12 Easy Tips for Cooking with Spices

Herbs and spices are a great way to enhance the taste and color of food. Here are 12 Easy Tips for Cooking with Spices.

Herbs and spices can make almost any recipe more flavorful without adding a lot of sugar, fat or salt. In fact, for people looking to cut calories, reduce carbs, and generally eat a more whole and wholesome diet, using herbs and spices deliciously takes the place of less healthy ingredients. Some even have medicinal properties and can help with digestion, pain relief, healthy circulation, and more.

Spices, in particular, can be directly attributed to cuisines from around the world – basil, oregano, and fennel for Italian; oregano, coriander and cumin for Mexican; cinnamon, curry, turmeric for Indian. If you want to cut calories by adding fuller flavor, or get more adventurous with your recipes, here are some tips on how to cook with spices.

Basil Trivia!

Interesting note…did you know Basil is both an herb and a spice? The dried leaves are considered a spice, while the plant itself, native to India and Iran, is an annual herb and a member of the mint family. The Greek origin of the word basil means “king.” Now, tuck that info in your hat for your next game of trivia and you’ll be a winner

12 Easy Tips

Use fresh when you can

Fresh ginger has a completely different taste from dried and powdered. Basil is amazing as the base for fresh pesto sauce to put on your pasta, and it’s terrific chiffonade cut and tossed into salads.

Store fresh herbs carefully

Wrap the stems in a damp, not soaking wet, paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Place the bag in a cool, dark part of your refrigerator. If you’re going to use them within a day or two, some spices like cilantro, thyme, rosemary and basil, can be put in a glass of water, stems down. Don’t leave them in the glass too long, they’ll get mushy!

Plan recipes around the fresh herbs and spices

For example, if I’m making Italian and buy fresh basil, I’ll whip up some pesto with the leftovers and tuck it in the freezer. In this way, little will go to waste. Otherwise, you will more than likely forget about them until it is too late.

Freeze your fresh herbs and spices if you are not going to use them within a couple of days

Make sure they are completely dry and seal in a freezer bag. Moisture would cause them to get freezer burn. Store them in the back of the freezer, not near the door, to avoid them getting a lot of moisture or temperature changes. You can also chop them up, place a bit into each well of an ice cube tray, top with oil and freeze. This is a great way to knock out two steps in a recipe. You can thaw the cube, or just drop the oil cube into your pan and get cookin’!

Store your dried spices and herbs in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight

This will help them stay fresher for longer. I keep mine in the pantry, but do keep a small quantity on my countertop for easy reach. If you need to keep them on the counter, don’t put them right near the stove where heat and moisture can reach them. And, consider using dark colored jars to protect them from sunlight.

Dried is three times more concentrated than fresh

The ratio would therefore be one teaspoon of dried to one tablespoon of fresh.

Start with a small amount of spice

Remember, it’s easy to add more, but almost impossible to remove spice if you add too much.

Buy in bulk only if you use large amount of it

A good example would be cinnamon if you do a lot of baking, or oregano or basil if you make Italian food often. Otherwise, you’re storing spices for a long time in less than ideal conditions such as a glass bottle or tin.

For quick, foolproof recipes, make your own blends

If you know your own tastes, and your family’s, it’s easy to combine your spices into standard blends you can just sprinkle in. Italian tomato sauce, chili, stew and more couldn’t be easier once you make your custom blends. Head on over to XXX for 7 Great Spice Blends to Make

Check out the ethnic food aisles in the supermarket

Trouble finding a certain spice? Check out the ethnic food aisles in addition to the seasoning racks. Chances are, you can find a few more exotic items. Sometimes the containers will be larger amounts, and for less than in the spice aisle. Conversely, if you find an exotic blend in the ethnic aisle that’s a bit pricey, check out the ingredients on the label and mix up your own.

To save money, buy more versatile spices

Some herbs and spices are used extensively in particular cuisines, or more than one cuisine. Oregano would be one example. It’s used in dozens of Italian recipes but oregano is also a staple of Mexican food. Cinnamon is used in almost every cuisine in the world, including Indian and Chinese for savory dishes, and in European and American baked goods. Check out my article “13 Common Spices for Every Cook’s Kitchen.”

Learn how to make your favorite restaurant meals

Think how much money you can save, and how much control you will have over calories, fat, salt and more, by learning how to cook them at home. Go to quality recipe sites and choose the recipes with the highest star ratings.

There you have it – 12 easy tips for cooking with spices. For more great info, head to the search bar and type in “spices”! Can you think of more? Share them below in comments!

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