Wake up your taste buds! Cooking with herbs and spices will enhance the flavor of healthy foods without adding fat, salt, sugar, or calories. Herbs and spices contribute bright color, savory taste and sensational aroma.
Tips for using herbs and spices:
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Avoid overwhelming a dish with too many seasonings, and never use two very strong herbs together. Instead, season with one strong flavor, and one milder flavor to complement the food.
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When cooking, add dried herbs early in the process, but use fresh herbs at the end for optimum flavor.
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Add herbs and spices to cold dishes several hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
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Fresh leaves should be chopped very finely. Exposing a greater number of surface cuts will allow the food to absorb more of the herb’s flavor.
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When necessary, a mortar and pestle can be kept in the kitchen to powder dry herbs.
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If doubling a recipe, you may not need to double the herbs. Use just 50% more.
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Dry herbs and spices carry more flavor than fresh. Use this guide when following a recipe: ¼ teaspoon powder = ¾ teaspoon dried = 2 teaspoons fresh
How to store herbs and spices:
Proper storage is essential to retaining the flavor of herbs and spices.
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Dried herbs and spices should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark place. Storing right next to the stove, although convenient for cooking, is not the best location, because heat, air, and bright light destroy flavor.
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Store dry herbs and spices in tightly covered containers.
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Date dry herbs and spices when you buy them. Try to use them within one year.
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If you can’t smell the aroma of an herb when you rub it between your fingers, then it is time for a new supply.
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Treat fresh herbs like a bouquet of flowers: Snip the stems, stand the herbs in a glass of water, and refrigerate.
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To increase shelf life, freeze or dry fresh herbs. To freeze fresh herbs, wash and pat dry. Remove the leaves from the stems and store the leaves in a freezer bag. They can also be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays and then stored in a freezer bag.
Guide to using Herbs and Spices
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Herb or Spice
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Use to Enhance
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Basil |
Italian foods (especially tomatoes, pasta, chicken, fish and shellfish) |
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Bay leaf |
Bean or meat stews and soups |
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Caraway |
Cooked vegetables such as beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, turnips and winter squash |
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Chervil |
French cuisine, fish, shellfish, chicken, peas, green beans, tomatoes and salad greens |
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Chili powder |
Bean or meat stews and soups |
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Chives |
Sauces, soups, baked potatoes, salads, omelets, pasta, seafood and meat |
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Cilantro |
Mexican, Latin American and Asian cuisine; Rice, beans, fish, shellfish, poultry, vegetables, salsas and salads |
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Cumin |
Curried vegetables, poultry, fish and beans |
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Curry |
Indian or southeast Asian cuisine; Lamb or meat-based dishes and soups |
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Dill (fresh) |
Seafood, chicken, yogurt, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes and beets |
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Dill (seeds) |
Rice and fish dishes |
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Ginger (dried) |
Rick, chicken and marinades |
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Mace |
Baked goods, fruit dishes, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower |
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Marjoram |
Tomato-based dishes, fish, meat, poultry, eggs and vegetables |
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Oregano |
Italian and Greek cuisine; Meat and poultry dishes |
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Paprika |
Spanish dishes, potatoes, soups, stews, baked fish and salad dressings |
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Rosemary |
Mushrooms, roasted potatoes, stuffing, ripe melon, poultry and meats (especially grilled) |
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Sage |
Poultry stuffing, chicken, duck, pork, eggplant, and bean stews and soups |
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Tarragon |
Chicken, veal, fish, shellfish, eggs, salad dressings, tomatoes, mushrooms and carrots |
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Thyme |
Fish, shellfish, poultry, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, and summer squash |
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Tumeric |
Indian cuisine; Adds color and taste to potatoes and light-colored vegetables |
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Becky Hand
Member Comments
paula from wi - 1/29/2011 7:55:08 AM
Another trick with spices that are ground from seeds or pods, such as chili powders, turmeric and black pepper, is to bloom them, i.e. put them into your hot pan just until they become aromatic (seconds) before you add liquids. This keeps the spices from tasting raw. Ground herbs or chopped herbs do not want this kind of treatment - they need to be treated gently. - 5/12/2010 9:38:59 AM