Spice it up! Using, Preserving and Storing Herbs and Spices

Basil in my Edible Landscape

Growing herbs became a part of my life a few years ago. But, for a long time I was hesitant to try anything different when it came to cooking. The basics for adding taste were: seasoning salt, garlic salt, regular salt and pepper. Oh and did I mention SALT? Of course there was cinnamon and vanilla for baking, but that was about it.

Over the years, I have become more creative with recipe ingredients. Using spices, herbs and extracts is an extension of that creativity! What great preparation for using Health One Meal Replacements as the base ingredient in my recipes. Being creative allows me to enjoy more than just "shakes."

So...you have decided to try something different. You've grown or bought some fresh basil for that new recipe Pizza Margherita. Lovely fresh basil that will soon turn to slime if you aren't able to use it fast enough. Your recipe turns out great; but, what to do with the rest of this basil? Believe it or not, storing fresh herbs is really easy.

Compact Herb Keeper

To store fresh herbs, you can spend around $20 and purchase a Compact Herb Keeper by Cuisipro - which is a very nifty tool.  

Or you can do what I do and store your herbs in jars covered with a plastic bag. You just put a bit of water into a jar, snip the ends off of the herbs, put the herbs into the water and cover with a plastic bag. It will keep most herbs fresh for about 2 weeks. Just be sure to change the water periodically.

Basil - Sage - Tarragon - Bay Leaves

You may also dry herbs. I have dried herbs for the past few years. Throughout the summer I dry my herbs in small batches. It is more manageable that way. Also, I always wait till the weekend, so that I may pick the herbs in the morning when their oil content is at its highest. Drying herbs is so quick and easy! How? In the microwave of course! Here's the steps I follow!

• First - make certain that you have the right tools. You will be using a plate that will get VERY HOT, so...you will want a microwave safe plate. You can't imagine how many ceramic plates I have cracked right down the middle when drying herbs. Finally, I invested in a Nordic Ware microwave plate. It still gets hot, but it won't break. You will also need paper towels.

Microwave Safe Plate

• Wash the herbs and pat dry with a towel. I use a flour sack towel so that I don't leave lint on the herbs. They do not need to be completely dry. 
• Place a paper towel on the plate and fold under the corners. 
• Spread the herbs on the plate in a single layer. 
• Microwave the herbs for 1-3 minutes. There may be a little popping sound - this is normal. 
• Stay with the herbs and watch through the window of the microwave. 
• Check after one minute and then every 30 seconds. The herb is dried when it is brittle and breaks easily. 

CAUTION: I was drying thyme once and stepped away for just a moment...next thing I knew I had a little fire in my microwave...so don't leave your drying herbs unattended. 

Left - Bay Leaves before drying - Right - Bay Leaves after drying

• Allow the dried herbs to cool.
• Place them in a jar for storage. I use canning jars to store the bulk of my herbs; and, smaller jars for regular use.

My Spice Cabinet using SpiceStor

How do we care for our dried herbs, spices and extracts? First store them in a dark, cool place. This means not over the stove. And we need to remember that shelf life is so important.

Spices – ground – 2-3 years

Spices – whole – 3-4 years
Seasoning blends – 1-2 years

Herbs – 1-3 years

Extracts – 4 years (except pure vanilla, which lasts indefinitely - who knew?)

Spices are expensive, so you want to know what you have so that you will use them. Organization is the only solution that I have found.  The most wonderful product I have found to keep my spices organized is SpiceStor. Now I know what I have and even better - I can find it! Plus, it is so nice to be able to open my cupboard door and not have to dodge the spice jars falling out.

Now that we have all of these herbs and spices - what do we do with them?  The answer?  USE THEM!  Below is a herb and spice chart.  I have highlighted in green the herbs that I am currently growing.
Spice It Up!

