Helpful Hints for Herbs and Spices

[Guest guest]

 

 

Helpful Hints for Herbs and Spices* NEVER store spices above the stove. It's very hot and can be humid.* Red spices will maintain flavor and retain color longer if they are stored in the refrigerator.* Store spices in a cool place, away from any direct source of heat. The heat will destroy their flavor.* Arrange spices in alphabetical order and eliminate the problem of hunting through all of them to find the right one.* When using fresh herbs instead of dried, use three times the recommended amount.* Before adding dried herbs, rub them between your palms or fingertips to release their flavor.* "Chop" fresh herbs by placing them in a glass measuring cup and snipping with scissors.* Fresh herbs will keep a week or more in the refrigerator if you store them upright in a jar with water in the bottom; cover jar.* If you are bunch-drying small herbs, such as thyme or oregano, you'll find that their very short stems fall out of the string as they shrivel. Tie the small herbs together in the MIDDLE of the bunch. They will dry without falling.* Crush dried herbs gently with a mortar and pestle to enhance their flavor. * Slightly bruising fresh herbs will increase their effectiveness.* Since many recipes call for both salt and pepper, keep a large shaker filled with a mixture of both — 3/4 salt and 1/4 pepper is a good combination.~author unknown