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HOW TO CREATE SMOKED SALT AT HOME IN YOUR BACKYARD

Summer is in full swing, and our BBQ is getting quite the workout! From smoking everything we can fit on the grill (including a massive 20-pound turkey – but more on that another time 😉), we’ve been busy experimenting. Today, we’re diving into the art of making smoked salt and sharing the top 3 compelling reasons why you absolutely need to try it!

3 Reasons Why You Should Make Your Own Smoked Salt

  • Unbeatable Flavor: Smoked salt tastes absolutely incredible! It’s the perfect finishing touch for dishes like tomato soup, avocado toast, or anything that could use a smoky kick. In fact, it rivals (if not surpasses) the pricey gourmet smoked salts you’d find at the store.
  • Cost-Effective: Making smoked salt at home is a fraction of the cost of buying those fancy finishing salts. Plus, you can get creative with flavors and still save a bundle.
  • Fantastic Gifts: Smoked salt makes an excellent host or hostess gift, especially during BBQ season. It’s also perfect for the foodie or BBQ lover on your holiday list. To make gifting even easier, I’ve included printable labels toward the bottom of this post so you can package your smoked salt in style.

    But let’s be honest—you’ll probably want to keep it all for yourself! Once you taste it, you might just end up hoarding your smoky stash in your kitchen cupboard.

    You have to try making a batch of smoked salt! Imagine this: in the middle of winter, when it’s freezing outside, you can add a pinch of fire-roasted goodness to your dishes and bring back a taste of summer.

    The possibilities are endless:

    • Smokey Mac & Cheese
    • A sprinkle on creamy mashed potatoes
    • Rimming the glass of a bold Bloody Mary
    • Enhancing homemade mozzarella
    • Crafting smoky rubs for oven-roasted dishes
    • Adding depth to a comforting bowl of pumpkin soup

    …and so much more!

    Are you convinced yet? I sure hope so!

    Must Know Tips When Making Smoked Sea Salt

    When I first started experimenting with making smoked salt, I had so many questions. Through trial and error, I was able to narrow down the most important tips and answers that everyone should know before diving into smoking salt at home. Let me share them with you to make your journey a whole lot easier!

    WHICH IS THE BEST SALT TO SMOKE?

    After experimenting with various salts, we discovered the ultimate choice: sea salt—the flakier and chunkier, the better.

    My personal favorite is Maldon salt, known for its thin, flaky texture that’s perfect for smoking. But don’t worry—you don’t need to splurge on Maldon to get great results. Coarse sea salt works beautifully, too, and is often more budget-friendly.

    Interestingly, Maldon does offer a pre-smoked salt, but I found its smoky flavor to be underwhelming—that’s actually what inspired my journey to start smoking salt myself!

    You can also smoke fine sea salt, but I think smoked salt shines best as a finishing salt. Fine salt lacks the satisfying crunch and that bold punch of fire-roasted smokiness that chunkier salts bring to the table.

    WHAT’S THE BEST WOOD TO USE WHEN MAKING SMOKED SALT?

    Our top choice for smoking salt? Applewood—hands down the winner!

    After testing several types of wood with different salts, we both agreed that applewood smoked salt was superior. While the other woods also produced delicious results, applewood stood out for a few reasons:

    • It’s incredibly versatile, pairing well with just about anything.
    • It imparts a clean, balanced smoky flavor that enhances every dish without overpowering it.

    Of course, taste is subjective, so I highly recommend experimenting with a few different woods to find your favorite. Smoking salt is super easy, and the possibilities are endless!

    That said, I’ve never made a smoked salt I didn’t enjoy. Here are some other woods we’ve tried with great success:

    • Hickory
    • Cherry
    • Rum barrel
    • Maple bourbon barrel

    If you’re not in the mood to experiment, start with applewood—it’s foolproof and produces amazing results every time!

    WHAT TEMPERATURES ARE NEEDED TO MAKE SMOKED SALT?

    We’ve experimented with smoking salt at temperatures ranging from 250°F to 400°F, and here’s what we found: the only real difference is how long you need to smoke your salt. The results are equally delicious whether you:

    • Smoke at 250°F for 5–6 hours, or
    • Smoke at 350–400°F for 2–3 hours.

