Clair:
I found it better to use all the Spices, separately

Then you can add just the right amount of the Spices that you like.
And you can leave out the salt or whatever.

Some Spices are heavier than others and drift down to the bottom of the Container.

It's Ok, if you are adding the whole small package of a
seasoning mix,

EG, Spatini Spaghetti Sauce Mix.

Another EG. Onion Salt or others. The Salt may drift down to the bottom, because it is heavier,
so you would have to shake it around a little,
The Spice container, that is !!!

Then you don't know what precentage of each Spice you are adding.

There are some Pre Mixes that you can make; like Salad Dressings, that you can Shake.

Other members can help with that one.

Lou

Goya foods does offer a salt-free Sazon, follow the link below and click on the "organic and reduced sodium" tab.

If you still want to make your own, I'd say go for it. I make my own herb and spice mixes all the time both to save (lots of) money and to assure the quality of the ingredients. It's a matter of experimentation, although you can get some idea of a starting point by the order in which the ingredients are listed on the brand name container as they are listed in order from the highest percentage to the lowest. If Sazon's first ingredient listed (besides the MSG) is salt, and the second garlic, third coriander, then taking the salt out is going to leave you with garlic and coriander...nothing you couldn't sprinkle on to taste yourself.

Adobo is also mostly garlic with a few other spices thrown in. Essentially, when you buy either, you're buying granulated garlic with a few other seasonings.

Here is a recipe I found for Adobo on the net:

Adobo Seasoning Recipe
A recipe for making your own adobo seasoning at home.

I N G R E D I E N T S
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Grind all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or food process until a paste forms. Use as a rub for meats or chicken.

Now, 1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic = 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes = 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic...

So, if I were to want to make this a dry seasoning mix, and judging from the texture of Goya mixes, I'd guess they use granulated garlic, I'd change the garlic cloves to 1 t granulated garlic and go from there. Of course, I'd also use a spice grinder rather than a mortar and pestle!! :D

The mix you get will look different, and taste stronger because of the missing salt and msg.

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

Here is a link that might be useful: Goya foods

Lou - good point about settling on the bottom. I hadn't thought about that. The commercial mixes probably put in a filler so it doesn't do that.

rachelellen - Thanks for the recipe and link. I will copy the one and check out the other. I found some receips using fresh ingredients and might give that a try too.

SAZON
Yield: 6 cups

3 md Onions; chopped
1 ea Pepper, bell, green; seeded, chopped
1 ea Pepper, bell, red; seeded, chopped
4 lg Garlic cloves; peeled, chopped
1 tb Oregano
1 c Scallions; chopped, both
1/2 c Parsley; coarsely chopped
1/2 c Coriander; chopped
1 ts Tabasco sauce
1 tb Paprika, sweet
1 c Tomato paste
1 c Oil, olive
1/2 c Vinegar, white
Salt; to taste
Combine all ingredients and blend, bit by bit, to a puree in blender. Pour into saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Cool and bottle. Used to flavor stews, beans, rice and vegetables. Easy to make and useful to have on hand.

RED CHILI ADOBO SAUCE
Makes about 5 cups
1/3 cup vegetable oil
12 medium (about 6 ounces) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin, preferably freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 cups chicken or turkey broth (use the turkey neck and giblets for making broth)
Salt
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

1. The adobo puree. Measure the oil into a large skillet and set over medium heat. When hot, oil-toast the chiles 1 or 2 pieces at a time until very toasty smelling and blistered, only a few seconds per side. Pour off all but a generous film of oil from the skillet and set aside. Transfer the chiles to a large bowl and measure in 4 cups hot tap water; a small plate on top will keep the chiles submerged. Let rehydrate for about 20 minutes.
Measure the garlic, oregano, black pepper, cumin, cloves and vinegar into a blender or food processor. Pour in the rehydrated chiles, liquid and all (do this in two batches if necessary). Process the mixture to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl.
2. From puree to finished sauce. Set the chile-frying skillet over medium heat. When quite hot, add the adobo and stir until reduced to the thickness of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broth, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or so. The finished sauce should be quite light in texture-not watery, but just one stage thicker. (A good test is to pour a little on a plate and watch it spread: If it flows evenly, it's right; if it doesn't flow much and water begins separating around the edges, it's too thick.) Season with salt (usually about 1 tablespoon) and sugar -- it should be a little sweet-sour with a hint of saltiness. Serve warm.
Working ahead: The finished sauce will keep for days if refrigerated, well covered.

Clare

Here's my recipe for Adobo, but it is not dried:

Adobo Sauce

Ingredients:

2 whole chipotle chilies
2 whole Pasilla chilies
1 whole Ancho (or Guajillo) chili
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Slit the chilies down one side and remove all seeds (and attached membrane). Combine chilies, onion, garlic, and water in a sauce pan. Simmer for 1/2 hour until the chilies are very soft. Remove the chilies with 1/2 cup cooking liquid, blend them with a stick blender, and then put them through a food mill to remove the skins. Return the purd chilies to the pan and cook for 30 minutes more with the rest of the ingredients. Purée the entire mixture with a stick blender.

It only uses 1/4 tsp salt, which I think should work for a low salt diet. I also have recipes for Cajun seasoning, Za'Atar, and other dried seasoning mixes. The Cajun seasoning has a lot of salt, but you can make it without salt. I always shake the container before using it, and so I have not had a problem with some of the seasonings settling. I use Cajun seasoning a lot, and so it is very convenient to have the herbs and seasoning already mixed.

Lars

Thanks Lars! I will add it to my collection.
Clare

This is a very interesting post for me Aptosca, since I have seen several recipes for "Sazon Goya" but I can't use Goya's "sazon" mixes because they have MSG which I am allergic to, and way too much salt. I have investigated making my own as well. Some of the recipes call for achiote (sp?) which I could only find by ordering on the net. I haven't gotten any further than that. I grow cilantro, and I make fresh seasoning mixes with it that I freeze, Thai curry for example. I freeze them in ice cube trays and then can add them a cube at a time. I wonder if the sazon could work the same way. Also, I buy Adobo seasoning from Penzeys. It doesn't have chilis in it, those I get separately. But anyway, I HIGHLY recommend Penzeys Adobo seasoning. It has garlic, cumin, mexican orgegano, onion and black pepper and cayenne, although it is not hot.

I'm growing greek oregano this year in the garden, I hope to have some to harvest for some kind of seasoning mix, maybe I'll give something with cilantro and oregano a try. The only problem is, don't chilis loose their bite in the freezer? Cilantro looses a lot of flavor but it still has some, especially when you blend it with ground corriander. I wonder if "mexican oregano" is somehow different from "greek oregano." I had read that greek was the best. I have now discovered Well Sweep Herb Farm is less than an hour away, and they sell every variety of herb imaginable.