—truth), and slow living of pretty much every kind. Though I no longer knit, I am irresistibly drawn to the soothing lull of homemaking, 1950’s housewife style.
Though this was my first foray into infusing salts, it def won’t be my last. It’s a deeply mellow, completely hands-on, and super easy way to make exquisitely herbaceous flavored salts for yourself or for gifts. If you have an excess of any kind of herb, considered infusing a salt with its leaves.
I began the process using wild sage I had foraged in Coldwater Canyon (that’s what you see in the pictures), but after letting the salt infuse overnight I was unhappy with its scent. I took a deep breath, used a sifter to remove all the sage, and replaced it with fresh rosemary. I’m thrilled with the results.
The Buddha’s hand citron was especially fun to play with, as it’s a citrus fruit that is entirely rind. It came to me as a thoughtful gift from a friend, and has taken many recipe incarnations since last month—and its still going strong. (Any suggestions for using it in a jam with seasonal fruit? Please share in comments!)
Et voila—enjoy the slow moments, the texture of the salt on your skin, and the irrepressibly bright scent of citrus.
Ingredients
- 8 oz . kosher or coarse salt
- 1 Tbsp . citron zest or slightly larger slices of rind sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler
- 1 Tbsp . fresh rosemary leaves separated
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with your fingers, slightly crushing the rosemary leaves to release their scent and pressing the citron zest and slices to release its oils. Mix for 30 to 45 seconds. I like to whisper little love notes into my food as I’m prepping it: It tastes better that way, I promise.
- Transfer to a Mason jar or airtight container, and let sit at least 48 hours before using. Keep near your stove to toss in egg dishes, roasted veggies, on salads, or in dips and on toasts.