    We also tried a recommendation to cold smoke the salt for 12 hours, but I wasn’t a fan. The result was an overly strong, acrid smoky flavor that didn’t hit the mark for me.

    If you prefer a bolder smoky taste, you can always extend the smoking time, but for a balanced and reliable smoked salt, I recommend sticking to 350°F for 2–3 hours. It’s simple, quick, and delivers fantastic results every time.

    Can I Smoke Salt In A Gas BBQ?

    Yes, you absolutely can! I highly recommend the A-MAZE-N 12” Pellet Tube Smoker.

    This nifty little device is a game-changer for anyone looking to cold smoke with a gas BBQ. I’ve used it in the past, and it works incredibly well. It’s designed to take pellets (not wood chips or chunks), which is an additional investment, but it’s totally worth it. With the A-MAZE-N smoker, you can easily convert your gas BBQ into a cold smoker, opening up a whole new world of smoking possibilities. It’s a solid investment if you’re serious about smoking!

    Ingredients Needed TO Make Homemade SMoked Sea Salt

    To make this smoked salt, you’ll need:

    • Flaky sea salt (or coarse salt)
    • Your favorite wood for smoking
    • A BBQ or smoker
    • Time

    When I was first figuring out how to smoke salt, I experimented with a variety of woods, methods, and lots of salt! Here’s what we used to make our favorite applewood smoked salt:

    • Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker
    • Maldon Sea Salt Flakes – Pack of 2
    • 13” Splatter Screen
    • Apple Wood Chips

    Our Char-Griller Akorn Kamado has been an absolute game-changer. It’s the best BBQ we’ve owned and we still love it! After three summers of consistent use, it’s still in top condition, and I can’t recommend it enough. My husband smokes everything in it:

    • Turkeys
    • Cheese
    • Salt
    • Pizza
    • Grilled cheese
    • And much more!

    Honestly, if it’s food, we’ve likely tried BBQing or smoking it.

    For the salt, I also bought a stainless steel frying pan splatter screen, which I bent the handle up on so it would fit inside the BBQ. This screen is perfect for coarse salt because it allows the smoke to reach both the top and bottom at the same time, speeding up the process and making the job much easier.

    How To Smoke Salt IN A Smoker

    Smoking salt is incredibly easy—way easier than making pie! Here’s my go-to method:

    1. Preheat your BBQ to 300-350°F.
    2. Smoke 2 cups of salt for 2-3 hours.
    3. Stir your salt and add new smoke chips every hour for consistent smoke flavor.

    Pro Tip: Don’t soak your wood chips! Soaking them will only slow down the smoking process and cool down the coals. Just use dry wood chips for the best results.

    And that’s it! Simple, quick, and delicious.

    GREAT SMOKING BOOK

    If you’re looking for an excellent BBQ book that dives deep into the science of heat, smoke, and flame, I highly recommend Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling. It’s hands-down the best BBQ book out there, packed with fascinating tidbits that will elevate your BBQ skills.

    While How to smoke salt isn’t covered in the cookbook, you’ll find plenty of incredible recipes for your summer BBQ that are sure to impress. It’s a must-have for any BBQ enthusiast looking to up their game!

    Storing Your Smoked Salt

    I have to admit, the salt actually improves over time! It mellows out, becomes smokier, and just keeps getting better with age.

    I prefer to store my smoked salt in mason jars, and it lasts indefinitely. In fact, I still have some from last summer, and you’d never guess it wasn’t freshly smoked—it tastes just as good!

    Just make sure to use airtight storage containers if you’re planning to store it for a while. That way, it keeps all that smoky goodness sealed in for months to come.

    SMOKED SALT LABEL DOWNLOAD

    I’ve made these adorable labels that you can print off and add to your jars! You can print them on sticky label paper for easy application, but you’ll need to cut them out. A paper trimmer is a huge help—it makes the job quick and simple, giving your jars a polished and professional look. Perfect for gifting or just adding a little extra flair to your homemade smoked salt!

    I printed mine on cardstock and used a glue stick to attach them to the front of a 500ml (2 cups) mason jar. To give it an extra special touch, I added a bit of craft paper to the lid and tied it all together with a twist of twine. It makes for a charming and personalized gift, or just a fun way to keep your smoked salt looking cute on the shelf!

