Herbs and spices are a great way to enhance the taste and color of food. They can make almost any recipe more flavorful without adding a lot of sugar, fat or salt. Some even have medicinal properties and can help with digestion, pain relief, healthy circulation, and more.
In addition, they can help you explore new cuisines from around the world. If you want to cut cravings by adding fuller flavor, or get more adventurous with your recipes, here are some tips on how to cook with spices.
- Use fresh when you can
Fresh ginger has a completely different taste from dried and powdered. The herb basil is amazing as the base for fresh pesto sauce to put on your pasta.
- Store fresh herbs carefully
Wrap the stems in a wet paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Place the bag in a cool, dark part of your refrigerator.
- Plan recipes around the fresh herbs and spices
In this way, little will go to waste. Otherwise, you will more than likely forget about them until it is too late.
- Freeze your fresh herbs and spices if you are not going to use them within a couple of days
Make sure they are completely dry and seal in a freezer bag. Moisture would cause them to get freezer burn. Store them in the back of the freezer, not near the door, to avoid them getting a lot of moisture or temperature changes.
- Store your dried spices and herbs in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight
This will help them stay fresher for longer.
- Dried is three times more concentrated than fresh
The ratio would therefore be one teaspoon of dried to one tablespoon of fresh.
- Start with a small amount of spice
Remember, it’s easy to add more, but almost impossible to remove spice if you add too much.
- Buy in bulk only if you use large amount of it
A good example would be cinnamon if you do a lot of baking, or oregano if you make Italian food often. Otherwise, you’re storing spices for a long time in less than ideal conditions such as a glass bottle or tin.
- For quick, foolproof recipes, make your own blends
If you know your own tastes, and your family’s, it’s easy to combine your spices into standard blends you can just sprinkle in. Italian tomato sauce, chili, stew and more couldn’t be easier once you make your custom blends.
- Check out the ethnic food aisles in the supermarket
Trouble finding a certain spice? Check out the ethnic food aisles in addition to the seasoning racks. Chances are, you can find a few more exotic items. Sometimes the containers will be larger amounts, and for less than in the spice aisle.
- To save money, buy more versatile spices
Some herbs and spices are used extensively in particular cuisines, or more than one cuisine. Oregano would be one example. It’s used in dozens of Italian recipes but oregano is also a staple of Mexican food. Cinnamon is used in almost every cuisine in the world, including Indian and Chinese for savory dishes, and in European and American baked goods.
- Look up quality recipes online to learn how
to make your favorite restaurant and takeaway meals
Think how much money you can save, and how much control you will have over calories, fat, salt and more, by learning how to cook them at home. Go to quality recipe sites and choose the recipes with the highest star ratings.
