Italian Seasoning

The one seasoning blend I reach for every week is a mixture of my favorite dried herbs. A sprinkle of homemade Italian seasoning adds flavor to roasted potatoes, simmering marinara sauce, juicy roast chicken, and more.

Thankfully, making your own Italian seasoning couldn’t be easier. Simply mix together a few dried herbs already in your pantry, and that’s it! Building your own mix gives you control over its freshness, potency, and flavor profile, and saves you a trip to the store. Let’s get started!

Italian seasoning is a mixture of dried herbs and sometimes spices. It has a versatile, mild herbal flavor. Typically, it contains dried oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sometimes marjoram. While garlic powder or crushed red pepper flakes are also sometimes included, these additions can settle to the bottom of the jar and limit the versatility of the mixture.

Like Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence is also a mixture of dried herbs. Named for the region in southern France, Herbs de Provence is an all-purpose seasoning for French and Mediterranean dishes.

• Common to both blends: Thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, and marjoram.
• Herbs de Provence only: This blend may also contain tarragon, savory, chervil, fennel, lavender, dill, and/or bay leaf.

You can either start with freshly purchased bottles of dried herbs from a grocer with high spice aisle turnover (the more shoppers buying spices means the bottles are restocked with more frequency), or use up the last bits of seasonings in jars you have at home.

Either way, mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl, transfer to a jar, and store in a cool, dark place. If you start with new dried herbs, the mixture should last about a year. If you start with opened jars, plan on keeping the mix made for about three months, or as long as it’s fragrant.