    CONCLUSION

    In conclusion, making smoked salt at home is an easy, fun, and rewarding process. With just a few simple ingredients—flaky sea salt, your favorite wood, and a bit of time—you can create a unique finishing touch for your dishes that’s both flavorful and cost-effective. Whether you’re using it for your own cooking, gifting it to friends, or experimenting with different types of wood, smoked salt adds a deliciously smoky kick to just about anything. Plus, with the right storage, it only gets better over time!

    So fire up your BBQ, gather your supplies, and start smoking your own salt—you’ll be amazed at the rich flavors you’ll create. Happy smoking!

    21 POWER PERENNIALS: HARDY GARDENING FLOWERS THAT BRING UNSTOPPABLE COLOR EVERY YEAR

    When you’re looking for reliable, low-maintenance plants that deliver impressive flower power, these tough-as-nails hardy perennials are your best bet. Each of these resilient plants thrives in challenging conditions, such as drought, poor soil, and harsh winters, returning each year with stunning blooms that brighten your garden.

    Baptisia

    Once established, Baptisia, commonly known as false indigo, can thrive for decades. In fact, several specimens in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® have reliably bloomed every spring since their planting in the 1950s. This robust, shrub-like perennial produces elegant stalks adorned with blue, white, purple, or yellow flowers, which are followed by distinctive seedpods filled with seeds. Baptisia also boasts attractive blue-green, pea-like foliage that remains visually appealing even when the plants are not in bloom, making it a fantastic addition to any garden.

    Daylily

    Practically indestructible, daylilies (Hemerocallis) thrive in nearly any sunny spot and are known for their prolific flowering. They are drought-tolerant, insect-resistant, and come in a vast array of colors and bicolors. Daylilies are available as early, mid, and late-season bloomers, so consider planting a mix in your garden for a continuous display of color throughout the season. Alternatively, you can choose repeat-blooming varieties that flower from spring until fall, ensuring your garden remains vibrant and lively.

    Hosta

    If you appreciate variety, hostas are an excellent choice for your garden. These shade-loving perennials come in hundreds of shapes, sizes, and colors, from giants that can reach up to 4 feet tall to diminutive varieties that only grow about 4 inches high. Known for their stunning foliage, hostas also produce beautiful flower spikes in shades of blue, white, or lavender during the summer, with flowering times varying by variety. These hardy plants are easy to care for and can be dug up and divided whenever you want to expand your collection or share with friends.

    Garden Phlox

    Every flower border should feature a generous helping of garden phlox. These timeless perennials produce large, fragrant flower heads that bloom from midsummer to fall, providing vibrant color and delightful scents to your garden. Available in a range of hues including pink, red, purple, white, and bicolor options, some varieties also boast variegated foliage for added visual interest. If you live in a humid climate, consider selecting mildew-resistant types to ensure your garden remains healthy. Garden phlox pairs beautifully with roses, coneflowers, and lilies, making it an excellent companion plant that enhances the overall beauty of your floral arrangements.

    Hellebore

    Just when it feels like winter will never end, hellebores bring a much-needed burst of color to the landscape. Often referred to as Lenten or Christmas roses due to their early blooming season, these hardy perennials thrive in shady areas, where their nodding flowers in shades of pink, white, rose, green, purple, yellow, spotted, or bicolored varieties brighten up dark corners of your garden. Hellebores make excellent companions for spring-flowering bulbs like Narcissus and Squill, enhancing the beauty of your early garden. Additionally, they are resistant to deer and rabbits, making them a reliable choice for a thriving garden.

    Barrenwort

    One of the best shade perennials, barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) is a true garden workhorse. This hardy groundcover provides not only colorful foliage but also lovely flowers. Its high drought resistance makes it an excellent choice for shady areas with dry soil. Depending on the variety and your region, Epimedium may even remain evergreen through the winter. This perennial spreads slowly, gradually carpeting your garden with vibrant color and texture, making it a fantastic addition to any shaded landscape.

