herbs & spices??

W

wcwbf

Member
i will readily admit to being an herb/spice junkie. i REALLY wanna do a total purge. i have more than i will probably ever use for the rest of my life. it's not a "hoarding" issue. i don't cook exotic meals. even my frugal/cheap Scottish bones will be willing to just toss stuff. i know there are some things that are almost like duplicates... i don't need oregano AND basil AND marjoram... but which should i keep?

i'm trying to imaging cabinets a thousand years ago when i first got married... BARE. not counting S&P, what should i absolutely keep? if i wake up tomorrow and the shelves are bare... what do i absolutely have to go buy?

10 items?
20 items?

HELP!! ;)
 

I can't speak for other cooks, but here is a basic list of what my spice and herb cupboard contains;

  • Seasoning Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Celery Salt
  • Dill
  • Flaked Oregano
  • Sweet Basil
  • Marjoram
  • Thyme
  • Crushed Rosemary
  • Bay Leaves

That's just off the top of my head, and I use all on a regular basis.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I can't speak for other cooks, but here is a basic list of what my spice and herb cupboard contains;

  • Seasoning Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Celery Salt
  • Dill
  • Flaked Oregano
  • Sweet Basil
  • Marjoram
  • Thyme
  • Crushed Rosemary
  • Bay Leaves

That's just off the top of my head, and I use all on a regular basis.
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this is a GREAT start! not a big thyme fan, that might not stay for me. not big on sage but would have a "poultry seasoning" blend instead. i have SEVERAL grinders that i was a sucker for.
 
Murrmurr said:
I'd add parsley (crushed or flakes) to Aunt Marg's list unless you grow it.
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do ya think dried parsely really does anything for cooking?

i remember my grandmother demanding that soups had a whole bay leaf in the pot. never thought it did a thing... then i bought some for myself. hers must have been a thousand years old.
 
Another I just thought of, WCW, Chili Powder.

One thing I do want to mention related to my list, I always use fresh garlic and ginger when I cook, but there are times when garlic and onion powder are nice to have on-hand for quick and easy things.

Oh yes, bay leaves lend a robust and sweet sort of flavour to dishes.

Dishes I use bay leaves in... and always added whole and removed when the recipe or dish is done (ready to eat).

Soups
Meatloaf
Casserole type dishes such as cabbage rolls
Steaming baby potatoes
Simmering meat recipes such as pork chops, etc
Oven roasted potatoes

Just to name a few.
 
wcwbf said:
do ya think dried parsely really does anything for cooking?

i remember my grandmother demanding that soups had a whole bay leaf in the pot. never thought it did a thing... then i bought some for myself. hers must have been a thousand years old.
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Surprisingly enough, parsley may not seem like much of an important herb, but I do notice a distinct difference in my meatballs when I use fresh chopped parsley in them.
 
I would suggest you look at this from a different angle. What dishes do you cook in a two week period? If you're like most folks in that period of time you have already started to repeat yourself. The seasonings you use in those dishes will tell you what you should always have on hand.

Since you have a lot of grinders, you can and should buy some spices in their whole form and grind per use as the flavor is more pronounced and the shelf life is a lot longer. Things like cumin seed, coriander seed, and especially peppercorns and nutmeg nuts.

Sometimes fresh really is the only way to go, like parsley or cilantro.

Spices can vary from company to company, especially true with blends like curry powder or poultry seasoning.

Keep in mind, some dry spices do loose flavor much more quickly than others. A 20 year old bottle of vintage ground oregano doesn't have a lot to offer anymore.

What it really boils down to is your cooking style and tastes.
 
I agree with Oris.

Put all of your spices and seasonings in a box.

Pull out the items as you need them and return them to the cupboard.

In a couple of months toss the items that remain in the box.

This same process can be used for all sorts of things. I used it recently to weed out all of the miracle cleaning products that had accumulated in the cabinet under the kitchen sink.

Good luck!
 
Herbs & spices, like everything else in our home, have filled our spice cupboard to capacity. Never really think about a clear out.
Not much help, am I?
Spice draw 001.JPG
 
I use a lot of herbs and spices too. I go through them at least once a year and throw out the ones I didn't use (or never opened). It really depends on what you cook and what kind of seasonings you like. I don't use any blends because I make my own when I am in the process of cooking.
 
