Spices...fresh? flakes? powder?

[grumpyoldman]

i know many of you use fresh spices , and i kinda get why but i have used pepper flakes in the past but find it hard to control the heat levels with them , cooking for several people, some can't handle a lot of heat , others love the heat , so we found ourselves walking a fine line with the heat levels . its so much easier to walk that line using powdered spices

 

[Steve Kroll]

If I'm cooking just for myself, I'll add pepper flakes direct to whatever I'm cooking. But if I'm cooking for a group, then I put the shaker out on the table and let people add however much heat they want.

By the way, I really like this brand.

Flatiron Pepper Co

You'll never go back to red pepper flakes! Flatiron Pepper creates unique pepper flake blends that showcase a variety of peppers, such as Jalapeno, Habanero, Ghost Pepper, Chipotle, Hatch Green Chile, Ancho, Carolina Reaper, Moruga Scorpion, Scotch Bonnet, and many more.

www.flatironpepper.com

 

[jennyema]

Generally speaking, spices are dry. Herbs can be fresh or dry.

 

[HeyItsSara]

you might experiment with different kinds of peppercorns to see which is widely accepted.

 

[grumpyoldman]

all i'm saying is that I can control the heat better with the powdered stuff,
for example : when i make sausage , most like the amount that i use to make the "mild" while others like a bit more heat , and i have 2 friends that want it so hot that i refuse to go beyond a certain amount , so what i am saying is that i would not have this level of control with anything but the powder
this is what we use

https://www.amazon.com/Cayenne-Pepper-Powder-Bulk-Units/dp/B003BRA7NE

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've always found that level of spice is a pretty subjective thing. But if a certain brand of cayenne powder gives you better control over the heat level, then I guess you have your answer.

 

[grumpyoldman]

i really wasn't "asking " a question , it was just a statement of like you said " what works for me " others are free to chime in with why fresh, or flakes work better for them

sorry for the confusion

 

[caseydog]

Pepper flakes are dried. They are just a spicier pepper.

I make my own chili powder from dried peppers. It is still a powder, but has better flavor than the commercially made chili powders. For me, the better flavor is worth the extra effort. It is hotter, too, so I have to keep that in mind when I use it, to use less of it.

I know some people like to buy spices in their original dried form, such as cumin seeds vs cumin powder. They grind the seeds into a powder right before use. I only do that with spices I rarely use, because the seeds will last longer in the pantry than ground. For spices I use all the time, I buy the powdered form, because it is convenient.

Fresh herbs and dried herbs are generally used for different foods. I grow my own fresh herbs, but usually buy my dried herbs as a matter of convenience.

Like Steve, when I cook for a crowd, I keep my food on the mild side, and put the hot stuff out for people to add... usually a selection of hot sauces.

CD

 

[Badjak]

I grind spices just before use, mostly using mortar and pestle.
Pepper in the peppermill.

So still easy to dose, but fresher tasting.

 

[pictonguy]

I'll indicate to the wait staff on the heat of a spicy dish, sometimes that can be adjusted but sometimes not. As far as spices go, at home I generally use whole spices and mortar and pestle them and in the restaurant I use mostly ground but do have whole as well like cinnamon, star anise, cardamon, clove, nutmeg, kasuri methi, that kind of thing but I do have around 50 different spices so like I said most are ground and we go through most of them pretty quickly. We make our own hot sauce and dry and smoke a variety of chili's.

Herbs and some spice blends for the most part are generally fresh but I do use dried thyme, oregano, bay leaf, herbs de provence, curry leaves both fresh and dried. Mixes like za'atar, ras el hanout, tabil, baharat and a few more I'm sure like 5 spice and garam masala, et al.

 

[taxlady]

I like to have whole spices on hand. I like that they stay potent for a very long time and I usually a use a mortar and pestle to grind them. I have started using ground cumin. My late husband started buying it because, when he cooked, he had no desire to fuss with grinding the spice. I use cumin often enough these days that the powder doesn't lose its oomph and it's quicker and more convenient. I just don't have the energy I had when I was younger.

 

[Marlingardener]

I use our home grown herbs fresh, dried, or frozen. When drying, the leaves are left whole, when exposes less surface area to lose taste. The frozen herbs I chop and put in one serving plastic containers.
I have separate pepper grinders for black, pink, and white peppers. Hot peppers I don't use--kills the taste of the food for me, but husband likes a bit of heat. Thank heavens for Tabasco sauce!

 

[msmofet]

I put my red pepper flakes in a pepper grinder. Set to fine grind (or whichever setting is needed for the dish). I feel ground incorporates better without hot spots. Also place grinder on table for adding extra.

 

[taxlady]

I put my red pepper flakes in a pepper grinder. Set to fine grind (or whichever setting is needed for the dish). I feel ground incorporates better without hot spots. Also place grinder on table for adding extra.

View attachment 72654

View attachment 72655

Hmm, I never thought of putting pepper flakes in a pepper grinder. So, am I understanding this right, you put pepper flakes in the grinder meant for pepper corns?

 

[msmofet]

Hmm, I never thought of putting pepper flakes in a pepper grinder. So, am I understanding this right, you put pepper flakes in the grinder meant for pepper corns?

Yes. Works perfectly. This is a picture of my old pepper grinder.

 

[Badjak]

Yes. Works perfectly. This is a picture of my old pepper grinder.

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I do too....

 

[Jade Emperor]

I tend to have a lot of assorted spices in my kitchen. For example, when it comes to pepper, I have both white and black whole peppercorns, along with Szechuan pepper. I have all of these in both whole and ground. All the different types get regular use, and I like to keep my little spice jars laden with freshly ground variants, so I have a few hours every week where my mortar and pestle is getting a solid workout.
But when it comes to spices like cumin, mustard seed, cinnamon, cardamom or caraway etc I only keep them as seeds.
I use a cheap little coffee grinder which is only used for my spices and grind to order.
As far as usage, it’s always going to depend on the dish and what I am going for. For example, when I was at the restaurant, I used to make sausages and sometimes a spice like pepper might be added either “smashed” or finely ground. It depended on what I wanted to feature.
I understand that you might have dishes where it would be preferred to allow the guest to choose their own spice adventure, but there are also times where you will need to make your dish and own your decisions about heat levels and so on.
A good example would be Asian curry. You have to make the leap of faith with your spices. I would have to pay attention to western tastes when I made it for the restaurant, but at home, I’m going full traditional which is often eye opening.