There are some things that should always be in one’s larder. For me, this homemade porcini mushroom salt comes under that category. Totally easy peasy to make and you’ll be rewarded with a jar of umami-packed flavor for seasoning just about anything!

A small jar full of porcini salt. A teaspoon with a little salt on it sits beside dried mushrooms.

What you need to get started

Dried porcini mushrooms. Porcini mushrooms make the most beautiful mushroom salt, plus I use them a lot, so for this recipe, that’s what I’m using. They are a delicious gourmet mushroom with an intense umami flavor that can bring so much depth to a dish, with just a teaspoon or two. You can purchase porcini mushroom slices from good food stores, or if you can get your hands on porcini powder, you’ll be able to skip the grinding up step. Porcini powder is simply porcini mushrooms ground into a fine powder. It can then be added to soups, stews and anywhere you want a good depth of mushroom flavor added to a dish!
Sea salt flakes. I use Murray River Pink Salt Flakes because it’s my favorite salt. Maldon salt flakes are another great flaky salt option. Don’t use table salt for this recipe, the flavor is substantially different from sea salt flakes which generally have a more subtle taste.
Ground garlic powder. Homemade garlic powder or storebought, Either is totally fine.
Black pepper

Variations and Substitutions

As it is mushroom season at the moment, you may have an abundance of wild mushrooms (or not so wild ones!) up your sleeve. So don’t be afraid to experiment with different dried mushroom varieties. Shitake, oyster mushrooms or even good old brown mushrooms all will make a great homemade mushroom salt recipe. Obviously different kinds of mushrooms have different flavour profiles, so go forth and experiment!

Not a fan of black pepper? I’m a black pepper girl and add it to EVERYTHING, however, if you are not a fan, feel free to omit this from the recipe.

The nitty gritty

Using a spice grinder, grind your dried mushrooms into a fine powder. If you have mushroom powder instead of dried mushrooms, skip this step.
In a small mixing bowl, add the ground mushrooms to the sea salt flakes, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper. Give it a quick mix to infuse all the flavors together.
Use straight away or store your mushroom salt for another day!

Flaylay of a glass jar full of mushroom salt.

Equipment

I like to use my cast iron handheld spice grinder to lightly grind everything up and mesh all of those beautiful unami flavors together, however, it’s not necessary if you have ground mushroom powder already. You can simply just mix everything together in a bowl and use it immediately.

If you prefer a finer consistency, pop everything onto a food processor, spice grinder, or high-speed blender for a quick pulse.

Cook’s notes

Don’t be tempted to use fresh mushrooms for this recipe. Dried mushrooms have a much more concentrated flavor than fresh, so you’ll get a totally different result. Here is everything you need to know If you haven’t tried drying your own mushrooms before.
Package a jar of mushroom salt up, pop on a tag, and give it as a homemade gift to a food lover in your life. Homemade salt blends are really easy to make and make a great present.

How to use porcini salt

Sprinkled over these roasted duck fat potatoes instead of the truffle salt. Yum! Or added to a mashed potato recipe.

Season a steak with mushroom salt before grilling.

Add to any mushroom recipe (like grilled mushrooms) to enhance the mushroom flavor and add depth to the dish.

Season your omelet or however, you like your eggs for breakfast with a smattering of porcini salt.

Need a bit of an oomph to a finished slow-cooked recipe like a Dutch oven beef bolognese? Instead of seasoning with salt and pepper use the mushroom salt instead!

Added to a finished pasta, risotto, or my favorite, mac and cheese for a quick umami hit.

Storage

This one will keep for ages if not a couple of years! Be sure to store it in a sterilized glass jar with a secure lid out of direct sunlight.

Close up of a jar of homemade porcini mushroom salt.

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