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A closeup of lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl. Fresh lemons are barely visible in the background.
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Lemon Pepper Garlic Seasoning

Make your own delicious lemon pepper seasoning with this easy-to-follow recipe. Get the perfect spice ratio of freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and lemon zest. Starting with fresh lemons is how you get the best flavor!
Course Seasoning
Cuisine European
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 14 servings
Calories 28kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 10 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°F/93°C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Wash lemons and then cut off both ends of the lemons. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel in strips. Try to get only the skin and not too much of the white pith that's below the skin. See notes for ideas on what to do with the lemons after removing the peel.
    A hand holds a zester, removing the skin from a fresh lemon. There are several fresh lemons around it.
  • Lay the peels on the prepared pan in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes. The lemon strips will begin to curl up on the ends. The most important thing is that they should be dried out. If you can't tear them apart with your hands, it will be hard to pulverize them in the blender. So, bake them until they are dried.
    Several strips of lemon zest on a baking sheet. There are pieces of lemon zest around the pan along with fresh lemons.
  • Remove the lemon peels from the oven, and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cooled lemon peels to a food processor and pulse in short bursts to break them down. Then process for up to 1 minute, until a coarse sand-like texture is achieved.
  • Add remaining ingredients and pulse in short bursts until everything is broken down.
    Looking down on a blender with lemon zest, peppercorns, garlic, and more.
  • Transfer to a lidded container and store in a dry dark place for up to 6 months. The flavor profile diminishes after this time so you'll want to make a fresh batch.

Notes

What to do with the rest of the lemons?
Don't toss those lemons!
  • You can use them to make a tasty  lemon smoothie.
  • Peel off the pith and tear the lemons into pieces (like an orange) and freeze the lemon pieces to add to glasses of water later.
  • Juice the lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Then transfer frozen lemon juice cubes to a freezer bag. Add lemon ice cubes to recipes, smoothies, or to make infused water.

Nutrition

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg