Old Bay is a versatile, delicious seasoning blend but if you are like me and have an overly stocked spice cabinet, why not make it yourself? In my case I have an ulterior motive; I am allergic to ginger and when I make my homemade Old Bay Seasoning recipe from scratch I can adjust the ingredients to my taste.
This is truly simple, so give it a shot!
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons ground bay leaves
5 teaspoons celery salt
3 teaspoons ground mustard seed
3 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients to a lidded container (an old spice jar works great) and shake well.
HINT: To make ground bay leaves, just put whole leaves in a clean coffee grinder / spice grinder.
I think that is the great part about all of these “clone” recipes – you can adjust the ingredients for allergies as well as nutritional value, not just personal taste. It can make guilty pleasures a lot less guilty.