    Oriental Lily

    Enhance your flower borders with the vibrant color and delightful fragrance of Oriental lilies (Lilium spp.). These stunning plants produce clusters of richly scented flowers from mid to late summer, showcasing a beautiful palette that includes pink, rose, white, pale orange, and cream. Many varieties are also adorned with speckles and stripes, adding further visual interest to your garden.

    Oriental lilies are easy to grow from bulbs planted in either spring or fall. Keep in mind that some taller varieties may need support in windy locations, so it’s a good idea to set stakes in the ground while the plants are still young. Their exquisite blooms make excellent cut flowers, but be sure to remove the stamens before bringing them indoors to prevent any staining on your clothes. To maintain the health and vigor of your plants, remember to dig and divide the bulbs every few years in the fall.

    Sedum

    If you’re in search of a low-maintenance perennial, make sure to add sedums to your shopping list! These resilient plants come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, thriving in tough conditions without succumbing to heat, drought, winter cold, or pests. One popular variety is Dragon’s Blood sedum, known for its attractive red-and-green foliage and fast-growing creeping habit, making it an ideal groundcover for slopes. While sedums thrive in sunny spots, they can also tolerate part-sun conditions, making them versatile additions to any garden.

    Russian Sage

    Brighten up your late summer and fall garden with the stunning Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). This resilient perennial, native to central Asia, thrives in hot, dry conditions, making it a great choice for low-maintenance gardens. Its striking bluish-purple flowers bloom from mid to late summer, maintaining their vibrant color for weeks. Complemented by its aromatic, silvery foliage, Russian sage adds both beauty and texture to your landscape. While the plant can grow as tall as 8 feet, dwarf varieties are available, reaching a more compact height of about 3 feet, perfect for smaller spaces.

    Peony

    Make a lasting investment in your garden with peonies (Paeonia). These stunning sun-loving perennials bloom reliably for decades, becoming larger and more vibrant with each passing year. Available in a wide range of colors and flower forms—including singles, doubles, and semi-doubles—peonies are sure to add beauty to any landscape. Their delightful fragrance makes them an excellent choice for fresh-cut bouquets, filling your home with their lovely scent. While blooming times can vary slightly by variety, most peonies flower in May and June. Even after their blossoms fade, their finely cut foliage continues to provide visual interest in the flower border throughout the growing season.

    Bee Balm

    Looking to add some floral fireworks to your garden? Consider planting bee balm (Monarda spp.). This native perennial offers stunning bursts of flowers in both cool and warm tones during the summer and fall, creating a vibrant display that delights pollinators. Additionally, bee balm is often overlooked by rabbits and deer, making it a resilient choice for your landscape. It can also withstand some drought conditions, ensuring that it remains a striking feature in your garden even during drier spells.

    Blazing Star

    Thriving in the wilds of the American prairies, blazing star (Liatris spp.) is a fantastic choice for hot, sunny gardens. These resilient plants are well-suited to withstand heat and drought, and they come in beautiful pink, purple, or white flowering varieties. Blazing star produces a clump of narrow leaves, which are topped in mid to late summer by tall, 2-foot spikes of vibrant blooms. This eye-catching perennial is not only a stunning addition to your garden but also a favorite among butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, making it a great choice for attracting wildlife to your outdoor space.

    Asiatic Lily

    Asiatics are the hardiest of all lilies and are nearly foolproof for gardeners. These resilient plants grow quickly from bulbs planted in the fall or early spring, producing stunning, upward-facing flowers in a wide array of colors and bicolors. While bloom times can vary by variety, most display their most impressive flower show in early to midsummer. Asiatic lilies multiply rapidly, allowing you to dig and divide them every few years to spread their beauty to other sunny areas in your garden. Some varieties even have a light fragrance, adding to their charm.

    Coreopsis

    Coreopsis thrives in hot, dry weather, making it a fantastic perennial for summer gardens. As a native American plant, it’s known for its reliability and prolific blooms. These cheerful flowers come in various colors, including yellow, orange, pink, white, red, and bicolored varieties, and they sway gracefully on slender stems with each breeze. Coreopsis is also resistant to most insects and diseases, making it low-maintenance. The foliage can differ between species, featuring either fine, threadlike leaves or broader ones. To encourage even more flowering, be sure to remove faded blooms promptly.

