Homemade Zaatar Spice Mix Recipes

ZA'ATAR (ZAATAR SEASONING)

Steps:

• Dry thyme: Pre-heat oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread fresh thyme (with stems) on baking sheet. Place tray in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Once done, take it out. Leave aside to cool. When easy to handle, rub in palms of your hands to separate leaves from stems. (discard stems)
• Toast Sesame Seeds: While thyme dries, heat a dry skillet. Add sesame seeds and toast until most seeds are lite brown. (about 2 minutes).
• Assemble Za'atar: to assemble seasoning, mix all ingredients: sumac, **oregano, salt with toasted sesame seeds, and dried thyme. Keep at cool dry place in air-tight container for up-to 3 months. *Read Notes on how to use as zaatar seasoning.

LEBANESE ZAATAR SPICE BLEND RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the Sesame seeds into a small pan and dry toast the sesame seeds until you can smell them toasting or see them popping up. Keep aside to cool.
• In a mortar and pestle add the thyme, savory, marjoram, and sumac. Pound all the ingredients until well mixed and you can smell the spice blend forming.
• In a small bowl or container combine the previously pound ingredient mixture with the sesame seeds and salt.
• Store in an airtight container until further use.

AUTHENTIC ZA'ATAR SPICE RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
• For the most flavor, toast whole seeds (cumin seeds and coriander seeds) until fragrant, then grind. This will make the most flavorful zaatar. If you don't have whole seeds, feel free to use ground spices.

ZA'ATAR SPICE BLEND

Steps:

• Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or jar, and stir to combine.
• For enhanced flavor, warm the spices together in a medium skillet over medium heat, until fragrant and the sesame seeds are starting to turn golden. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. (Skip this step if you will be baking your za'atar on pita bread, which essentially does the same thing.)
• Store za'atar in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

HOMEMADE ZA'ATAR SPICE MIX

Steps:

• Combine all the spices. Store in a sealed jar in a cool dry place for six months.

HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL LEBANESE ZAATAR MIX

Steps:

• Rinse the fresh oregano stems, pat dry them, and then arrange them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or on the tray of a dehydrator.
• When using the oven,bake at 165ºF/75ºC for about 1 hour in the center of the oven. Keep a close eye on the drying process so that the leaves don't burn (as the temperature is higher than a dehydrator). Check on the leaves in about 30-45 minutes. If they feel dry and crumble easily, they have been dried/dehydrated enough. If not, keep them in the oven longer, checking every 5-10 minutes.When using a dehydrator,dehydrate at 105º/40ºC for 1-4 hours (timing depends on the initial freshness of the leaves). Check them after 1.5 hours. If they feel dry and crumble easily, they've been dehydrated enough. If not, keep them longer, checking periodically. You could also dry them in a well-ventilated spot but this could take at least a few days, even weeks.
• Once the oregano has dried out, leave it to cool down completely.
• Grind it to a fine powder.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan (don't add oil) over medium heat. Stir constantly so the seeds don't burn on one side. It's enough to toast them for about 4-5 minutes. Let the sesame seeds cool down before mixing the spice blend.
• Next, mix all the herbs/spices. You can stir them in a bowl or directly in the jar you plan to store them in.
• Cover the jar and store in your cupboard or another cool dry place. You can also keep it in the fridge. The Lebanese zaatar spice mix keeps for 6 months (or even longer).

ZA'ATAR SEASONING

Steps:

• Measure out and add all herbs into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Working in batches, if needed, grind herbs until desired, uniform consistency is reached.
• Transfer herb mixture to a jar and add sesame seeds and sea salt.
• Cap with a lid and shake until mixed well.

ZA'ATAR SPICE MIX RECIPE

Steps:

• If using hyssop in the form of tea (with large particles), grind it in a spice grinder.
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix.
• Za'atar spice mix can be stored in an airtight container for a few months. For best results, store in a cool and dark environment to protect it from the elements.

HOMEMADE ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Combine sesame seeds, thyme leaves, sumac, and salt in a bowl and stir until well combined.