Using herbs and spices is an essential part of cooking. They infuse bland food with flavor while turning old, boring dishes into something exciting and new. But there is more to cooking with herbs and spices than just throwing them in at random and hoping for the best. Here’s how to use them to their full potential.
Grind Your Own Spices
Most food items lose their quality when they are exposed to oxygen. The same happens with spices. As soon as they are grounded, their flavor starts deteriorating. This is why it is best to buy spices whole and ground them yourself. This will not only help you get more flavors out of your spices, but it will extend their shelf life as whole spices last longer than pre-ground variety.
Herbs Need Time to Act
Herbs need more time to release their flavor, which is why you should always put them at the start of the cooking process. However, if you only remember to add herbs when your food is almost cooked, there are ways to still get the most out of them. You can crush the herbs or rub them between your fingers, which will help them release flavor more quickly before adding them to the dish. Another efficient way to achieve this is to soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Revive the Flavor of Spices by Toasting Them
Spices can easily lose some of their flavors by sitting in your pantry for a long time. But that isn’t the reason to throw them away. If you want to revive the flavor of the spices, just toast them in a pan for a few minutes. The heat will intensify the flavor, and they’ll be ready to get back to work on making your food better.
Store the Spices Properly
To help your herbs and spices to retain their flavor, you should store them properly. The best way to do it is to pack them in an airtight container and store them somewhere dark and cold. This method will also extend their shelf life significantly.
Fresh and Dried Herbs
If your recipe asks for fresh herbs and you only have dried ones or vice versa, don’t worry. The fresh and dried herbs are interchangeable by using a simple formula. Just multiply the number of dried herbs required by three, and you achieve the same effect. For the fresh herbs, just add a third of the number of dried herbs.
