Did You Know – Ten Herbs & Spices
How many times do you see an herb or spice in a recipe and you wonder what it tastes like. Maybe you bought an herb or spice and you don’t know what to add it to when you are cooking. Below is ten spices and herbs and how to use them.
- Basil: Aromatic with a sweet, warm flavor. Use whole fresh or ground dried. Good with lamb, fish, roasts, stews, ground beef, vegetables, and dressings.
- Bay leaves: Rich savory flavor. Use whole leaf, but remove before serving. Good with soups, stews, pot roast, tomato sauce and slow cooker recipes.
- Caraway: Aromatic with a spicy flavor. Use in cakes, breads, soups, cheese, and sauerkraut.
- Chives: Sweet, mild flavor like that of onions. Excellent in salads. Use to flavor fish, soups, and potatoes.
- Cilantro: Use fresh to flavor fish, chicken, rice, beans, and Mexican dishes. Great in salads and salsa.
- Curry powder: Several pungent ground spices are combined in the proper proportions to give a distinct flavor to meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
- Dill: Both seeds and leaves are flavorful. Leaves may be used as a garnish or cooked with fish, soup, dressings, potatoes, and beans. Leaves or the whole plant may be used to flavor pickles.
- Fennel: Sweet, hot flavor. Both seeds and leaves are used. Use in small quantities in pies and baked goods. Leaves can be boiled with fish.
- Ginger: A pungent root, this aromatic spice is sold fresh, dried, or ground. Use in pickles, preserves, cakes, cookies, and meat dishes.
- Marjoram: May be used both dried and fresh. Use to flavor fish, poultry, omelets, lamb, stew, stuffing and tomato juice.
Image: WP AI
Source: Ron Douglas
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Did You Know, Fresh Herbs, Spices/Seasoning
Oooo… We grow all these except ginger and fennel. Not into their flavout.
I grow eight different ones and dehydrate whatever I don’t use. Mine bolt so fast that I ave to cut them frequently. Kudos for growing your own!
A good guide
Thank you Derrick!
Where would us cooks be without herbs and spices?
All our food would taste the same. Lol
Sadly yes
We use most of these, but caraway is not something we have used in our food before. My favourite is definitely basil and fennel and Berto loves ginger and bay leaves again. Thanks for mentioning in which dishes one can use all these herbs and spices.
You’re welcome, caraway seeds are amazing in rye bread.
Thanks Ned!
This is such a helpful guide! Spices and herbs can completely transform a dish, but it’s often tricky to know where to start. I love how this breakdown not only explains the flavors but also offers suggestions on how to use them. Can’t wait to experiment more with basil and fennel in my cooking!
I grow basil every year and dehydrate what I don’t use, it is one of my favorite herbs. I also grow oregano, parsley, rosemary and many more. I made a lot of bad combinations when I first started using herbs and spices but what a great way to learn.
This is a good primer! I will admit I sometimes use a spice just for the heck of it cuz I have no idea what it does. 😆 Getting better at using them for ideal purposes now.
That is a great way to learn! I will post a few more on Monday.
a great primer that filled in a lot of blanks for me
I’m so glad! Thank you Beth, your comment made the post worth it.
This is great info to have, Diane! Thanks for sharing <3
You’re welcome Beth. I’m glad it is useful for you and I will post a few more on Monday.
I love herbs. I actually have more herbs growing than anything else. One thing I have always wondered is why Cilantro taste like soap to some people? I love it! I over add spices and herbs I think, and my family has gotten use to my way of cooking, but I have to be careful when cooking for others. My husbands in Italian… I mean “really” from Italy. He is only one generation way from the boat- He has been blessed to eat totally different and better food. He thinks all American food is bland and tasteless. So, I grow my own stuff.
That is amazing Skelly! He is right you know. Did you inherit a bunch of Italian recipes?
Wonderful overview!
Thank you!
Cilantro is an interesting one since in my experience people either love it or hate it. My favorite spices are cinnamon and cloves, which is why my favorite flowers are carnations since I find they have the samescent.
I agree Susan, I don’t like cilantro except in my homemade salsa. I love cinnamon and cloves too and my favorite flower is a carnation!!!! I never put the two together.
Carnations smell like Christmas.
And I sure do love Christmas!
I am sure the spices in the spice rack I bought for my mom (maybe in the last century) have lost their taste/smell … she decided not to use them and keep it just for show.
They are usual good for a year. Looks like the next place to clear out! 🤣
Yes, but they are actually a matching set, maybe 24 or 30 that go on the two wooden shelves and some utensils stick out of the top. It is maple like the furniture, but actually serves no purpose since I don’t cook and takes up MORE space on the counter-top!
I was looking at my “old” kitchen counter pictures today and all the “STUFF” I had on it. If you don’t know if you can live without something, put it away for a week to see if you miss it or enjoy the extra space. If you are anything like me, it will be in the trash!
Based on that concept, the toaster, toaster oven and the stand-up mixer can all go. I rarely make toast, just use bread, though I love toast, but the crockpot sits near the toaster plug, so it requires moving the crockpot to make toast as that’s the only plug at the countertop. There’s nowhere to put the crockpot – you know how big it is, same as your MIL’s because you recommended that model to me. The blender I know won’t get used at all.
Yep! You need to find a corner to put them in for a few weeks then pitch! You will love the extra room on your counter and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. It is so freeing Linda. I can’t wait to get back to throwing things away.
I hope Winter weather will help me to get everything out the door to various places since I’ve not done a stellar job at it so far. And today, I had a Jacob-free day, but left my FB open so I could hear the ding when he said he was on his way to pick up his check and a can of “starter fluid” he left here yesterday – so two or three people I never really communicate with on FB saw I was online there (I usually go, read what I want, then leave) and started writing back and forth – so here I am, where I could have been doing other things. I give up sometimes.
Well hopefully he is done now and on to better days!
I made him a punch list of stuff he forgot … I’ll wait a few days to see if he comes back on his own (not hopeful about that though). 🙂
🤣😂🤣 Sorry had to do that!
Yes, sigh.
I’m going to print your list. Try as I might, I can’t keep in my head when to use which spice or herb. Very helpful! Thanks!
Monday I will share a few more. I even found a few I didn’t know about. You’re welcome Janet!
Thanks for the list Diane ! I have never used Marjoram. We use a lot of cilantro, curry, dill and curry though
You are very welcome!
i’ve not tried fennel, though I think I would really like it. With regards to cilantro, I’m one of those rare people that taste soap-not a good flavor for food!! I taste artificial sweetners as very bitter and acrid, too. Strange genetics, lol.
I use a lot of curry and ginger. I also use others on your list, except the fennel and cilantro, quite frequently.
I have also had saffron and juniper berry. I enjoyed both, however, WOW is saffron expensive. I have never bought it.
Thanks for the list.
I bought saffron probably 4-5 years ago and never opened it! I could kick myself. I know it won’t taste very strong but I still may use it.
O, wow, I’m sorry. I had it at a dinner party. They served fresh caught salmon on a cedar plank, saffron rice and something like a lava cake only more sophisticated. It was delicious (all of it.)
I thought ok, I’m getting some saffron. I went the next day to buy some. . Umm, NO. I couldn’t believe how much just two or three strands were. It sure was good, though!
That dinner sounds amazing Robbye, especially the lava cake. I have a box of saffron to use! 🤷🏽♀️
Wow, I hope it’s still delicious!
It was amazing. I definitely wasn’t expecting the sumptuousness, but it was a wonderful gastric delight!