Rubs- Make Them or Buy Them

Frank,

Exactly, I think you make my point of bottled commercial rubs can be just as fresh as the rubs you make your self.   I feel that the gentleman making rubs work hard at creating flavor, to simply shy away from their hard work in an effort to be cheaper and fresher is shorting yourself in most cases. JMO

We make ours... occasionally we find one pre-made that is pretty good - like Jack Stack (one of the big 3 or 4 KC bbq joints that is VERY good!!!).  In our area there is an Amish farmers market that has great prices on fresh spices so we stock up and make our own more often than not.  They have some really goooood smoked paprika - a deeper, smoky flavor than "regular" paprika. 

I would recommend making your own. After a couple of years of tweaking my recipes, I now have a rib rub and brisket rub that I am happy with. I like being able to control the flavors and ingredients. But then again, I still buy store bought wet BBQ sauce.

Make!  Way cheaper and very easy with no goofy chemicals to preserve or prevent cakiing.  Find a good one (or two or ten) and tweek to individual taste.  Then make more than you need.  When you have lots of different leftovers get a mess of wings and do them with different rubs and have a tasting party!

I have a pepper garden and so have become relatively insensitive to spicy hot relative to the rest of the family and am in the process of starting 'small' and trying to 'build' a bird rub. I need to make rubs that isn't this or isn't that for the wife (toooo hooooot! fortunately she's hot!) and small childs (HOT, HOT, HOT! just with a lot of black pepper, one even has a garlic allergy, poor kid). And premade rubs almost always have garlic or something 'too hot'.

Anyway, for spatchcock chicken, which we've quickly grown to favor, I've simply been putting enough celery seed into a small bowl to cover the bird of the moment. And then by eye throw in SOME black pepper, SOME unground rosemary, and 'enough' salt. Well just about everything has salt and pepper so now we're talking about celery seed and rosemary. They form a very aromatic and tasty flavoring that toasts up nice with the bird. So nice in fact that I'm almost hesitant to even try to add another ingredient. Eventually I will and haven't thought yet what that will be (any suggestions? That's kind of what I thought we'd talk about in this forum a little, each spice ingredient). In the meantime we have a family-friendly rub that Dad likes, too!

@SteveWPBFL

Since garlic is out, how about some onion powder and cumin. I've used fennel seed before and really enjoy that flavor.

Been using 3 beer. I'd certainly like to make my own just for the skill and eggperience. 

I do both...I enjoy making my own, it gives you a sense of accomplishment when it turns out really good.  However, I live in Southeast Texas and we have a little mom and pop business that makes some of the best BBQ rubs, Poultry rubs and steak seasonings out there in my opinion and supposedly coffee if you are into that sort of thing.  It is TexJoy.  You can check them out on www.TexJoy.com and you will see the variety of seasonings and rubs and crawfish boil additives and coffee and.......  They have a unique cajun influence.  In fact I plan on doing a couple of whole chickens this evening using their poultry rub.  I used it previously and I think it is just absolutely great!  And their prices are very reasonable!

Now everyone knows why finding a spice route to the orient was worth risking sailing 3 entire ships and crews over the horizon into the great unknown for.....   LOL

Want to become an expert on making your own rubs, brines and marinade's. It's easy, easy, easy... Just let Meathead teach you. He is the owner of the best BBQ website on the net. Google AmazingRibs.com and read all he has written on these topics. You will never buy the rubs with all of the additives in them again.