Your top 5 spices not including salt and pepper

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Yep - you´ve got a good point there, Dragn.
I´ve got spices, herbs and sauces in the closet, the fridge and even on the counter top.
And while "spice it up a bit" can mean adding spices, I guess it´s more common usage is "making something more exciting/interesting."
I always think of Emeril´s " kick it up a notch!·"
 
Well and better said karade'kool'!

And while "spice it up a bit" can mean adding spices, I guess it´s more common usage is "making something more exciting/interesting."
I always think of Emeril´s " kick it up a notch!·"
 
i like basil and dill but right now we are growing them so i don't reach for the dried ones as much as i used to.
 
Fresh is, as you say, always better. With the exception of oregano maybe - I find that dried is usually better - although there is occasions for fresh.

LOL - a dual purpose herb!

Like Cilantro and Coriander - an herb and a spice!
 
My personal mantra is "always use fresh herbs when you can".

Always.

The difference in flavour is just incredible.
I find that woody herbs like bay leaves, oregano, thyme and sage are as good or better dried than fresh. The flavors are concentrated when the water is removed; they don't lose flavor like soft herbs like cilantro, dill and parsley. And thyme is much easier to remove from the stems when it's dried than when it's fresh! [emoji16]
 
Another advantage of dried herbs is that when you add them to a vinaigrette, the vinaigrette will stay fresh in the fridge much longer than if the herbs were fresh. I usually make a batch of vinaigrette. If I want fresh herbs with my salad, I add them directly to the salad before adding the vinaigrette.

N.B., I'm talking about leafy salads, not potato salad or that style of salad.
 
Rosemary is woody, but I really try not to have to use dry rosemary. I hate those sharp, little sticks. I almost always have some live rosemary growing in a pot. If I do have to use dry rosemary, I use a mortar and pestle to turn it into a powder.
 
Fresh is, as you say, always better. With the exception of oregano maybe - I find that dried is usually better - although there is occasions for fresh.

LOL - a dual purpose herb!

Like Cilantro and Coriander - an herb and a spice!


Lots of herbs are better dried. Plus dry and fresh herbs have different culinary uses. They both have their place in the kitchen.
 
Many of the herbs we use are members of the mint fancily. If the stalks are square, with opposing leaves, it's probably a mint. Example include oregano, basil rosemary, thyme, and others, With the fresh mint-herbs, I can detect a bit of the menthol flavor that is so pronounce in spearmint, and peppermint. That menthol flavor in mint candies is a flavor I detest. Fortunately, it's very mild in the fresh culinary hers, and virtually non existent in the dried herbs. That's a good thing, as basil, oregano, and rosemary are such important flavors in so many great foods, and sauces.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Am I permitted to say that I can sell you a kilogramme of cloves for 30 USD ?

Plus shipping. I have 7.5 kilogrammes of cloves currently. :) From our last harvest.
 
It would be better to say that you "have some for sale, that you grew yourself. If anyone is interested please 'pm' me"

This is a forum for discussing, not selling and buying. ;)
 
Just out of interest, Georgevan.I´ve got a HUGE cupboard packed with spices . but no way does it some close to 75.
Would you care to list the spices that you have? (And herbs are not to be included)

No, I am not going to go through all the time to write them down and type them in. I don't have the time.
 
I counted just now. 24 spices, I didn't count any spice mixtures.

  1. allspice*
  2. cardamom
  3. cloves*
  4. nutmeg*
  5. vanilla beans & extract
  6. cinnamon*
  7. ginger (some in sherry, some ground)
  8. cumin*
  9. coriander
  10. fennel
  11. star anise
  12. fenugreek
  13. black pepper
  14. white pepper
  15. yellow mustard seeds*
  16. brown mustard seeds
  17. celery seeds
  18. dill seeds
  19. juniper berries
  20. crushed chiles
  21. ground paprika, sweet and smoked hot
  22. cayenne ground and frozen
  23. ground turmeric
  24. various frozen chiles and some dry ones
*I have these both whole and ground.
All others are whole unless otherwise noted.
 
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