In-Salt - Rosemary and Lemon product reviews

When I first got this I loved the look of the salt mix, I love a product that likes to show off, makes it easier to see just what I'm going to get. I crushed it up a little as I did notice some big pieces, so wanted to even the salt out a little bit and then gave it a good shake. The packet is nice and easy to open and the added bonus is that it's resealable, so no scramble to find one of the many small containers my girls disappear with all the time. Giving it a sniff I could smell the subtle lemon and the rosemary, creating a lovely aroma. I dipped my finger in to have a small taste but could only taste the salt.

I decided to make some Spanish rice (so you substitute some of the water for tinned tomatoes) and threw in about a teaspoon of this, just as an experiment. When it was done, we could taste the rosemary and it added a nice little element to the dish. I used this in a mashed potato dish, past and soup, each time either not tasting or only just tasting the lemon, which in a way was good as it meant it didn't overpower anything. My kids then suggested I use it on a lemon sorbet that I had, it was interesting but not a favourite. A little goes a long way, so you'll get plenty of uses out of it and your moneys worth, I don't think we will be buying it though.

Opening the package for the first time I was surprised by the lemon scent, it was intoxicating, and it had the underlying hint of rosemary, it was delightful. I found a recipe for vinegar roast potatoes, that called for sea salt, rosemary and lemon, and so I decided to substitute with this and see how it went. The recipe called for a tea spoon of salt, and I wondered if it would be a little too lemony, but I continued on and I was delighted by the flavour of my potatoes at dinner time, as was my family!

I called in a few favours to source some freshly caught fish, and simply shook in the salt and added a little butter and the result was delightful. The next test was another vegetable dish, a mixed array of roasted vegetables, dipped in olive oil and a few shakes of salt.

I visited the In-salt website to see if they had recipes or hints on more ways in which to use their product, which they did, and one use for the lemon and rosemary salt was to cut some tomatoes in half, sprinkle them with the salt and then dry them out. This sounds like a must try for our family when my tomatoes ripen up.

The packaging for this product really appealed to me, it has an easy to read label, and the rest of the packaging is transparent, I could see the chunks of salt, rosemary and the little twists of lemon. Although it is made of minimalistic packaging, the design is ingenious, it is resealable, keeping the salt fresh. It also has a wide base to ensure it stands upright without any challenges, which is fantastic, there is nothing more frustrating than a container of herbs or salt that spills all over the bench, because it can't stand up.

The cost of the in salt is around $7.50 a packet, but I have used it several times and barely put a dent in it, so for a product that is both organic and hand crafted I feel it is value for money and something that I would buy again. This product is made in New Zealand from local products, which is another plus for me. I have had this open for a while now and the smell is still rich and delightful, another positive for me.

I love adding flavours to my meals, we use a lot of herbs and spices etc to enhance a meal and make the taste bubs dance. I use a little salt but because of its power of changing something to make it something else I decided I wanted to give a salt with a flavour a go. So I asked to give In salt a go with the lemon and rosemary flavour. Now the name of it, I was excited to try it, opening the small packet was so yummy It hit me big time right in the face with those beautiful smells, now I always taste with my nose first and then my mouth so I was already excited to try this.

First I used it in mash potato, I added the salt to the water for the potatoes to boil in and added a little more when I went to mash. Now there was a very very light hint to the flavour or rosemary I tasted nothing of lemon, but even I was disappointed with the taste I was hoping for a better hit like I got when I opened the packet. So I tried different meals sprinkled over hot potato chips which I normally add salt to afterwards, but with the big chunks of salt it wouldn't really stick to the chips, and the flavour fell off aswell, I tried on roast veges while they were roasting, this prob was the best way to use it, rubbed into the veges then put into the over. The flavour of lemon and rosemary was there, not a hit in the face type but was nice tasting. We also did it on the crackle of pork, once again I was disappointed, it just tasted salty and over powering of salt, not other flavour.

Now I do love the idea of salt having a flavour with it, but sadly I feel I can just add herbs instead which gives my food the better flavour that having it in the salt. Or maybe my tastebubs like stronger tastes. At that price, ill actually pass and wont be buying it, but in saying that, just because it wasnt for me, I would recommend to others or they can borrow my one to try it first. I do love that it is in a seal able bag.

Having been lucky enough to try a couple of the In-Salt range previously, I know how good these mixes can be. Previously I had tried a couple of the sweet versions, and so I was really excited to try this Rosemary and Lemon salt blend, to see if the savoury version would match up.