Chinese five spice powder is a staple in my cooking. Marvellous with beef and pork, anything from pot roast to ribs, stir fry, adds an interesting flavour to steak and burgers. I don’t keep most dried herbs and spices

longer than six months to a year. Recently, I have learned to make my own Indian spice blends, far superior to

packaged masala etc. I love Indian and Pakistani food. My general rule, if I haven’t used a particular herb/spice in four months, I toss it. This does not apply to seasonal spices for pumpkin or mincemeat pies

etc. I love to experiment with different flavours, lately, I have incorporated Middle Eastern and African spices into my global cooking adventures. Moroccan lamb tagine with apricots and olives anyone?
 
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wcwbf said:
i will readily admit to being an herb/spice junkie. i REALLY wanna do a total purge. i have more than i will probably ever use for the rest of my life. it's not a "hoarding" issue. i don't cook exotic meals. even my frugal/cheap Scottish bones will be willing to just toss stuff. i know there are some things that are almost like duplicates... i don't need oregano AND basil AND marjoram... but which should i keep?

i'm trying to imaging cabinets a thousand years ago when i first got married... BARE. not counting S&P, what should i absolutely keep? if i wake up tomorrow and the shelves are bare... what do i absolutely have to go buy?

10 items?
20 items?

HELP!! ;)
Click to expand...
i basically keep season all, mrs. dash, and parsley all the time. i also keep garlic powder and dehydrated onion on hand. i'm not big on salt and pepper. once in a while if i need something else i will go to the store and pick up the smallest container of it i can find.
 
I have a little bit of everything, except when I’m ready to make a new recipe.

If you know that a spice is older, double the amount. A great cook taught me that trick. Spices cost a fortune now.

I arrange my spices alphabetically.

Chinese Five Spice. That’s a hard one to even find locally. I should look and see if I even did manage to find it.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I can't speak for other cooks, but here is a basic list of what my spice and herb cupboard contains;

  • Seasoning Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Celery Salt
  • Dill
  • Flaked Oregano
  • Sweet Basil
  • Marjoram
  • Thyme
  • Crushed Rosemary
  • Bay Leaves

That's just off the top of my head, and I use all on a regular basis.
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Same here but add sage and lemon pepper.
 
i wouldn't buy the herbs until you need them. You won't end upwith a lot of herbs and spices you don't use.
I don't have muchspace in my kitchen so i put them in small jelly canning jars and stack three hih by my stove.
I buy Herbs de Provance, pizza seasoning and "the works' bread topping from King Arthur Flour. I use KC steak seasoning and sometimes Old Bay (for biscuits)
The rest are:
ginger
Italian seasoning (for soups)
cinnamon
cinnamon mixed with sugar (for cinnamon toast)
allspice
garlic powder ( i use this a lot)
cloves
paprika
thyme
curry powder
onion salt
sage
cilantro (for mexican dishes0
celery seed
poultry seasoning
cayenne powder (this gives a kick of flavor to dishes)
rosemary
nutmeg
cumin
onion powder (again, use a lot)
 
Jules said:
I have a little bit of everything, except when I’m ready to make a new recipe.

If you know that a spice is older, double the amount. A great cook taught me that trick. Spices cost a fortune now.

I arrange my spices alphabetically.

Chinese Five Spice. That’s a hard one to even find locally. I should look and see if I even did manage to find it.
Click to expand...
doubling up on older spices... good idea. i'm not a believer that after 6 months a dried herb should necessarily be replaced. i think that might be a tad martha stewart & McCormick thing?? ;)
 
wcwbf said:
doubling up on older spices... good idea. i'm not a believer that after 6 months a dried herb should necessarily be replaced. i think that might be a tad martha stewart & McCormick thing?? ;)
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I have a number of spices that sit for much longer than 6 months between uses, and I've never had a problem with the flavour or intensity of them.
 
Aunt Marg said:
I have a number of spices that sit for much longer than 6 months between uses, and I've never had a problem with the flavour or intensity of them.
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i always rub dried herbs in my palm before adding to a dish. that's probably a MS thing, too.
 

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