A number of recipes I find from the Caribbean, Central and South America call for “sazon”. My friend Google offers this definition: A seasoned salt mixture used in Latin America and Mexico that often includes cilantro, achiote and garlic. A number of companies sell a pre-mixed blend in a handy package right in your grocers “ethnic” aisle.
The problem I have is that that those pre-mixed packages have so much sodium that they can overwhelm a careful attempt to moderate your sodium intake. Making your own spice blend at home is a handy alternative, especially if you are like me with an overabundance of whole spices.
Based on some web searching I came up with the following formulation. I left out the salt as I prefer to salt as I go. According to my research 1 1/2 teaspoons of homemade sazon is about equal to the amount of seasoning in one of those packets.
Homemade Sazon
Servings: 12 – 1 1/2 teaspoon portions
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- whole black pepper
- granulated garlic
- coriander seed
- cumin seed
- dried oregano
- annatto seeds
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Pulse until finely ground.
- Store in an air-tight container such as a spice jar.
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