How To Make Your Own Herb Salts

Growing herbs is one of our favourite things at the Goodman Community Farm. It is a source of food with wide variety in taste. Grown by considering the microclimates in the space, we have found that they are more versatile than people think. We grow them everywhere! From fabric planters, bucket planters and trench planters to raised beds, herb spirals and in coco-damas! 

Other than it's incredible variety of taste, we love it because it allows us to produce food! Growing herbs ourselves means that it reduces food miles, reduces packaging, reduces fuel during transportation, reduces energy when storing it so on and so forth! Moreover, because we are only harvesting what we need, there is lesser food wastage. 

Now what happens when we have an abundance in harvest? We love sharing it with our neighbours at Goodman Arts Centre and then take the rest home. 

How can I preserve the flavour and increase the shelf life? 

For centuries, herbs have been used to flavour food. Why not look at how the ancients have been preserving them too? It is simple, we should use the resources that we have in abundance and is easily available: 

1. Sun 
2. Water

Drying the herbs in sun and heat is an effective way to preserve (and in some cases intensify) the flavours in herbs. Think about the little bottles of herbs that we see in supermarkets with long shelf lives! So for your own herb salts it's important to harvest fresh herbs and dry them to preserve their flavour. You can grow your own or and buy locally grown and harvested herbs to keep true to reduce food miles.

Now, take it a step further and add it to salt. Allow the salt to further dry and enhance the flavours of the herbs as you think of ways to incorporate it in your food. Do look at the images above to see some of our ideas. 

How to make your own herb salts:

1. Grow and harvest your own herbs or buy some fresh locally grown herbs. 

2. Cut them into small pieces. 

3. Dry the herbs in the sun or in an oven. 

4. Once dry, powder them using a mortar and pestle or blender according to the consistency you like. 

5. Add salt to the herbs and mix them thoroughly. 

Enjoy!

Nova Nelson

Nova Nelson is a permaculture practitioner and consultant with over ten years of experience in Singapore and Malaysia. She is the founder of Cultivate Central, where she integrates permaculture, syntropic agroforestry, and community development to shape regenerative urban food systems. Nova leads the Goodman Community Farm, a demonstrative urban permaculture ecosystem connecting people to soil, food, and environmental stewardship. Certified in Sustainable Food Production and Processing from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, she consults on regenerative food initiatives and hosts Cultivating Change, a podcast exploring food systems and regenerative farmers, communities and cultures across Southeast Asia.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.