    Catmint

    When catmint (Nepeta spp.) is in bloom during spring and summer, it truly shines as the star of the garden. The entire plant becomes adorned with tall wands of vibrant blue flowers that are resilient to heat and drought. After the initial bloom, you can simply shear the plant back by a third of its height, and it will reward you with another wave of flowers in late summer and early fall. Taller varieties, reaching up to 3 feet high, make fantastic companions for roses, peonies, or ornamental grasses, creating a beautiful layered effect in your garden. For shorter catmints that grow around 12 inches tall, position them at the front edge of your garden beds for a charming border.

    Culver’s Root

    Infuse your fall garden with a burst of color by planting Japanese anemones (Anemone spp.). These delightful flowers bloom from mid to late summer and maintain their vibrant display into early autumn. Featuring single, pure pink blossoms that rise gracefully on wiry, 2-foot-tall stems, they stand out beautifully against the backdrop of dark green foliage. While Japanese anemones may be slow to establish initially, they will eventually form dense clumps over time and can naturalize in an area, adding a lovely, cheerful presence to your garden landscape.

    Coneflower

    Native to the American prairie, coneflowers (Echinacea) are among the most popular and widely hybridized perennials in the country. In addition to single-flowering varieties, you can also find double and even triple-petal-packed options (though it’s important to note that flowers with heavy petal counts are not as beneficial for pollinators). The color palette for coneflowers ranges from the classic purplish-pink to vibrant shades of white, orange, yellow, and red. They bloom from early summer through fall, attracting a variety of birds and butterflies, making them a delightful addition to any garden.

    Moss Phlox

    The jewel-like flowers of moss phlox (Phlox subulata) burst into bloom early in spring, often gracing your garden alongside daffodils and tulips. This hardy perennial groundcover is a perfect choice for rock gardens or sloped areas, providing a vibrant carpet of color. Available in shades of violet, pink, white, blue, and delightful bicolor options, moss phlox adds charm and beauty to any landscape. Additionally, these resilient plants are deer resistant, making them a great option for gardens where wildlife may be a concern.

    Japanese Anemone

    Infuse your fall garden with a burst of color by planting Japanese anemones (Anemone spp.). These delightful flowers bloom from mid to late summer and maintain their vibrant display into early autumn. Featuring single, pure pink blossoms that rise gracefully on wiry, 2-foot-tall stems, they stand out beautifully against the backdrop of dark green foliage. While Japanese anemones may be slow to establish initially, they will eventually form dense clumps over time and can naturalize in an area, adding a lovely, cheerful presence to your garden landscape.

    Cranesbill

    Known for the shape of its seeds, cranesbill, or perennial geranium, is a delightful addition to any garden. This hardy perennial produces an abundance of white, pink, blue, or light purple flowers on slender, arching stems from late spring through fall. Most varieties feature beautifully mottled or veined leaves that contribute to the visual interest even when the plants aren’t in bloom, especially in the fall when the foliage takes on stunning red hues. These low-growing plants spread to create a lush carpet of color, making them ideal for filling in garden beds or ground cover.

    Coral Bells

    Thanks to the creativity of plant breeders, coral bells (Heuchera spp.) now showcase a stunning array of varieties. These hardy perennials feature mounding foliage that comes in vibrant colors such as purple, orange, chartreuse, and silver, often adorned with unique patterns. In addition to their eye-catching leaves, some varieties also produce attractive flowers that draw in pollinators, enhancing the ecological value of your garden. Coral bells are quite versatile, as they can tolerate some drought conditions and many types thrive in shady spots, making them a fantastic choice for various garden settings.

    CONCLUSION

    In conclusion, selecting the right perennials can transform your garden into a colorful and thriving ecosystem. From the cheerful blooms of Japanese anemones and the dazzling hues of coral bells to the pollinator-friendly displays of bee balm, these hardy plants offer both beauty and resilience. By incorporating a variety of species that thrive in your specific conditions—whether it’s sun, shade, or drought—you can create a dynamic landscape that not only enhances your outdoor space but also supports local wildlife. With thoughtful planning and care, your garden can provide vibrant floral displays throughout the seasons, ensuring enjoyment for years to come.