What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay Seasoning is a combination of spices and herbs that is popular today in the mid-Atlantic region, eastern southern states and along the gulf coast of the United States. It all started in Baltimore, Maryland where steamed crabs were given to patrons for free during the early 1900’s. Steamed crabs were the complimentary bar food of the day. The seasoning was created for these bar crabs by Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant, in 1939. McCormick marketed the seasoning, and it has grown in popularity through today.

6 Ounce

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If you’ve never had Old Bay Seasoning, the taste is very intense. It really does go wonderfully with steamed crabs. Today, it is also used commonly on steamed shrimp, chicken and in various seafood soups. You can even get is as a flavored potato chip in some markets. It’s a loved seasoning and has stood the test of time.

The Recipe:

You can make your own. It’s not difficult. Here’s a simple recipe of how I make mine. There are numerous variations. As long as you have the main ingredients, you can make it however you like. I suggest experimenting.

In a small food processor (a simple coffee grinder will do), blend together well

• 1 tablespoon each of celery salt and dried bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon each of dry mustard and paprika
• ¼ teaspoon each of whatever you have on hand of the following:
  cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, crushed red pepper and allspice. Some people like to add a touch of ginger and mace.

You want to be sure to process the ingredients in an air tight container, which is why I recommend a coffee grinder. The first time I made it was with my sister, and we used a blender. I forgot to put the lid on, turned it on, and well, we went running out of the house coughing and gasping with inflamed noses, throats and watery eyes. We both fell to the ground from laughing so hard while gasping through coughs. So, use an airtight container, or the particles will cloud the air and you’ll have just as much painful fun as we did. Give a try and Enjoy!

How do you make yours? Please share in the comments below.

image credit – photo by Jodl Bart