# Premade spice blends: Do you use them? Which ones? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 16, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160 "2021-12-16T16:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/61 "2021-12-17T15:42:15Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Hmm. Never occurred to me to try that- I would have figured trying to toast powdered spices would burn them. Maybe I’ll try this next time. I’d say you’ve got 20 seconds max, with them moving all the time for Tumeric. 30 seconds for Cumin. About a minute for Coriander. Don’t be afraid to throw away ones where you have burned them, they will ruin a dish. Some people toast powdered chilli powder but its just burned really quick for me, and hurt my eyes and nasal passages. So I don’t. Turmeric is a spice I can detect untoasted in curries from its distinctive flavour. I can’t when it’s toasted. I’ve never tasted it in professional curries. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/62 "2021-12-17T16:23:15Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I toast all my spices in powdered form. While people tend to toast the seeds then grind them, you can do it with powdered spices. It burns fast, changes to orange and is done. Cumin goes fast too in ground form. Coriander can take up to a minute, but needs to be kept moving. They all do. Powdered form is fine, in my opinion, as long as you powder them at home. I am always skeptical that they have adulterated the powders. For example, they add a yellow dye that makes turmeric more yellow. Similarly Kashmiri mirch has added lead salts to make it more reddish. As a person of Indian origin, I do not trust the spice powder makers and think they cut corners. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/63 "2021-12-17T16:33:41Z")
I would like all of Penzeys spices, but I live alone and wouldn’t be able to use them all…I’ve tried every kind of seasoned salt, and Lawry’s is the best…King Arthur Flour catalog has Pizza Seasoning, which is great! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/64 "2021-12-17T16:38:01Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > The first blend that came to mind is **Kirkland Organic No Salt blend.** Not a great name, but it is a combination of 21 spices, and I find it a great place to start when seasoning meats, chicken and soups. If you want the salted variety, look for Johnny’s Seasoning Salt. It’s a staple in the kitchens of the Northwest. Costco sells the Kirkland branded stuff as Johnny’s branded seasoning in the Seattle area. An aunt of mine worked for the Johnny’s company for many years making their seasonings. They also had 3 popular restaurants in the Tacoma area, they are all closed now. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/65 "2021-12-17T17:16:44Z")
I suppose you could just shake out a measured amount like a gram or something, and then sort it into red and black pepper particles, and then weigh the resulting piles to get the ratio by weight. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/66 "2021-12-17T17:18:22Z")
Oh… I forgot, [Penzeys “Tuscan Sunset”](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/tuscan-sunset/c-24/p-319/pd-s) gets a fair amount of use at our house as our default “italian seasoning” when a recipe calls for that specifically, or we’re in a hurry. It’s pretty good sprinkled over homemade pizza too. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/67 "2021-12-17T18:23:04Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Johnny’s Seasoning Salt Thanks for the recommendation. Yikes, it is $28 for me on amazon.ca, haha. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/68 "2021-12-17T21:18:13Z")
I love a good spice blend and I’ve got a bunch of Penzey’s, many of which have been mentioned before: BBQ 3000, Northwoods, Tuscan Sunset, etc. I just found a new spice store on a visit to Portland, ME: [Skordo](https://skordo.com/)! I picked up a box set and they are great, particularly the Maine Blueberry pork rub and the Korean BBQ rub. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/69 "2021-12-18T01:10:02Z")
So here are ours: - Old Bay (for anything from the ocean and Bloody Marys) - Montreal Steak (for burgers only) - Cavender’s Greek Seasoning - Seasoned Salt (we actually use the Publix generic) - Morton Nature’s Seasoning (for roasted potatoes - try it!) - Tony Chachere’s (for me, applied after cooking) We have a few others that are used here or there (Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute, Fajita seasoning, etc), but those are the staples. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/70 "2021-12-18T02:06:47Z")
I buy a certain number of Penzey’s blends. We tend to try a new one with each order. I’m fond of [Mural of Flavor](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/mural-of-flavor/c-24/p-219/pd-s), [Szechuan Pepper-Salt](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/szechuan-pepper-salt/c-24/p-447/pd-s), [BBQ 3000](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/bbq-3000/c-24/p-327/pd-s), and [Italian Herb Mix](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/italian-herb-mix/c-24/p-183/pd-s). I grew up with Old Bay and like it, but my lovely wife doesn’t eat one of the constituents. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/71 "2021-12-18T02:11:25Z")
My oldest grandson (17) asked for Fox Point and his gift list. We also use the frozen pizza seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/72 "2021-12-18T12:58:40Z")
The two I use most are chicken seasoning from Frankenmuth, MI and Trader Joe’s chili lime blend. I put that (stuff) on everything. mmm [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/GKLJmUS.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/GKLJmUS) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/yAiEZXm.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/yAiEZXm) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/73 "2021-12-18T13:48:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > …chicken seasoning from Frankenmuth, MI We used to have that, in that exact container, from a trip to Frankenmuth years ago. It was very good on chicken! Surprisingly MSG-free, too- I actually did an ingredient check, thinking “I bet this is loaded with MSG, it tastes so good”, but no. Will have to check out Penney’s seasonings after all the mentions in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/74 "2021-12-18T15:10:24Z")
Can’t find the **sumac** comment now, but I’ve made [musakhan](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/musakhan) 5 or 6 times. I use boneless breasts and drizzle with tahini at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/75 "2021-12-18T15:29:21Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > > …chicken seasoning from Frankenmuth, MI > > We used to have that, in that exact container, from a trip to Frankenmuth years ago. It was very good on chicken! Surprisingly MSG-free, too- I actually did an ingredient check, thinking “I bet this is loaded with MSG, it tastes so good”, but no. > > Will have to check out Penney’s seasonings after all the mentions in this thread. We make semi-regular trips to Frankemuth and always stock up on the chicken seasoning. I see it is available from Amazon (pricey) and the [Zehnder’s](https://www.zehndersstore.com/product/zehnders-original-chicken-seasoning-contains-msg/) online store. Nitpick: Penzey’s, not Penney’s. Probably a typo. I’ve bought stuff from there as well, never been disappointed. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/76 "2021-12-18T15:33:17Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I use lots of spice blends regularly and try new ones frequently. I see nothing wrong with them. > > I don’t pick all my own vegetables off the stalk or make all my own pasta, either. I should have added: lately I’ve been paring (or not replacing) some of the premade spice blends I use because the main ingredient is actually just salt. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/77 "2021-12-18T15:48:31Z")
A local Indian restaurant has branched out into a spice shop, [Spicewalla](https://www.spicewallabrand.com/collections/products?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=SearchandDisplay&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqvaNBhDLARIsAH1Pq51UKcv3IILpZgtwuK1hAOL-R5OjbtXwLeQHJxrtO9N33CHtxC5bvCsaAptuEALw_wcB), and we buy our spices from them. We have Garam Masala, Chaat Masala (which I don’t like but haven’t thrown away yet), Pakora Masala (which is freaking delicious tossed with mixed nuts), Chai Masala, and a few different chili powders. Their GM is very clovey, and I use it whenever I make curries. My curries are already nothing like authentic, it’s just me stumbling along to make a spicy tomato-and-spinach-and-protein stew to eat on vegetables, so if that’s inauthentic I’m okay with that. Other than those, I definitely use Italian Seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/78 "2021-12-18T16:16:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I should have added: lately I’ve been paring (or not replacing) some of the premade spice blends I use because the main ingredient is actually just salt. Yeah, for me that would mean pretty much clearing every spice blend I have in the cabinet, minus the South Asian masalas. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/79 "2021-12-18T16:25:22Z")
Penzey’s has had a bunch of no-salt blends ever since the owner went crazy. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premade-spice-blends-do-you-use-them-which-ones/956160/80 "2021-12-18T16:44:03Z")
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