Herb or Spice	Use to Season	Facts About
Allspice	Use with meat, fish, gravy, soup and stew, pickles, spice cakes & cookies pumpkin and squash.	The taste of allspice resembles a blend of spices.
Anise	Use in candies, baked goods and pork.	Has a licorice-like flavor
Basil	Use in sauces, vegetables, salads, meat, seafood, egg dishes.	Leaves are used fresh or dried.
Bay Leaves	Use to season meats, fish, potatoes, sauces, soups & stews.	Leaves are usually used whole and removed before serving.
Caraway Seeds	Use on breads, especially rye bread; also in cheeses.	Has a flavor similar to dill.
Cardamom	Use in curries, cookies & other pastries, breads, and pickles.	Common in Scandinavian and Middle Eastern dishes; has a sweet, lemony flavor.
Cayenne Pepper	Use in meats, soups, sauces, chili, seafood, Mexican & Cajun dishes.	Thin, red and yellow, very hot peppers are used whole, or dried and ground.
Celery Seed	Use in salads, pickles and relishes, sauces, soups and stews, and on beef.	Seeds are sold as whole or ground; also combined with salt for celery salt.
Chervil	Use in egg & cheese dishes, vegetables, soups and stews, salads, and creamy sauces.	Looks similar to parsley; common in French cuisine.
Chili Powder	Use in chili, sauces, curries, Mexican foods.	A combination of chili peppers plus other spices, including cumin.
Chives	Use in cheese dishes, eggs, fish, sauces; as a garnish in soups, salads, and vegetable dishes.	Long hollow green leaves have a mild onion flavor. Best when used fresh, but also used dried.
Cinnamon	Use in pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, pies, sauces, apples, pumpkin and squash recipes. Cinnamon sticks are sometimes used in beverages.	A highly aromatic spice available as cinnamon sticks and as a ground powder.
Cilantro	This leafy green herb is used in many Middle Eastern, Indian, Oriental, Spanish and Caribbean dishes.	The seeds of cilantro are finely ground to make the spice known as coriander.
Cloves	Use in cakes, cookies, and candies, ham, sauces, pickles and relishes.	Have a strong, spicy-sweet flavor; used whole or ground. If used whole, they are removed before serving.
Coriander	Use in curry, pickles, breads, cakes, and cookies.	Small fragrant seeds are used ground or whole; have a slight lemony flavor. Leaves of the same herb are known as cilantro.
Cumin	Add to curries, meats, cheeses, sausages, seafood, pickles, rice dishes, and chili.	Small fragrant seeds; a main ingredient in chili powder.
Curry Powder	Use in rice, lamb, poultry, eggs, and vegetables; used in many Indian recipes.	Curry powder is not a single spice, but combination of several spices such as coriander, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cumin, pepper, cloves, and other spices.
Dill	Used mainly in pickles, but can also be used in breads, soups, meats, and salads.	Also known as dill weed, both the leaves and seeds of this flavorful herb are used to season foods.
File' powder	Use to thicken and add flavor to Gumbo and other Creole dishes. Heat has an adverse affect on File, so add it after a pot of food has been removed from the oven or stove.	File' powder is made from dried, ground sassafras leaves. It has a root beer like flavor.
Fennel Seed	Use in pickles, pizza and spaghetti sauces, breads, cakes and cookies.	A member of the parsley family, grown for its sweet seeds; has a flavor similar to anise.
Garlic	Use in meats, chicken, seafood, stews, sauces, marinades, salad dressings; used in many Italian and Chinese dishes.	An herb related to the onion, used fresh or dried; also has many health benefits and medicinal uses. Its bulb is composed of several small cloves.
Ginger	Use in Oriental dishes, meat, poultry, seafood; also in squash and pumpkin recipes, cookies, cakes, and breads.	Ginger root is used fresh or dried, whole, ground, or cracked; has a strong spicy-sweet flavor.
Mace	Use in cakes, doughnuts and other baked goods; fish, meat stuffings, and in pickles.	Made from the coating of the nutmeg seed; used both whole and ground; has a flavor similar to nutmeg, but with a touch of cinnamon.
Marjoram	Use as a seasoning for lamb, soups, stews, fish, poultry stuffing, sausages, beans and other vegetables; alao in beverages and jellies.	Also called sweet marjoram; the leaves are used whole or ground. It has a sweet, minty flavor.
Mint	Use in fruits, desserts, jellies, candies, beverages, and as a garnish.	Mint leaves have a distinctive flavor and smell. It's used fresh or dried, whole or chopped.
Mustard	Used as ground mustard in salad dressings, sauces, cheese and egg dishes. Mustard seeds are commonly used in pickles, relishes, salads, beets, cabbage, and sauerkraut.	Mustard is sold as whole seeds or as a finely ground yellow powder. It has a strong, hot flavor.
Nutmeg	Use in breads, cookies, cakes, custard, pies, desserts, vegetables.	Used either ground or as a whole seed, nutmeg has a sweet, aromatic flavor.
Oregano	Use in tomato dishes, pizza, spaghetti sauce; in Greek, Italian, and Mexican dishes.	Ground oregano is an ingredient in many types of Italian food. It has a flavor and aroma similar to marjoram, but stronger.
Paprika	Use as a garnish for potatoes, potato salad, eggs, deviled eggs, beef, poultry, salads, and salad dressings.	A mild red spice, always used ground; used not only for its flavor, but for its red color.
Parsley	Use in soups or salads as a seasoning. Goes well with almost any meat as a garnish.	Parsley sprigs are used mainly as a garnish for foods and are often left untouched. It's used fresh or dried as a seasoning.
Black Pepper	Use to strengthen the flavor of meats, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables and more.	Black Pepper can be purchased as ground or as whole peppercorns. It's best when freshly ground.
Poppy Seeds	Use as a topping for rolls, breads, cookies, butters, and pastas.	Poppy seeds have a crunchy, nut-like flavor. It's used as whole seeds; can also be used crushed or ground.
Rosemary	Use to season lamb, beef, veal, poultry, soups and stews, potatoes, and breads such as rosemary focaccia.	Small needle-like leaves are used dried or fresh, whole or ground; has a sweet but bold aroma and flavor,
Saffron	Use in rice dishes and other Mediterranean cuisine; used in paella, bouillabaisse, and sometimes in chicken dishes.	Saffron is sold as a ground powder; has a yellow color and a slightly bitter taste.
Sage	Use to season sausage, poultry stuffings, veal, pork, meat loaf, stews, and salads.	An herb grown for its leaves, used as rubbed or ground; has a slightly lemony taste.
Savory	Use with lamb, beef, poultry, egg dishes, squash, beans and lentils.	Leaves are used fresh, or dried as whole leaves; has a flavor similar to thyme.
Sesame Seeds	Use on bread, rolls, bagels, salads, and in stir fry.	Sesame seeds are always used as whole oil seeds. Most are used on hamburger buns.
Tarragon	Use to season veal, lamb, beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, salads, dressings, mushrooms, asparagus.	Leaves are used fresh or dried, whole or ground; has a strong spicy smell and taste. If using dried tarragon leaves, remove them after cooking, since once dried they will not soften again when cooked.
Thyme	Use in poultry, poultry stuffing, pork, beef, tomatoes, tomato soups and sauces.	An herb used both fresh and dried, whole or ground. It has a strong, but pleasant flavor, resembling a blend of cloves and sage.
Turmeric	Use in curries, poultry, relishes, pickles, eggs, rice.	A member of the ginger family; an orange-yellow powder with a mild flavor.