While sixteen was culturally significant, seventeen is personally significant. Having just celebrated my 34th birthday last month, that means I’ve officially been blogging for half of my life.

That’s longer than most people hold down a single job. It’s longer than it takes to start and finish compulsory education. In many states, BitterSweet could have its own drivers license by now. Time has always felt like an ambiguous, fleeting concept, but this milestone is truly mind-boggling.

Arriving at this considerable age in blogging years feels like an incredible accomplishment, but at the same time, nothing at all. There isn’t any specific way to celebrate the 17th year of life, nor the 17th year of marriage, were this an anniversary. There are no specific foods associated with the number 17 that I could find… Except for one.

Salt-free seasoning may seem like an odd way to commemorate this milestone, which is actually quite fitting given the unconventional path that brought us here. Lawry’s Salt Free 17 Seasoning was the only thing that even remotely fit the them after tireless Googling for inspiration.

What Is Salt Free 17 Seasoning?

Leaning on a broad array of herbs and spices, along with whole vegetables, this distinctive blend was designed as a salt-substitute, boosting flavors rather than sodium. Technically, there are more than 17 ingredients all told, with a tiny sprinkle of cornstarch added to keep things dry and a pinch of citric acid for prolonged preservation. For the sake of simplicity, those don’t count in the final tally.

How Do You Use Salt Free 17 Seasoning?

How DON’T you use this incredibly versatile flavoring? I have yet to find a bad use across all savory applications. Sprinkle it on to your heart’s content, starting with a few of my favorite suggestions:

• Soups or stews
• Vegetable sides of all sorts; steamed, roasted, or sauteed
• Dips and dressings
• Popcorn
• Avocado toast
• Eggless scrambles

How To Make Dried Vegetables

You could easily toss together this whole mixture in a minute if you buy dehydrated carrots and peppers that are ready to go. Otherwise, it’s a snap to dry your own at home, albeit more time-consuming.

1. Dice a red bell pepper and one or two carrots finely, keeping the cuts as consistent as possible for even drying.
2. Spread them out evenly on separate sheet pans lines with parchment paper. Make sure none of the pieces are overlapping.
3. Bake in the center of your oven at the lowest heat setting possible. For me, that’s 170 degrees, but your oven may be different.
4. Stir every hour until the vegetable are greatly reduced in size and dry to the touch. It could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of your cuts and temperature of your oven.
5. Let cool completely before using.

Ultimately, I think this seasoning blend turned out to be the perfect way to kick off the 17th year of life for my darling BitterSweet blog; they both make everything taste just a little bit better.

Yield: Makes About 1 Scant Cup

Salt-Free 17 Seasoning

Cut out the salt and boost the flavors of your food with this copycat recipe for Lawry's Salt-Free 17 Seasoning. You can double or triple the quantities to whip up a big batch, since you'll want it on hand at all times.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Dried Diced Bell Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Dried Diced Carrot
• 1/4 Cup Dried Onion Flakes
• 2 Dried Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Dill
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Lemon Peel
• 2 Teaspoons Celery Seeds
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Orange Peel
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sage
• 1/4 Teaspoon Citric Acid (Optional)

Instructions

1. Place the dried bell pepper, carrot, onion flakes, bay leaves, and cornstarch in your blender or food processor. Pulse until finely ground and transfer to a medium bowl.
2. To that same bowl, add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well to thoroughly combine.
3. Store in airtight glass jars in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Notes

To make your own dried vegetables:

1. Dice a red bell pepper and one or two carrots finely, keeping the cuts as consistent as possible for even drying.
   
2. Spread them out evenly on separate sheet pans lines with parchment paper. Make sure none of the pieces are overlapping.
   
3. Bake in the center of your oven at the lowest heat setting possible. For me, that's 170 degrees, but your oven may be different.
   
4. Stir every hour until the vegetable are greatly reduced in size and dry to the touch. It could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of your cuts and temperature of your oven.
5. Let cool completely before using.

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Edward & Sons, Let's Do Organic, Organic Cornstarch, 6 oz (170 g)
• 
  Frontier Co-Op, Organic Minced White Onion, 16 oz
• 
  NOW Foods, Citric Acid, 4 oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

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