It seemed like a tall order. I wanted an edible gift that was fast and easy to make, inexpensive, wouldn’t spoil or need to be refrigerated, and that kids could be involved in.

With so many caveats, the field is pretty narrow. The solution I came up with – seasoned salts. The concept is simple. Blend salt with various seasonings, then package them nicely. The kids can even get in on decorating the jars.

There are just a few things to remember as you do this. Most important is that seasoned salts are intended as finishing salts. That means they should be used to season finished dishes, not during cooking. Most of the nuanced flavor of a seasoned salt would be lost if used for cooking.