An Undead Orc's Cozy Secret: How to Make Magical, Simple Herbal Infused Salt

An unofficial recipe inspired by Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J. Munden,

What would an retired undead orc use to stock the pantry at his cozy restaurant? As a thoughtful cook invested infusing flavor into each bite of his food, I would suspect he would stock up on supplies made with herbs infused into everyday staples such as oils, vinegars, salts, and honeys. If you read Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J. Munden, you might be asking yourself this same question. This is a cozy, heartfelt story left me hungry and ready to get cooking!

Adding herbs to kitchen staples makes using herbs in everyday cooking so accessible, simple, and fun. Plus it is a great way to enjoy the benefits of herbs right in the soup bowl. One of the simplest of these methods is infusing herbs into salt. You can then use the herb salt as a substitute for plain salt when cooking dishes or as a final garnish. I love using herbal infused salt on popcorn and sliced veggies like cucumbers and radishes, yum! 

Rottgor’s Unofficial Herbal Infused Salt Recipe

You can make your own herbal infused salt too! Many herbs lend themselves very well to herbal salts, so play around with what you have on hand and flavors you love. This recipe features sage as the main herb in the blend. It is a nod to the sage wisdom that dear Rottgor develops during his experiences and his big earthy heart. 

This recipe is made with fresh herbs — if you want to make yours with dried herbs only, see notes below. 

Ingredients

¾ cup sea salt 
¼ cup pink Himalayan salt 
¾ cup fresh sage leaves 
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup dried nettle leaves
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried garlic granules 

Directions

• Place the salts and fresh sage and thyme in a food processor. 

• Pulse until the herbs are ground and well incorporated into the salt. 

• Add the nettle, rosemary, and garlic to the food processor. 

• Pulse again until those herbs are incorporated. 

• Spread the herbal salt out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet.

• Cover with a thin cloth to keep anything from landing in your salt and let it sit to dry out for a couple of days. This will help to remove any moisture from the mixture so that it stores well. 

• Stir the salt one to two times a day while it dries, breaking up any clumps that form. 

• Once it is dried out, place the herbal salt in a jar, label, and enjoy!

Notes for making this recipe with dried herbs only:

• Decrease the sage from ¾ cup to ¼ cup

• Decrease the thyme from ¼ cup to 1 tablespoon 

• Once you have blended the herbs and salt together, you are done! Simply place your herbal salt in a jar, label, and enjoy!

If you would like to learn more about sage and how it is used in herbalism, visit our Materia Medica here. And if you are looking for a cozy fantasy with a heartwarming story set in a rough and tumble world, with plenty of delicious food, pick up a copy of Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J. Munden, it is wonderful!

Now you are ready to cook like a cozy, loving undead orc!