As with the other In-Salt range, the packs are a great size. They are easily resealable to keep the product really fresh- so you know that the product will represent great value for money. The salt itself is gorgeous large pieces, and accompanied by recognisable pieces of lemon zest and rosemary. The lemon and rosemary aren't overpowering, but rather add a hint of flavour alongside the salt.

I first tried this salt as a rub for the outside of a roast chicken. It gave a lovely delicate flavour which enhanced, rather than overtook, the chicken. The chicken crisped beautifully, and the gravy which I made from the pan juices had a gorgeous flavour, only enhanced by the flavours of this little packet. I also tried this salt sprinkled over roasted veggies, added to breadcrumbs to surround fish and sprinkled into mashed and roasted potatoes. In each case the natural flavour was enhanced rather than overpowered, leading to a really delicious outcome.

As something a bit different, I also tried adding this salt to a lemon cheesecake base and filling. This added the little savoury note to bring out the sweetness of the cheesecake, and the lemon and rosemary helped to add a little floral note to make a slightly unusual but utterly unique delicious dessert.

Overall, this salt is a real all-rounder. Perfect for a huge variety of purposes, from savoury through to sweet. This salt can help to jazz up a plain old roast, turning it into something really memorable, but without overpowering the natural flavours of the food itself. Overall, this salt is great value for money, and, with so many uses, is going to become a real store-cupboard staple for us.

To make our meals taste that little bit nicer I am always on the lookout for new and different salts. In-Salt - Rosemary and Lemon salt is amazing. I was sneaky and ripped open the packet to smell this and you get hit with both the lemon and rosemary smells. So I know this is going to fit nicely into our meal seasoning shelf.

$7.50 for the salts, I might have to ease up on how much I add to meals, but I know it is well worth every cent. I think the label is super cute and not to full on. With a nice wee write up on back label with ideas what it can be used for. We had leftover Mac & Cheese for lunch just after this salt arrived and thought I would be naughty and sprinkled a little on the melted cheese, and wow I was not disappointed.

For tea we had quiche, so I added a little sprinkle into the mixture but then added another wee sprinkle on top of the mixture before placing in the oven. WOW, what a difference the Lemon and Rosemary taste and smell made. This will now be added onto our tea tomorrow night and possibly a couple meals next week. I may even have to buy some roasting vegetables just to have a nice thick coating of salt. Not an overpowering smell of lemon like other salts/spices can have. Something I am going to recommend to others as I know they will not be disappointed.

Macaroni cheese is one of my favourite dishes; I had several heels of cheese in the fridge, so what better way to use them up? I prefer this dish cooked without added meat as I don't like it too rich, but sometimes that can mean it lacks flavour - depending on what kind of cheese I am using. Having tasted a little of the rosemary and lemon salt, I realised that this would provide the perfect boost for an otherwise plain dish. I even had a small amount of mashed cauliflower left over so I mixed the In-Salt into this and used the combination as a topping.

I had intended to brown the dish under the grill, but I was outvoted. Everyone was too hungry to wait, so I just dished it up cold and settled for the microwave to warm each serving quickly. It did not look as pretty as I had intended, but the rosemary flavour permeated it nicely and it was perfect when I added salad to each plate. It smelled and tasted delicious! I did not need to use much In-Salt so there was plenty left for more experimentation.

Since then I have used it as a rub for a roasted stuffed lamb flap. This is always a rich, rather fatty meal, so the lemon helped to tone down the richness while the rosemary provided the perfect enhancement for the lamb. I had put a teaspoon of the In-Salt into the stuffing as well along with some mixed herbs, so this was particularly tasty. Our family always fights over the stuffing, preferring it to the actual meat, so I always double the quantities!

It is also really tasty added to scrambled eggs instead of regular salt and pepper. We had some cream in the fridge, so I mixed this into the eggs in place of milk. The result was a lot richer than my usual recipe so again the lemon helped to cut through the richness. I was aware than it might curdle the eggs, but it was fine; I just cooked them on top of the stove as I always do and there were no mishaps.

I have tried three different flavours in the In-Salt range and am interested to see how different they are from one another. I can see there is a good reason for having several on hand so that the flavours can be matched to the dish being prepared. As a bonus, if the meal is light in colour, there are little flecks of herb which occasionally surface to provide more visual interest.